Bike Painting

Grub-on-Wheels said:

Well, I have stripped my 1994 CroMoly frame down to bare metal. Now, how do I Paint it? From a sketchy understanding I think I need to again go over for a fresh sanding, treat imediately with some sort of phosphate solution, prime, paint. Dupont Imeron or I have a friend in auto body who really likes PPG (Pittsburg Paint and Glass) paints. But I really need some detailed Info, Please Help.

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What info do you need? Seems you have it down pat. The metal needs proper prep of the primer will not stick. Make sure your primer coat is not very thick and the topcoat is applied in thin layers as well. I am not sure of the exact mil thickness of the coating, but putting it on too thick will increase your chances of running the paint, and after i cures, too thick of paint will chip easy. So, get good coverage, but no too thick.

Here are the steps I would take.

Since you have it bare metal already, lightly scuff it with 400 grit, clean with a dioxidine solution, prime the frame. Let the primer cure, lightly scuff it, the take a tack rag to clean it, then apply top coat. When painting, spray the tough spots first (joints, the underside of the tubes) then be careful not to put too much paint on. When spraying, I like to stand at different angles, so the light hits everything perfect. This allows you to see all of the surface, ensuring total coverage, plus you want to keep a uniform gloss.
Good luck. If you paint it, please post it, I would love to see it.

Grub-on-Wheels said:

Joe Dirt,
What is dioxidine solution, what brand do I get and where. Do I tack before putting on and how long to wait before priming. I want to paint it my Alma Matter colors candie navy blue and gold at the joints. I like contrast, so I dont want to fade the transitions. But, I also would like those transitions have some comlexity rather than a straight line differece if you know what I mean. I think I would like the colors to spike into one another. But some how I doubt I have the skill to do that nicely. It might end up being a straight line transition.

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I am not sure of any certain brands, working for the government, you don't pay much attention to that, as they normally get off the wall brands (cheapest supplier). What you would do is take a green scotch brite pad, and scrub the frame with a dioxidine solution and this will clean all oxidation from the frame. You can get it from an a automotive paint store. After you scrub with dioxidine, rinse with water and dry it. If you cannot find the dioxidine, then use a solvent type cleaner. As for tack ragging, after cleaning, let it completely dry, then tack rag (paint store has them too), when you are tack ragging the metal, if the rag stays clean, you did a good job of cleaning the metal. Before you prime it, make sure it is dry, use compressed air (wear eye protection) to make sure there is absolutely no water on the metal. Once it is dry, go ahead and prime it, let it dry say, for an hour, then lightly scuff the primer with a fresh scotch brite pad or 400 brit paper, then tack rag again, it should be contaminate free and ready to paint. The thing with painting is being patient, the prep work is the most important part, if you want it to look good and last. Hope this helps.

Also: Make sure after you completely clean it, you do a good masking job. Mask off the threads for the BB, the mating surface for the Headset, inside the tube for the seat post and any pivot pionts for suspension. Good luck