Stripping paint off ti RSD Middle Child

Frame finish?

Sounds you want raw Ti?

Ti can be raw or scotch brited or polished. You could probably do any of these options once you got the paint off. I suspect that the tubes wouldn't be super pretty being painted so scotchbrite pads rubbed all over would give a simple fast finish. Polishing you might be able to do with a polishing disk and working through various rubbing compounds until it is polished.

I do want raw ti. It sounds like the scotch brite pads are the way to go. I don't have the patience or space to polish a frame.

I didn't think about burnishing the frame with ScotchBrite. Good idea RC.

Ti doesn't rust or oxidize (visually) you don't need to to anything to it.

Thanks for all the info. I think I will go with the citrus based stripper. What kind of fumes will that produce? i.e. will my wife murder me if I do it in the basement? I don't have a garage.

It didn't smell horrible, not noxious but still a bit tangy. Would suggest a room with a window just to keep things fresh. Maybe a towel at the bottom of the door to keep it localized. Our garage wasn't very well insulated so it's more of a room with a door and it didn't cause any issues for me.

eshew said:

It didn't smell horrible, not noxious but still a bit tangy. Would suggest a room with a window just to keep things fresh. Maybe a towel at the bottom of the door to keep it localized. Our garage wasn't very well insulated so it's more of a room with a door and it didn't cause any issues for me.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Is it just as simple as wiping the paint off with a rag once the Citri-strip does it's thing?

I would get a quote from someone local who does media blasting.
Most powdercoat shops around here do it.

Captain_America1976 said:

Thanks. Is it just as simple as wiping the paint off with a rag once the Citri-strip does it's thing?

Click to expand...

Yeah, I used a PLASTIC paint scraper to remove most of it & a wooden BBQ skewer for the tight spots. You might find a few spots here and there that will require 2-3 applications but yeah, just scrape off.

Put down a drop cloth or tarp or both. Bucket to put the old paint in. Once all the paint is off, ALL OF IT. You can do some research on the proper way to brush, again drop cloth, gloves, eye protection and a mask.

Brushing is really quite fast. Stripping (and waiting) & scraping takes the most time.

slapheadmofo said:

I would get a quote from someone local who does media blasting.
Most powdercoat shops around here do it.

Click to expand...

Other than cost would there be any reason to not do this?
I had an aluminum frame powder coated a few years ago. I think it was $150 all in with a slightly more expensive powder. I would think sand blasting would be 1/2 or less. That might be a good option given my space limitations.

Captain_America1976 said:

Other than cost would there be any reason to not do this?
I had an aluminum frame powder coated a few years ago. I think it was $150 all in with a slightly more expensive powder. I would think sand blasting would be 1/2 or less. That might be a good option given my space limitations.

Click to expand...

From what I know, as long as they use the right media, it should be fine. (Walnut shells I believe is what I believe I heard.)
Yeah, figure they typically include blasting in the PC pricing, so likely pretty reasonable.

I dropped it off yesterday. They said they are going to chemically strip it first, and then media blast it if necessary. It's going to take about a week, and cost me $100. Given my time and material cost, I am happy to pay for it.