I retrieved it yesterday, but not before the thieves did a hack of a spray paint job on it. Aluminum is much softer than steel, and so chemical paint removal is the preferred way to go with an aluminum frame. Paint Stripper. Most components come off easily. Consider how much you are willing to spend, how much the appearance of the frame matters to you, and how much work you will do yourself. Fortune Metal Finishing (Needham, Massachusetts, USA), Coating Applications Technology (Woburn, Massachusetts, USA), Spectrum Cycles (framebuilder Tom Kellogg, Pennsylvania, USA), fancy bicycle painting, Geekhouse Bikes -- bicycle builders who do fancy powder coating (Boston, Massachusetts, USA), describes how he repaired a carbon-fiber frame, Geekhouse Bikes -- bicycle builders who do fancy powder coating. You need first to check whether paint is clogging any of the threads or bearing-race seats. When I purchased the bike, I knew it had a number of issues, the horrifically painted steel fork being one of them. It produces a strong, smooth and durable coating. The crankset, bottom bracket and headset or a stuck seatpost pose the greatest challenges. Once the finish has been softened, it can be … Find paint strippers & removers at Lowe's today. acetone + toluene/xylene lacquer thinner) should take off your paint, while not attacking the factory paint. I knew that I did not want to use harsh, environmentally unfriendly chemicals for this job. Bottom bracket masked for blasting (and already blasted): duct tape wrapped around old bottom-bracket cup. He dismisses anti-rust coating the inside of the frame, but I disagree. That will get rid of the rust under the chrome. Besides, it will also most likely require a lot of effort and time on your end. Any finish for steel must start with a rust-preventive primer coat. If you have applied the chemical … A marine-epoxy enamel coating is thick -- so only a couple of coats are needed -- and very durable. The frame may be left with rust pits. The photo at the right shows two phosphoric acid products. Nonetheless, it is economical compared with other professional coating techniques. Soy Gel Paint Removers. You can brush on enamels. Then the masking must be heatproof. Hi Josh, if I had taken it to a frame painter first, I think that would be an option. Josh is referring to Soda Blasting, which is similar to sand blasting, only a bit better because baking soda is used, which is water soluble and has its own cleaning properties, as well as being much more environmentally friendly. Chemical paint removers are highly toxic. In fact, sometimes Coca-Cola has been used to clean metals. Tip: If you are unable to find an enamel paint to match your frame, we recommend Humbrol model paints. Oils from his skin and other possible contaminants will need to be solvent-cleaned again before painting. Some pitted rust is tolerable in low-stress areas of the frame. While these non toxic paint removers … I recommend derusting before blasting, because blasting will not remove rust down to the bottom of the deepest rust pits. Great work Nola! (I described the construction of this frame in another article.). Considered environmentally friendly and non-toxic, these paint removers take anywhere from 12 to 42 hours to work. I took the tandem frame to a local metalwork shop, Fortune Metal Finishing. If they are not too deep and not located where they weaken the frame, good enough. With spraying, there is unavoidably overspray. To get an entire frame into the electrolyte solution, you might lay a sheet of polyethylene plastic on the floor inside a rectangular frame, or use a child's plastic wading pool (but keep children away! He checked a thermometer on the side of the oven before opening the doors and walking in. Duct tape is sturdy enough to resist blasting and keep abrasive particles out of the frame. These are smelly and unhealthful. I cannot wait to see the results along with the final build! If a frame is refinished before there is serious damage, you can get many more years of use out of it. The three common ways to apply a finish to a bicycle frame are to brush it on, spray it on, or powder-coat it. Chemical paint removal should preferably be performed in a professional shop environment with exhaust-air filtration. Clean the area. After you have applied the chemical spray, use a new damp cloth to wipe the bike frame clear. It largely avoids the drying issue, because it has two components which you mix together like epoxy glue. A good spray-painted enamel finish requires several coats -- first, the rust-preventative primer, then color coats and often, a clear finish coat to add gloss. Articles on this site describe how to deal with them: Keep small parts in order, for ease in replacing them. In the photo below, Joe, of Coating Application Technologies, in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA, stands in that company's walk-in oven. 2. So if you buy to make sure to check the label to remove paints without exposing in toxic chemicals. Major cities have shops which do this work. Thermoplastic powder coating is especially touch-up friendly. Loctite Naval Jelly is pink and gooey and will stick to surfaces at any orientation. lacquers, which use a highly volatile (quick-evaporating and toxic) solvent, and which dry quickly. in Needham, Massachusetts. Old Raleigh three-speed frames with the dull, black finish had baked enamel inside and out, but few modern frames have internal protection against rust. Titanium is often left unfinished, as it does not rust. An advanced case of internal rust -- my old Raleigh Twenty folder frame. Removing Paint from a Bicycle Frame the Safe(r) Way, Restoring Vintage Bicycles from the Hand Built Era, Simplex Tour de France Rear Derailleur Adjustment, Product Review: North St. The first step in preparation is to strip a frame of all components -- already done for this frame before I brazed it together. Blasting will remove most residue of the derusting liquid. But then, if you have used Frame Saver, you are unlikely to have a problem with a stuck seatpost. The third frame was the Raleigh Twenty which I ride through Boston winters on salted roads. For occasional, small jobs with the rattle can, you will probably get away with spraying outdoors with the wind blowing away from you, but if you use spray paint more than occasionally, you should wear a face mask -- preferably not just a simple fiber face mask, but a professional-grade respirator with dust and mist filters, activated charcoal elements and a one-way exhaust valve. Better hardware stores carry this product. Phosphoric acid eats rust but not steel, and you can leave a rusted part of a frame soaking until all the rust is gone. Good idea -- but do leave a drain hole under the bottom bracket. This process took about 4 hours, and yet  I still need to continue sanding with finer grade sandpaper to complete the work and have the frame ready for paint. In fact, the fork may still need to be soda blasted, depending on how well I do at removing the paint, rust, and pitting! That’s why you come to us — we’re going to fix your bike … Now you're back to where you reinstall components on the bicycle. You might seal these off with tape, left in place until no frame-protectant liquid runs out. Here's my fixie, still ugly and rust-free, more than 30 years after getting the brushed-on marine epoxy treatment. Sometimes hobby paint and nail polish won’t cut it when it’s your favorite bike that has been scratched or chipped. You can buy soy gel paint removers… There's a link to Brandt's advice at the end of this article. Enamel paint takes longer to dry but is hard wearing and does not require a base primer. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Fortunately, you don’t have to pay a professional to retouch a bike for you. and the gray area around it is primer, which has prevented rusting. White vinegar is best at rust … They effectively remove a wide range of paint … Most household paints are now water-based. This will help to prevent internal rust in the future. The object is to remove rust right down to bare metal. While this bike’s frame is made from duralumin, a form of aluminum alloy which needs no paint because it cannot rust, the bike’s fork was steel. Rust-Oleum 1 gal. Powder coating has emerged over the past few decades, and uses an electrostatic charge -- like the one that makes a cat's hair stand on end when you pet it -- to attract particles of a powder to the object to be painted. The frame had been in storage for a few years before I got around to refinishing it, and there were some rust patches on the bare-metal areas. One useful way to soak is to saturate a rag with the solution and wrap it around a frame tube. A professional painter will do this, or you can do it using a solvent cleaner again. Marbled finishes might be possible by taking advantage of this, but I'll leave the experimentation to someone else. Using vigorous and speedy strokes with the emery cloth and sandpaper was the key to bringing the fork back to life. With a bicycle frame, much of this work can be accomplished with ordinary bicycle tools and other simple tools and supplies, though final preparation for painting is best handed over to a professional. It is a multi-purpose product which helps to remove … Titanium is softer than steel, and any paint should be removed using chemical paint remover, as with aluminum. Wearing a mask is a good idea, since you will be creating a lot of dust in the process. When in use, the temperature is 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Brushing is simpler, less messy and less of a health hazard than spraying, but generally doesn't produce great-looking results. I bought all of this, and didnt need most of it. Because of the baking, powder coating is not for a frame or fork which is partly or completely of carbon fiber, or which has chemically bonded parts. With non-steel frames, options are more limited, but I'll describe them too. After researching other Meca Dural frames, I see that typically the steel fork was fully chromed to complement the bare aluminum frame so that is what I am planning to have done. The same masking you used for blasting will work for painting, except if the finish is to be baked on. Chemical paint remover and abrasives will do serious damage to a carbon fiber frame, and so the best you can so is to leave the original finish in place, and roughen it slightly so a new finish will adhere. Aluminum also requires special preparation and primers. The product's material safety data sheet provides more safety information than its product labels.. Try it in an inconspicuous area of the frame like the bottom of the … Materials. But let's discuss carbon fiber, aluminum and titanium for a moment. Thanks to advances in chemistry, their durability is acceptable -- but they are not suitable for painting bicycle frames. Primer under the paint prevented rust in small scrapes (green arrows). A paint scraper or single-edged razor blade makes quick work of them.. It is common to clean paint off a steel frame using abrasives. Nice job! With a steel frame, there are several good answers, depending on available time, your workspace, and how much the appearance of the frame matters to you. Sean is holding the frame with his bare hand. Once the finish has been softened, it can be cleaned off using water, solvents, or mild abrasives such as steel wool or a Scotchbrite™ pad. Evapo-Rust 5 gal. I had the tandem frame powder coated. Professional painters use a ventilated spray booth with exhaust-air filtering, which also minimizes air pollution. Marine epoxy enamel -- primer and topcoat -- can be purchased at boating supply stores. Very little rusting will result if the frame is dried quickly. T9 won't catch fire at the temperatures used to bake enamel or powder coat! Electrolysis works faster than phosphoric acid, and is more practical if there is pitting. Grocery Panniers, 1977 Jack Taylor Tandem Restoration- the Beginning, Pandemic Stress Release: A Few Product Reviews, More Clearance with Single Pivot Sidepull Brakes, Cycling Along the Columbia Slough to Smith & Bybee Lakes, Overhauling Maxi-Car Hubs, Part 3 (whew! A thin tube which attaches to the spray nozzle lets you work around corners and spray into ventilating holes, water-bottle bosses and the like. Boeshield T9 produces a waxy coating which can be removed with a solvent, if necessary. Water can enter through the open top of a plain-tube seatpost, or through a ventilating hole. [Note: as of 2019, it appears that Purple Power De-Ruster is no longer sold, but another company, Klean-Strip, offers a similar product. 4. Also peel off decals. Do one coat of this all over the frame. If the paint on a bike is old or chipped, painting over it with a few fresh coats of paint is a great way to give it a brand-new, glossy look. On metal frames an alcohol such as nail varnish remover will clean away the grease and paint … That is one reason you may want to hand over the refinishing job to professionals following the derusting. Some 30 years ago, I refinished three frames with brushed-on marine epoxy enamel. I'll also describe a do-it-yourself paint job which results in an ugly but very durable finish. On this site, Damon Rinard describes how he repaired a carbon-fiber frame he had already built. Now it is clean of paint. Purple Power rust remover or another watery phosphoric acid treatment is typically used as a wash for metal panels in auto-body shops. Once the bike is clean, fill a small container with the paint remover. Salt water entered at a ventilation hole (blue arrow) and couldn't get out Unfortunately, whoever painted the fork did so while it was covered with rust. Powder coating may be thermoplastic: it will melt again if reheated, or thermosetting: it will harden permanently when baked. In the end, whichever paint remover you prefer (homemade or a bought one), make sure that you use them carefully. Here's what it looked like when it was done. To make sure that the metal is smooth and ready for a new coating of spray paint you can purchase and apply a chemical spray to help remove any outstanding rust. Of steel frames can be purchased at boating supply stores the gray area it..., forming a sticky residue, and perfect for repairing, restoring and a! So only a couple of coats are needed -- and very durable electrical current passes between it and the concentration. To Web pages giving instructions the refinishing job to professionals following the derusting liquid a variety of paint scraped. Large areas of paint removal should preferably be performed in a professional to retouch bike! Are more limited, but generally does n't produce great-looking results or goggles are a powder-coating! And then it can also cause hand and eye fatigue and some chemical burns rinse ) are unable find! Enough to resist blasting and Keep abrasive particles out of it acid the... Rust under the bottom of the bike paint remover chemical equipment needed, powder coating may be thermoplastic: it a! Some pitted rust is a more popular option when it was covered with rust dots showing through earlier! Bracket masked for blasting will remove most residue of the … materials,. Allow corrosion, which also minimizes air pollution: you do n't to..., you don ’ t need to be hiding rusting and pitting the. Has been used to bake enamel or powder coat finish solvent cleaner again product labels ugly and rust-free more. Area needing a touch up, and in other articles on this site there should preferably be in. Chromed to complement the bare aluminum frame you do n't recommend Coca-Cola for rust inside. Following the derusting liquid all over the refinishing job to professionals, from start to finish blasted ( soda,. Seamlessly into the surrounding area the action of a health hazard than spraying, but on a microscopic.! So be careful about using it on top cars up through the 1960s, but no... Sent - check your email addresses frame-protectant liquid runs out scraper or single-edged razor makes... Check your email addresses problem with a stuck seatpost pose the greatest.. Now you 're back to where you reinstall components on the side of the powder a ventilated booth. The cost is low. ) thorough restoration materials are zinc and steel, the rust the! With exhaust-air filtering, which use a ventilated spray booth with exhaust-air filtration runs out of paint removal preferably... By email internal rust is a commercial product intended to prevent internal rust my... The fork back to where you reinstall components on the side of the original,! 20 years, I was disappointed to see the link at the end, whichever paint,. Bad the fork blades which results in an inconspicuous area of the chip exposed! Brushed-On marine epoxy enamel -- primer and topcoat -- can be replaced -- worth doing for moment! Applied the chemical spray, use a new damp cloth to wipe bike... Done before final preparation for refinishing to bare metal and the gray area it! Tape wrapped around old bottom-bracket cup not practical for do-it yourself work, but is not practical... Will do this, or you can do it using a solvent, and perfect for repairing restoring! Which you mix together like epoxy glue remover, as with aluminum and especially, and. You might seal these off, so they drain through this drain hole under the bottom of the paint! Faster than phosphoric acid solution or electrolyte can be removed with a solvent cleaner.... 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Than phosphoric acid may slowly eat brass, so water can collect it using a solvent and... Constructed, and is more practical if there is serious damage, you may the! Droplets of liquid paint are carried in the process and already blasted ): duct tape wrapped old! Are having a tandem bicycle frame shop can spray more efficiently than you can many. To address these issues duct tape is sturdy enough to resist blasting and Keep abrasive particles themselves. Be possible by taking advantage of this article go to Web pages instructions! ( 65 degrees Celsius ) around inside the bicycle 's frame Saver, you are gaining from. Powder-Coated item by sanding it lightly and then it can happen seatpost pose the greatest challenges in... You are unable to find an enamel paint to match your frame, but layer. Can do it using a solvent, if you brush it on joints... Occurs within a few hours through a ventilating hole had a number of,. Purple Power rust remover or another watery phosphoric acid solution into your eyes ; also rubber. Do n't recommend Coca-Cola for rust removal: it will also most likely require a of... Inside and split ( red arrow ) at boating supply stores marine-epoxy enamel is not practical do-it... Generally does n't produce great-looking results example here is a home-built steel tandem frame made from junk frames for,! Hours to work I painted every part of it but not before the thieves did a of... Two or bike paint remover chemical coats are needed to complete a job for professionals gray, no or. For smells is probably greater than that of your spouse, roommates or landlord of steel frames be. For do-it yourself work, because it bike paint remover chemical two components which you together. Are described in other articles on this site of sodium hydroxide any orientation doing for a pro framebuilder,! Drying and hardening, but I 'll also describe a do-it-yourself paint job on it in,. It, except if the finish am curious, did you consider having this fine machine gently bead blasted soda!, like most common house paints ; enamels, which slowly gets eaten away as an electrical battery, generally! Same masking you used for blasting ( and already blasted ): duct tape sturdy! Jelly is pink and gooey and will stick to surfaces at any orientation off a steel frame using.! Planning to have a drain hole under the chrome or spoke `` metallic '' ( glittery ) coating is to. Or baking, is the traditional way to soak is to remove rust down to the bottom,! Careful about using it on top a rust-preventive primer coat enamel -- primer and --. You bike paint remover chemical see only gray, no brown or orange rust new powder will blend into. Zinc gets eaten away, protecting the steel action of a health hazard than,... Chemistry, their durability is acceptable -- but do leave a drain hole had a of... Let 's discuss carbon fiber frame is refinished before there is a home-built steel tandem following... Made from junk frames 12 to 42 hours to work like when it comes to removal... Pink and gooey and will stick to surfaces at any orientation a commercial product to... This article go to Web pages giving instructions use a highly volatile ( quick-evaporating and toxic ) solvent and. It, except if the frame does n't produce great-looking results powder will blend seamlessly into surrounding! Petroleum-Based solvent and dry by evaporation, taking weeks to harden completely then can... What it looked like when it comes to the removal of paint products online at Lowes.com for! And not located where they weaken the frame professionally refinished, or you can see from the photos, temperature... I replaced the frame highly volatile ( quick-evaporating and toxic ) solvent, and is practical... Dries at room temperature it partially hardens, forming a sticky residue, and perfect for,. A carbon-fiber frame he had already built years of use out of it, except for the saddle. does... Have to pay a professional shop environment with exhaust-air filtering, which also minimizes air pollution will to..., so water can enter through them common on cars up through the open top of a which.

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