Touch up painting your oldie but goldie
10-13-09, 08:19 PM
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Touch up painting your oldie but goldie
Just curious, how many of us care enough to touch up the paint on our beauties...and what method do you prefer? I plan on going to get some nail polish tomorrow...or soon enough...to patch up the bad spots...
10-13-09, 08:24 PM
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You really ought to search the threads on this as it arrises at least twice a week. I scrouge for auto touch-up paint, the Magic marker typr, not spray. A.parts stores are OK sometimes. I've found it at new car dealers, might be dif., I find it easy.
10-13-09, 08:30 PM
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Oh...my bad I haven't seen this topic thus far...but I haven't really searched either...
can we delete the thread if it is a big deal?
can we delete the thread if it is a big deal?
10-13-09, 08:53 PM
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+1. I did extensive touch-up on a yellow '79 Schwinn Collegiate with an even more "vintage" bottle of Testors that was originally bought when I was a kid, painting model WWII warplanes. The price was painted on the cap --15 cents. The paint job was so-so, but it was better than the rust. You can see it if you zoom in on the top tube near the head tube:
10-13-09, 09:18 PM
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Anyway, I just see a man post Testors, I was teying to reacll that brand Name the oyjer day.. now THAT's were the price of a new post.
10-13-09, 09:20 PM
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Touch up is not an automatic-- beware that you may end up reducing the value of your bicycle. Some bicycles are worth more if they're simply cleaned up and preserved without touch up. Most people don't have those kinds of bicycles though. Make sure what you have isn't rare or highly valuable.
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10-13-09, 09:26 PM
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Touch up is not an automatic-- beware that you may end up reducing the value of your bicycle. Some bicycles are worth more if they're simply cleaned up and preserved without touch up. Most people don't have those kinds of bicycles though. Make sure what you have isn't rare or highly valuable.
10-13-09, 09:26 PM
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Ray Dobbins, who's pics are terrific, has a small article on how he prepares touch up paint to match as closely as possible. He uses Testors paint.
Scroll past the pics for his text.
https://www.raydobbins.com/pantografa...er_touchup.htm
Scroll past the pics for his text.
https://www.raydobbins.com/pantografa...er_touchup.htm
10-13-09, 09:28 PM
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You gonna eat that?
Heck, I won't touch up my Schwinn Varsity. It's just too cool the way it is, bare spots and all.
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10-13-09, 09:44 PM
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I would not use "nail polish" but there are many auto touch up paints that are great. Also, Testors comes in many colors and is my favorite. It does not have to match perfectly if it is a small spot. Put the Testors on with a small brush. Let it dry several days, maybe hit it with a polishing compound and then some Carrnuba wax and it will blend nicely.
10-13-09, 10:37 PM
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Myself, I was flipping that yellow Schwinn, so it didn't need to be perfect, it just needed to have the bare spots covered where I removed the rust.
10-13-09, 10:47 PM
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Testors comes in acryllic - polishes right off, so you don't have to worry about undo.
It comes in pens, too, for touching up pinstriping and decals. Again, if you screw it up or don't wnat to devalue your bike - it comes off really easy. On the bad side, you have to redo it every once in a while, especially if you clean your bike a lot.
It comes in pens, too, for touching up pinstriping and decals. Again, if you screw it up or don't wnat to devalue your bike - it comes off really easy. On the bad side, you have to redo it every once in a while, especially if you clean your bike a lot.
10-13-09, 10:47 PM
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Mix your own. I buy auto paints and mix color to suit the frame. Take your time. Its tough to get it right, and you may need a few colors and iterations. Test in a subtle spot, and wipe off if it looks wrong. Don't try to change a given color too quickly, narrow in on the right shade gradually. It'll be rewarding. Its nice to finish up with a color you mixed that matches very nicely. It'll never be perfect, but if you can barely see it from 2-3 feet, mission accomplished.
10-14-09, 09:20 AM
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Beware too that some of the automotive paints out there are hot solvent paints that will melt plastic or factory finish.
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10-14-09, 09:44 AM
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I'm actually really glad this thread popped up...I have one scratch in my 07' JTS and a few spots on the raleigh professional in team livery, and thought they'd look better left alone. Glad to see others leave them a little rough too. If you;re bike is THAT perfect, it's not being ridden, and I like to ride my babies.
The only bike I don't ride is my three seat tandem schwinn...and that's only because it's hard to find two people who want to head out to the burbs to pick it up at my parent's garage. It's too large for my apartment.
The only bike I don't ride is my three seat tandem schwinn...and that's only because it's hard to find two people who want to head out to the burbs to pick it up at my parent's garage. It's too large for my apartment.
10-14-09, 05:08 PM
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I use Testors, too, but try to get the pens if the store has the color I need. I do some rubbing with compound a few days later, to remove the excess paint and only have the paint in the scratched area.
A better way, depending on color, is to buy spray enamel, spray it into a cup, which creates a very thin, but fast-drying paint. I touch up with that, often with a q-tip. It takes several layers, but once dried, it's easier to rub down with compound, and less conspicuous. Then I apply a coat of wax. The better the frame, the more picky I'd be on the touchup.
Almost nothing in my stable would be hurt by a touchup job, value-wise. And a couple would actually increase in value if I got the decals and did it right, i.e. repaint.
A better way, depending on color, is to buy spray enamel, spray it into a cup, which creates a very thin, but fast-drying paint. I touch up with that, often with a q-tip. It takes several layers, but once dried, it's easier to rub down with compound, and less conspicuous. Then I apply a coat of wax. The better the frame, the more picky I'd be on the touchup.
Almost nothing in my stable would be hurt by a touchup job, value-wise. And a couple would actually increase in value if I got the decals and did it right, i.e. repaint.
10-14-09, 07:10 PM
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)) <> ((
i would say try it out or your least favorite bike and prepare to be disappointed. you will need to get a perfect match or it will look just as bad, only different.
