Have you ever painted your bike ?
#26
Cycleway town
Rattle can paint is not that bad. It can be a sit down and point and shoot product but the results of that effort will be what it is. Put yourself in a professional booth with professional paint but do all the work yourself and you might get similar results to you yourself doing a rattle can job. Rattle can paint is different in that it takes a longer time to "cure" and takes care with the coat thickness and attention to any recoat times. If you have ever had extremely soft paint after a few weeks, something was not ideal and it may never properly cure. I'm not saying rattle can is the same or ideal or compares to a professional doing the job or powder coating but the conditions and the way it was applied is the a MAJOR factor on the results, more so than the paint itself. In the end, there is very little incentive to master rattle cans. If you are painting things often, you skip that step and go right for a full blown setup.
Vinyl is available in cans, but I found sun damage in two years after painting car bumpers.
#27
Rhapsodic Laviathan
With the exception of powder coating, I have never seen a repainted bike with anywhere near the quality or durability of finish found on even the cheapest of bikes. Sometimes they look halfway decent when the paint is fresh, but it starts to chip quickly and looks like junk after a very short time.
Now that I think about it, it mighy be enamel, it's way thicker paint. Both bikes are aluminum. I gave up. Gonna have a paint shop strip them both. One I'm leaving bare, the other I'm painting. Though I should probably leave the denali bare to save grams and because it'll be an urban bomber.
#28
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If you have ever had extremely soft paint after a few weeks, something was not ideal and it may never properly cure.
#29
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I've only painted two. Both were kids bikes and we're essentially garage sale finds and fix ups.
Sanded and rattle canned the frames. Was plenty good for kids. Would probably be good enough for me on a beater. Definitely not as nice as paint applied at the bicycle factory.
Sanded and rattle canned the frames. Was plenty good for kids. Would probably be good enough for me on a beater. Definitely not as nice as paint applied at the bicycle factory.
#30
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Wow! A lot of replies. Thank you all for taking the time to reply and for all the feedback and of course for posting those pics.
I'm actually good with stuff like this (painting, building or fixing things....) and I'm really into details and making things as perfect as possible and I have a lot of patience. I used to be into building airplane models (plastic), not a pro though. I'm not worried about the process but I'm worried about the paint chipping later now that I'm seeing a lot of people -here and on Youtube- saying the same thing -paint chipping. I'm wondering if it's the quality of the paint or maybe the lack of a paint oven in the process. I know an oven always produces a better job when it comes to painting metals.
I don't think taking the bike to a paint shop would be worth it for me. Overall the bike looks very clean (the paint) and it's only the top tube that has the most scratches -most of them are light surface scratches and a couple deeper ones on the bottom part of the tube, but then those are hidden since they're on the bottom- and then only a few other small scratches here and there but they're not that bad and maybe even some touch-ups will fix those. So, really it's just the top part of the top tube that needs a re-paint. That's why I thought I could do it myself. I'm sure a shop cannot do just some parts of the bike, but yeah powder coating would be nice.
I actually have a small airbrush (for painting plastic models) and an air compressor and I'm wondering if those little model paint bottles they sell at hobby stores would work. But then, they are for plastic. So, maybe not.
And the reason why I'd rather do this myself is because I know no matter how careful I am with my bike eventually scratches will happen and I want to be able to always fix them myself since it's not feasible to keep taking the bike to a shop.
I see some pretty nice paint jobs here in these pics especially that bike with the color changing paint and the KHS bike, and the orange strange looking bike and the other ones with "orange peel", I think the orange peel effect can be fixed with wet sanding with very fine sandpaper and then some rubbing compound and polishing to produce nice smooth final results. I couldn't post the video here since I have less than 10 posts but there's a video on Youtube titled "how to paint a bike **best way** " and the guy shows the final results after wet sanding the forks and applying compound and polish.
Thanks again for all the replies.
I'm actually good with stuff like this (painting, building or fixing things....) and I'm really into details and making things as perfect as possible and I have a lot of patience. I used to be into building airplane models (plastic), not a pro though. I'm not worried about the process but I'm worried about the paint chipping later now that I'm seeing a lot of people -here and on Youtube- saying the same thing -paint chipping. I'm wondering if it's the quality of the paint or maybe the lack of a paint oven in the process. I know an oven always produces a better job when it comes to painting metals.
I don't think taking the bike to a paint shop would be worth it for me. Overall the bike looks very clean (the paint) and it's only the top tube that has the most scratches -most of them are light surface scratches and a couple deeper ones on the bottom part of the tube, but then those are hidden since they're on the bottom- and then only a few other small scratches here and there but they're not that bad and maybe even some touch-ups will fix those. So, really it's just the top part of the top tube that needs a re-paint. That's why I thought I could do it myself. I'm sure a shop cannot do just some parts of the bike, but yeah powder coating would be nice.
I actually have a small airbrush (for painting plastic models) and an air compressor and I'm wondering if those little model paint bottles they sell at hobby stores would work. But then, they are for plastic. So, maybe not.
And the reason why I'd rather do this myself is because I know no matter how careful I am with my bike eventually scratches will happen and I want to be able to always fix them myself since it's not feasible to keep taking the bike to a shop.
I see some pretty nice paint jobs here in these pics especially that bike with the color changing paint and the KHS bike, and the orange strange looking bike and the other ones with "orange peel", I think the orange peel effect can be fixed with wet sanding with very fine sandpaper and then some rubbing compound and polishing to produce nice smooth final results. I couldn't post the video here since I have less than 10 posts but there's a video on Youtube titled "how to paint a bike **best way** " and the guy shows the final results after wet sanding the forks and applying compound and polish.
Thanks again for all the replies.
Last edited by Solo_rider; 05-16-19 at 12:23 PM.
#31
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Chipping has never been an issue on any of my re-paints, but then I am very careful when riding and handling all of my bikes.
Nowadays, my spray painting frames are past. Considering all the time and effort I'd rather just pay for a powder coat.
Nowadays, my spray painting frames are past. Considering all the time and effort I'd rather just pay for a powder coat.
#32
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Good to know. I'm very careful too but I want to fix the scratches from the previous owner and want to make sure I won't be wasting a lot of time for nothing if the paint eventually ends up chipping.
That "Spray.Bike" stuff looks promising but unfortunately I don't think it's available here in Canada.
#34
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I'm in the middle of painting a frame right now. The fork is easy, just two tubes, no blind spots but the frame is more tricky. Lots of blind spots that you might miss and a lot of joints where tubes connect. I got a few drips from those connecting points because that's where the most paint built up from all the intersecting strokes.
To get rid of the drips I waited for the frame to dry off and sanded them off with fine 280 sandpad wet with white spirit. Then I just polished the area with a dremel fitted with a felt disc and shoe polish. Wipe the polish off with white spirit and they're gone.
This was my fist time doing it and I had a lot of fun. Takes a lot of time and patience. Sometimes it's better to stop and put some more layers in an hour or in 15min than to load them on one after another.
Kret
To get rid of the drips I waited for the frame to dry off and sanded them off with fine 280 sandpad wet with white spirit. Then I just polished the area with a dremel fitted with a felt disc and shoe polish. Wipe the polish off with white spirit and they're gone.
This was my fist time doing it and I had a lot of fun. Takes a lot of time and patience. Sometimes it's better to stop and put some more layers in an hour or in 15min than to load them on one after another.
Kret
I think a Dremel tool is perfect for buffing and polishing a bike but I'm not sure about using shoe polish for this. I would stick to using the right polish.
Yes it does take a lot of patience and time but some people enjoy this kind of stuff and it brings a lot of satisfaction at the end.... as long as the paint doesn't end up chipping.
#35
Sunshine
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Good to know. I'm very careful too but I want to fix the scratches from the previous owner and want to make sure I won't be wasting a lot of time for nothing if the paint eventually ends up chipping.
That "Spray.Bike" stuff looks promising but unfortunately I don't think it's available here in Canada.
That "Spray.Bike" stuff looks promising but unfortunately I don't think it's available here in Canada.
Ive done 3 bikes with spray.bike paint and think its a great product.
- late 80s steel road bike for me
- late 80s steel road bike for a teen i know
- kids 24" MTB for one of my daughters.
90% prep 10% painting. That is for sure true.
The Spray.Bike process has a zinc base primer, color over that, then finish with clear coat. its pretty straight forward.
The oldest painted one, my road bike still looks great. No chips, wear away, or anything like that.
Last edited by mstateglfr; 05-17-19 at 07:27 AM.
#36
Senior Member
So far my favorite paint choice has been rattlecan Rustoleum. Sure, it isn't very durable, but it is cheap and when done right looks great, even from 5 feet away! This winter I did a bike with brush on Rustoleum and from 20 feet it is a sure winner. Since I tend to change colors every other year, I don't put a lot of effort into painting them. As long as they are 20 foot bikes, all is good.
#37
Rhapsodic Laviathan
Not sure if I have a picture anymore, but as a quick and easy fix, convenient; I wrapped a bike with electrical tape. Looked great.
#39
Senior Member
Thread Starter
In response to your original post, you might want to consider auto care wax. There's nothing you can do about scratches appearing, they will do with time and painting is a big job, I doubt you want to do all that every 3 months. Wax can be applied regularly and it restores the shine of the varnish. It also fills out the scratches and makes them less visible.
Kret
Kret
#40
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Many many years ago they used to have something like electric tape but without the adhesive surface and it used to come in many colors or even transparent and you could wrap the whole bike with it. I like the color of my bike now after the polishing and I wouldn't want to cover it with tape.
#42
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Many many years ago they used to have something like electric tape but without the adhesive surface and it used to come in many colors or even transparent and you could wrap the whole bike with it. I like the color of my bike now after the polishing and I wouldn't want to cover it with tape.
#43
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Considering I prefer long lasting 3M electrical tape, which isn't cheap, I think painting a whole bike would be cheaper.
#44
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#45
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I would not repaint, but I have the luxury of not being involved with your project. That paint under the seat clamp bolt looks fine to me, or "good enough" rather.
That's a beautiful finish, definitely not rattlecan. Rattlecan paint these days is a joke, including the Spray Bike stuff, it goes on like someone got mouthful of paint and spat it on, aborigine-style.
That's a beautiful finish, definitely not rattlecan. Rattlecan paint these days is a joke, including the Spray Bike stuff, it goes on like someone got mouthful of paint and spat it on, aborigine-style.
#46
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Please don't be offended but if that is what the result of spray.bike is I sure don't like it, the first example looks like black car undercoating or rocker guard. The example of the chainstay with the splash looks much better and with a clear I am sure it would excellent. If it is a VERY durable product then I am sure it has it's place but it does not look anything close to an original job that I think the OP is after. As with the OP I am obsessive compulsive with things and more times than not causes me great anxiety. I am going to repaint because of one sag in the paint under the seat clamp bolt plus a couple mistakes with the placement of the decals. I am going to try wet sanding the decals off first but foresee a complete job.
The black with green flecks is a regular rider for me- it is durable and inexpensive, which is what I wanted.
The fade is a project I did with a teen i mentored- the whole bike was to give him a creative outlet and work on budgeting.
The blue is my youngest's main bike and she had to choice to powdercoat or spray, and she chose spray since its her doing to the work. So it was for durability and experience.
Fully agree that they arent at all like wet paint. The OP asked if anyone painted their bike with good results. I mentioned my examples because the product had already been mentioned and because I think the results are good for what the goals were.
#47
Senior Member
I have used this stuff to clear coat a lot of different types of paint including water based
Its a two part epoxy clear/paint all in one can
It is very durable and the nozzle puts out a good spray pattern
I have only used the clear though so I cant comment on the color stuff
But with a good prep job and some wet sanding I have had some real nice paint jobs on different things
https://www.eastwood.com/paints/2k-a...ay-paints.html
Its a two part epoxy clear/paint all in one can
It is very durable and the nozzle puts out a good spray pattern
I have only used the clear though so I cant comment on the color stuff
But with a good prep job and some wet sanding I have had some real nice paint jobs on different things
https://www.eastwood.com/paints/2k-a...ay-paints.html
#48
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I used Spraymax 2k clear on a bare metal Miyata last January. Still holding up w/o rust. Very happy with the fast drying times and lack of drips. Not even I could screw up a paint job with that stuff, I felt like a pro.
This 2 part system is the way of the future for rattlecan paint, IMO:
This 2 part system is the way of the future for rattlecan paint, IMO:
Likes For Lemond1985:
#49
Senior Member
Thread Starter
What the hell !! What is that ?
As for the Spray.Bike, from the two pics I see here it doesn't look horrible or anything but I'm trying to keep the same paint finish (very smooth like the original paint) on the bike and it's only the top tube that I was thinking about painting since the rest of the bike is close to brand new and I'm afraid the only way to achieve that finish is by using a spray gun. I'v seen some really nice results achieved with wet sanding but with my OCD Im worried I wouldn't be satisfied with the results. I think it's safer if I can just find some decals.
As for the Spray.Bike, from the two pics I see here it doesn't look horrible or anything but I'm trying to keep the same paint finish (very smooth like the original paint) on the bike and it's only the top tube that I was thinking about painting since the rest of the bike is close to brand new and I'm afraid the only way to achieve that finish is by using a spray gun. I'v seen some really nice results achieved with wet sanding but with my OCD Im worried I wouldn't be satisfied with the results. I think it's safer if I can just find some decals.
#50
Senior Member
I kinda have some form of obsessive compulsive but it's only with keeping my things clean and looking like new. My bike -just got it a couple of weeks back, used- looks mostly like brand new with the exception of the top tube and a couple other places where there are scratches and it just bugs me to the point where I feel it's affecting my ride, lol. Well, I know it's not affecting my ride but mentally it's bothering me and I cannot stop thinking about it. So, I'm thinking about painting the areas where the scratches are but I'm worried about the results. I know the proper way of painting (sanding, priming, color, clear, wet sanding, rubbing compound, waxing) but I'm still worried about messing things up or paint chipping later since I'm sure factories have a different process of painting. The color of the bike is something like dark charcoal and it's not glossy.
Has anyone tried painting their bike with good results ?
Has anyone tried painting their bike with good results ?
In your case, i would touch up the chips with an auto grade touchup paint. Dont fret over the results of your touch ups, i think a bike looks cool with little bumps and bruises 😀
Spinay70