EDIT: I've updated this thread as I am closing in on finishing the build.
Several months ago, I picked up an '87 Schwinn Circuit (the black matte finished one) that was in rough shape. It appears that it was put up wet as a trainer bike given the scrapes, surface rust and corrosion on the top tube. On top of that, the nicks and corrosion were touched up with another black paint that left a shiny, rough finish. Not a good look. When I got it home, I also discovered that the stem was fused into the steerer tube. The rebuild languished as multiple attempts and various methods of removing the stem failed (heat, penetrating oil soaks for weeks on-end, "putting it on the rack" to pull it out with a come-along between two trees, etc). I finally gave up and dissolved the stem in NaOH.
Now, I'm to the point of addressing the frame, having stripped it of all the hardware. My goal is to try an airbrush to replace the matte finish, given that I read somewhere on the forum that a matte paint finish is more forgiving. I've done one other frame repaint with rattle cans (Rasta Ride) that turned out acceptable, but I'm looking forward to learning to use the airbrush and compare the results. I'm hoping that the finer detail and better uniformity of an airbrush over hand painting will allow me to save a fair amount of the original frame paint, unless the new and old matte finishes are too dissimilar. Unfortunately, the frame has various areas of dinged paint down to the metal, spidering under the paint that I had to carefully sand down and other areas where the matte finish is gone that I'll be airbrushing places all over the frame.
My current decision has to do with the top tube "Circuit" decals. The DT and fork "Schwinn" decals are in decent shape so I won't touch those and work around them. However, the TT decals have been marred and there is spots of bare frame that amongst the decals that I won't be able to protect from the airbrush. Therefore, I'm debating on either 1) removing those decals prior to the airbrushing or 2) paint over them. That "Circuit" decal is available online and my plan would be to replace them. If I remove them, what suggestions do people have on how to do so? To me, it doesn't appear that there's a clear coat over the decals, given the matte finish. However, I can't discern an edge to the decals. It has me wondering if the "Circuit" logo was painted on rather than being a decal.
EDIT: The original Circuit decals are painted on. I wet sanded down the rough spots on the frame to prep it for touch up painting.
Thanks in advance!
