Paint Remover That Works?
#1
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Paint Remover That Works?
I have an Imron job on a frameset and I've tried two different types of paint stripper. They barely touched it.
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#2
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Many paint stripper's today don't have the good cancer causing and other chemicals in them that we use to use long ago with little protection. I tried awhile back and couldn't find one to touch the paint on a vintage bike either. So I just sanded it down with sandpaper and emory cloth. At first I thought it was going to take forever. But once I got my technique down, I was through before the afternoon was out. And I didn't start till after lunch. And dust notwithstanding, less mess and cleanup. Wear a good mask though. You'll hack all night long if you don't.
Also consider that you really only need to remove the loose paint and just smooth and feather out the edges where bare metal is exposed.
Also consider that you really only need to remove the loose paint and just smooth and feather out the edges where bare metal is exposed.
#3
Full Member
Find a powder coater in your area and have him bead blast it. Shouldn't be too expensive especially if you monetize your time and aggravation. In the end, you might even consider powder coating, instead of paint. My poor abused touring bike came out great - even added mfg/model specific decals.
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#6
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Bikes: 1948 P. Barnard & Son, 1962 Rudge Sports, 1963 Freddie Grubb Routier, 1980 Manufrance Hirondelle, 1983 F. Moser Sprint, 1989 Raleigh Technium Pre, 2001 Raleigh M80
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Find a powder coater in your area and have him bead blast it. Shouldn't be too expensive especially if you monetize your time and aggravation. In the end, you might even consider powder coating, instead of paint. My poor abused touring bike came out great - even added mfg/model specific decals.
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#7
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Brunswick, Maine
Posts: 4,350
Bikes: 1948 P. Barnard & Son, 1962 Rudge Sports, 1963 Freddie Grubb Routier, 1980 Manufrance Hirondelle, 1983 F. Moser Sprint, 1989 Raleigh Technium Pre, 2001 Raleigh M80
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in
524 Posts
Many paint stripper's today don't have the good cancer causing and other chemicals in them that we use to use long ago with little protection. I tried awhile back and couldn't find one to touch the paint on a vintage bike either. So I just sanded it down with sandpaper and emory cloth. At first I thought it was going to take forever. But once I got my technique down, I was through before the afternoon was out. And I didn't start till after lunch. And dust notwithstanding, less mess and cleanup. Wear a good mask though. You'll hack all night long if you don't.
Also consider that you really only need to remove the loose paint and just smooth and feather out the edges where bare metal is exposed.
Also consider that you really only need to remove the loose paint and just smooth and feather out the edges where bare metal is exposed.
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#9
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#11
Senior Member
Find a powder coater in your area and have him bead blast it. Shouldn't be too expensive especially if you monetize your time and aggravation. In the end, you might even consider powder coating, instead of paint. My poor abused touring bike came out great - even added mfg/model specific decals.
Saves me 8-10 hours and my time is worth WAAAAAAAY more than $5-$10/hr
(had the guy paint it too... saving me another 8 hours. )
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#12
Sunshine
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1- mediablast. Just pay the $ and it'll be done well and complete. This is only if the paint really is as hard as you say.
2- https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Sa...dDbGljaz10cnVl
use emery cloth. You get leverage thru the length of each piece and the cloth backing means you can put pressure into the removal.
2- https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Sa...dDbGljaz10cnVl
use emery cloth. You get leverage thru the length of each piece and the cloth backing means you can put pressure into the removal.
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#13
Good luck. That is one of the most difficult paints to remove. You may want to contact a local body shop to see if they know what you can use. Great paint, wears extremely well, but really hard to remove.
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#15
Wheelman
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I've stripped a couple of frames recently: 1952 Bertin + 1961 Holdsworth Cyclone.
But I'm fairly sure the paint wasn't original.
Used Bartoline TX10 Paint & Varnish Stripper - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bartoline-5...QXC/ref=sr_1_6
Actually worked quite well: (apply, leave for 1 hour, scrub with red scouring pad + washing up liquid) repeated a couple of times.
Finished using a dremmel with a wire pen brush
But I'm fairly sure the paint wasn't original.
Used Bartoline TX10 Paint & Varnish Stripper - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bartoline-5...QXC/ref=sr_1_6
Actually worked quite well: (apply, leave for 1 hour, scrub with red scouring pad + washing up liquid) repeated a couple of times.
Finished using a dremmel with a wire pen brush
#16
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#17
Wheelman
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I thumbed some "Big Boy body filler" into all the pits and wet sanded it with 400 grit.
I've applied some primer + undercoat and there's no pits visible.
Don't have a pic of the frame yet, but here's the fork (1961 Holdsworth Cyclone):
Big Boy ultra fine body filler: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SILVERHOOK-...s%2C293&sr=8-1
There's also a gallery of the cleaned frame: https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/28595395
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#18
Sunshine
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The pitting wasn't actually a problem.
I thumbed some "Big Boy body filler" into all the pits and wet sanded it with 400 grit.
I've applied some primer + undercoat and there's no pits visible.
Don't have a pic of the frame yet, but here's the fork (1961 Holdsworth Cyclone)
I thumbed some "Big Boy body filler" into all the pits and wet sanded it with 400 grit.
I've applied some primer + undercoat and there's no pits visible.
Don't have a pic of the frame yet, but here's the fork (1961 Holdsworth Cyclone)
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#19
Wheelman
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Hopefully my prior comment wasnt viewed negatively because it definitely wasnt intended that way. Pitting like that certainly neednt be a big deal and your solution is exactly what should happen- add some filler, sand, and get an awesome bit of history back on the road.
I read the comment the right way
I agree though, it's a shame that somebody let the pitting happen in the first place.
It had been repainted so it must have got a lot of surface rust at some point, somebody should have noticed and done something about it earlier.
#20
framebuilder
Methylene chloride is the chemical that was banned from paint removers in about 2018. That is why they don't work nearly as well anymore. It is nasty stuff to your health but of course worked great on polyurethane enamel (the generic name for the kind of paint like the brand name Imron that used to be made by DuPont).
DuPont used to make a primer by the name of Corlar. This is again a product no longer made but was awesome stuff. Its demise was caused by the fact is was difficult to use. It was very hard to mix up if the paint had settled. And it required an hour of incubation after the activator was mixed in. It was always the primer I used if I had to paint part of a titanium frame (I painted a lot of Moots many years ago) because it would stick the best. When I used to apply paint stripper with Methylene chloride on Imron, it would take off the color coat but still leave the Corlar primer that had to be removed by sandblasting. If any of you are repainting an Imron frame (like early Treks) I would recommend just sanding down smooth the paint because it makes a great undercoat.
One trick I do is take frames I am repainting to a furniture stripper. They have these vats of really nasty chemicals that they dunk the frame and leave for long time and I get them back without any paint left. I have a marvelous pressure pot sandblaster that can take care of any paint residues.
Painter removers with methylene chloride is still available to professionals of various trades. It wasn't banned entirely just to home products sold in big box stores. Those people that want to protect the public from bad chemicals complain it has not been banned entirely.
DuPont used to make a primer by the name of Corlar. This is again a product no longer made but was awesome stuff. Its demise was caused by the fact is was difficult to use. It was very hard to mix up if the paint had settled. And it required an hour of incubation after the activator was mixed in. It was always the primer I used if I had to paint part of a titanium frame (I painted a lot of Moots many years ago) because it would stick the best. When I used to apply paint stripper with Methylene chloride on Imron, it would take off the color coat but still leave the Corlar primer that had to be removed by sandblasting. If any of you are repainting an Imron frame (like early Treks) I would recommend just sanding down smooth the paint because it makes a great undercoat.
One trick I do is take frames I am repainting to a furniture stripper. They have these vats of really nasty chemicals that they dunk the frame and leave for long time and I get them back without any paint left. I have a marvelous pressure pot sandblaster that can take care of any paint residues.
Painter removers with methylene chloride is still available to professionals of various trades. It wasn't banned entirely just to home products sold in big box stores. Those people that want to protect the public from bad chemicals complain it has not been banned entirely.
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#21
Senior Member
If you want the real deal, Get 100% Methylene Chloride. I know, I know, the stuff is nasty if not used with the proper protective gear but this is what the real strippers have in it. Amazon actually sells a liter of it for $38 bucks and it's 100% methylene chloride. I stripped a Triumph TR-6 sports car back in the day with this stuff by myself in my back yard.
Paint on a small section, cover with a thick plastic sheet for a few minutes to let it do its thing, then scrape. Repeat. Be sure to scrub all remnants of it off the surface before you go to paint.
As Doug Fattic said above, it is still available but do use caution with it.
Paint on a small section, cover with a thick plastic sheet for a few minutes to let it do its thing, then scrape. Repeat. Be sure to scrub all remnants of it off the surface before you go to paint.
As Doug Fattic said above, it is still available but do use caution with it.