B17

Tired of the nonsense. I want a can or two of paint stripper with Methylene Chloride. Methylene Chloride is the chemical the EPA had removed from recreational-amount containers but kept it in the workplaces, AFAIK. I already know how to use it as safely as it can be used, and it seems to be the only thing that takes paint off a frame without a lot of elbow grease. Who still sells it so I can I get it mailed to me (I live between Nashville TN and Birmingham AL)? Thanks so much!

B17

I don't think it's available in the US, but Canada may have some. Just desperate, and tired of this.

dsaul

Find a local powder coater and pay him a few bucks to put it in his strip tank. My guy has a large tank that he puts frames and other painted objects into and lets them sit until the paint falls off.

Andrew R Stewart 

I Have been told of furniture restorers/repairers also use dip tanks.

My only concern about dipping frames is the need to have complete drain out ability. Two vents per tube at the minimum. Andy

masonv45

https://www.amazon.com/Weld-Aid-Weld.../dp/B008RA5JEW

https://docs.crcindustries.com/msds/1008284e.pdf
(80-90% Methylene Chloride)

3alarmer

.
...here, I can buy "aircraft stripper", but I have to go over to the aircraft supplies place next to the local airport to buy it.

Polaris OBark

When I saw the title, I thought a certain someone might come along and say "This should be in the human trafficking subforum."

As for the actual question, a butane torch might work, but there are side-effects.

capnjonny 

I have been using Clean strip on my frames. if I applied it normally and waited 30 min it often wouldn't do much to soften or lift the paint. Lately I have been putting multiple coats of stripper on the frame then covering it with aluminum foil . This can cover the bottom bracket and head tube tightly because the aluminum foil is very moldable. After sealing the frame in tin foil I let it sit for a few hours to over night . when the tinfoil is removed the paint under it is much softer and easier to remove.

Note that I also remove most of the paint by scraping with one of the little disposable sliding blade knives - the kind where you can break off the tip of the blade to ecpose another sharp end. Using this I can strip most of the paint off a frame in 2-3 hours.

finally, I have a small sand blast rig that I use to remove the paint from the lugs and also any serious rust. After treating with the paint remover the paint easily comes off with the sand blaster. All told I probably spend 6 hrs to completely remove rust and paint.

Iride01 

I had that issue trying to find a decent stripper a few years ago. And I didn't find one.

However I did find out that once I got going with a piece of sand paper that it really didn't take that long. Though consider if you really need to remove all the paint. If it's in decent shape and doesnt have rust blooms coming through, then just scuff the surface, recoat it and be done... though I do recommend a clear coat too.

If you are going to have it powder coated, talk to them whether all the old stuff needs to come off. The oven's don't get that hot for powder coat. Though I'm not to certain at what temperature old paint starts to soften and peel.

FBinNY 

I understand that there are plenty of hard working strippers out there. However, you can't buy them, only rent them for a while.

squirtdad

IME if your are doing an full repaint and don't remove everything it will show, even with sandable primer

My understanding is that powder coaters have to or a minimum normally remove all old paint, using with soft media (walnut shells and the like) blasting

veganbikes

Y'all have restored my faith in humanity. From what I understand you certainly want to avoid the day shift strippers but it might be cheaper?

In terms of removing paint I would get it media blasted, no harsh chemicals just sand or walnut shells or something like that.

Trav1s

Im here to contribute to the original thread but additional comments made my morning.

Definitely look into media blasting and soda or walnut shells would be a good choice as they remove less metal than more aggressive media. I'd suspect a bike frame would be quick and easy work for a reputable media blaster.

etherhuffer 

I used to work in the industrial chemistry business. We sold a lot of methylene chloride. Its off most of the market as the efforts continue to remove chlorinated, fluorinated, and similar stuff off the markets. This is good/not good. Better for environment and safety, worse for ......stripping a frame.

Like the automated car washes that recycle water, stripping and blasting places tend to recycle their stuff too. And they really do a better job in the end. The problem is pricing for the hobbyist who wants to do a bike frame while the big shops calculate overhead and hourly rates for large jobs. It would be great to have a bike specific shop in town that could knock out a total frame for a reasonable rate. It takes a good sized compressor to run a blast system efficiently, and it takes a lot safety and EPA happy equipment to run chemicals.

In a perfect world maybe bicycle club members and recycle shops get together and spring for a community usable compressor and blast unit. My guess is liability is too big for such an endeavor. I have a frame to do that does not need a pro level of work, and cost has kept me from doing it.

passerby38

i think quite a number of generic paint removal/stripper works. im here in singapore and lately i bought a cheap one around 7-8usd a can. but do becareful as these chemicals can sting/burn upon contact either with the chemical itself or even the bits of paint that is peeled off and lands on your skin

BTinNYC 

I use big box paint stripper and wrap with saran wrap. Put it out in sun for 30 minutes then scrape off the goo.

passerby38

i did saw this similar method on youtube with the wrap. for my paint removal gooey gel type, it does react with the paint and tends to dry up fast, i think wrapping up gives it more time and better contact with the surfaces and let it strip more and better too

iwazi

Citristrip worked like magic for me. Applied it, wrapped the area in plastic wrap, and waited 6-8 hours. The paint and primer peeled off with the plastic wrap and left a clean aluminum frame underneath. Costs something like $14 at Amazon or Home Depot and I only used a small fraction of the quart to strip a frame. No nasty smells or fumes and it even tastes good!(kidding)

rm -rf

I've never done a bike frame, but this method works great for stripping painted wood. The saran wrap keeps it working for a couple of hours instead of drying out in a few minutes.

Siu Blue Wind

I cleaned up the thread of the childlike remarks. Please continue to be adults. Thank you.