mhespenheide 

Thanks to the efforts of scarlson , I now have an '83 Trek 660 frame that can fit a 700x32 rear tire. What's the collective wisdom on how best to get some black paint on that newly-upwards-modded brake bridge?

Bonus points: I don't have a garage, it's still relatively cool/cold in MA right now, and I'm not going to go out and buy a compressor or anything like that.

Should I drop in some local auto body places and see if they've got a gloss black job in the queue? Try my hand at the brush method?

Thanks for any tips.

Andy_K 

Can you find any sort of indoor space to work in with temperature control? Maybe a local maker space? A friend's garage?

I don't know if I got lucky, or if gloss black is one of those rare agreed upon colors, but I am very happy with the results I got with a can of Rustoleum after I subjected my 1969 Competition to a bit of Gugificazione.





I'm not a particularly skilled painter, but this exceeded my expectations. I can't even find the seams when I'm looking for them. I thought I found a flaw, but it turned out to be a remnant of the original seat tube decal.

mhespenheide 

I think I could work outdoors on a warmer afternoon and then cache it in a friend's basement to cure for a while. Would that work? I'm a little reluctant to be spraying inside someone else's space.

merziac

Cool/cold is the enemy, rule no.1, poor prep is right there too, especially if its cold.

Andy_K 

You're right to be concerned with spraying in someone else's space, of course. I didn't have significant problems with the Rust-Oleum, but with DupliColor on a different bike I ended up with fine yellow powder everywhere. Most of it wiped off easily, but I mean it was everywhere.

Outdoors you have to worry about wind and dust. I set up a space under my back porch surrounded by tarps for yet a third bike I painted. That kept at least the wind under control. You'll also want to check the temperature and humidity requirements on the paint can. For the small area you're painting you could probably pull it off.i

randyjawa 

Prepare the area to be painted properly then grab yourself a decent one inch paint brush and a can of Rust-oleum in your chosen color (black is easy). Then paint the area of concern. Let it dry and apply a second coat. Sand that coat smooth and blended into the original paint. Apply the last coat and, using really fine wet and dry paper, sand again until it looks good. Let it harden for a week or more.


This is what the result looks like...

repechage

Lots of prep to do there.
when done, mist some primer.
I think important to have the paint warm- stored in house- old model car paint trick was to nearly submerge the paint can in 115 degree water for an hour, shake, then another 15
Warm the frame too, so store that in the house and use a hair dryer or heat gun to warm the frame to above body temp.
the goal is to is to get the warm paint onto the warm frame. Helps if you have a mud room to let it dry.

obrentharris 

@randyjawa do you thin the paint any to get it to lay down better, or do you use it straight from the can?
Brent

randyjawa 

I use the paint straight from the can. The can's instructions for use even recommends against thinning the product. Trust me, or not, a bit of proper preparation and application care will give good to great results. Also, no primer is needed with this paint, again mentioned by the manufacturer. I have been using it for years and with great results. Here is a thread that I started that might prove helpful.

My tires have arrived (700c x 28 gumwalls) and I will set the fender line after I install them. Still way too cold (today) and the ground is covered with ice soaked snow - not exactly test riding conditions, but soon...

"As found" (actually given to me)...


Ready for new tires, test ride and road tuning. Also, just might install a Campy Gran Tourismo rear derailleur and could use a decent saddle, with not-busted saddle bag loops...

gthomson

Colour match is tough and as mentioned earlier, gloss black might be generic enough that you find the right colour easily. This Gitane bike i have was a real challenge and I don't even think it's actually a colour but the faded remnants of one that might have been. I started googling cars which looked like they might be the same colour, got the make, model and year and then looked for the auto paint, Duplicolor for the match.

I'm sure you will have more success than I did.

randyjawa 

Were I going to apply the brushed on Rust-oleum, I would do the whole seat stay and bridge, from the chrome section to where the stay meets the seat lug. Done with care, you will not have to final sand for blending purposes.

coolmind

First of all you need a good primer,And if it is good will show you the work you have done in the area.After that is the paint ,dont mask too close in the area you will paint because you will have lines at the masking limits. It is good to do these jobs in warm days specially the clean coat.

dirtman

An old painter told me once that adding a touch of linseed oil into enamel or any oil base paint will make it flow out better and increase the gloss when it dries.
He painted a lot of farm equipment and I watched him put a tablespoon full of boiled linseed oil in the spray gun each time he filled it. The thing came out like glass but it slows drying time a bit.


I went to look at a couple of bikes right before New Years, the guy had a pile of bikes and parts listed. When I got there, he had parts hanging from wire hooks all over his enclosed porch, and inside, on the kitchen table, he had newspaper on the table and was spray painting a bunch of small parts in he kitchen. The house smelled of paint, he also had what looked like a freshly painted frame on a stand gripped by the seat post and there was over spray on the wall.
The bikes, and parts were in a spare bedroom. There were black tire marks leading from the kitchen to that room where he had been moving bikes in and out of there for years. While he was spray painting parts, his wife was cooking at the stove, telling him "It all best be dry by supper time or your eating in the living room again".
He was likely in his 70's or better and by the looks and smell of the house he had been doing that for a long time.

I answered another ad about two years ago, the house was a major hoarder situation and it took some acrobatics to make it to the basement where the bikes were. When I agreed to buy one Raleigh he had there, he had to take it apart and hand the parts out the basement window because the house and stairs were so packed with boxes, newspapers, and trash there was no way to get a bike up the steps and through the kitchen and out the door. ( I still haven't put it back together yet).

scarlson 

I think your Trek is powder coated. That's the way it appeared as I was prepping. So paint may "fisheye" when sprayed over it, and the thickness might need a little blending. I guess I forgot to mention this!!

For prep, I would do a quick sand with 120 grit, followed by 220 or something, and then 400. That should be enough. You can feather the powder coat down around the edges of the area that got bubbled up from the brazing heat and that should minimize the effect of different thickness.

For paint, I have had decent success with Rustoleum "Professional" spray paint (comes in taller, stainless-looking cans). It appears to dry faster and harder than the ordinary stuff. A little sandpaper will clean that area right up. Brushing some on from a can may be even easier. I have some experience thinning it down with acetone (ŕ la "$50 paintjob"), which makes it level out better AND dry faster.

mhespenheide 

Thanks, all.

Are there any threads in particular that I should check out? (RandyJawa, I've checked out yours and might well go the brushed route.)

mhespenheide 

Thanks, Sam. You did mention that you thought you heard the powdercoat cracking as you were dimpling the chainstays. I just want to try paint first to see if I can avoid a full powdercoat for this one.