I have a few questions about painting a bike. My frame was just replaced under warranty so I’m pumped to have a new bike. But my old B2 was cool. The new frame isn’t cool looking and it doesn’t match the fork or the wheels. I’m hoping a friend who works at an autobody shop will be able to paint it for me. Painting won’t be a problem for him but I’m not sure how to prep the frame. So here’s my questions.
How should I prep the frame before painting. The frame is aluminum with carbon seat stays.
If my friend can’t paint it, do you have experience with a painter you can recommend? I don’t think I can powder coat it because the paint scheme I designed has lots of colors and stripes.
You can’t powder coat it because the heat needed to cure it would likely destroy the carbon and might affect the aluminum. As for prep for painting, it should be pretty much the same as auto painting with only one exception. The surface prep needs to be done delicately. Do not remove any excess material as the tubing is generally very thin in the first place. Lastly, if you are still unsure shoot an email off to TriSports. I believe they have a local guy they contract to do painting for them and the results are nothing less than spectacular.
You will need to use a wet paint and that should not be a issue for ou friend. you can do this a few ways
method 1
sand the existing finish until the decals are notfelt and paint over the existing finish and decals. Note: the decals wil show up as a silouette after the frame is exposed to temperature changes due to the difference in materials .
method 2 (acceptable especailly on carbon )
remove the decals and prep the original finish to a acceptable level so that the area where the decals were is not felt and paint.
method 3 ( preferred)
chemically remove paint from metal, media blast, chemical treat, prime , paint and clear. This will give you the lightest finish that does not rely on the durability of the factory finish under the new paint.
Thanks for the tips on prepping the frame. More questions come to mind though. Can I use chemicals to prep the frame and remove the old paint and decals? The decals have a clear coat over them. But I wonder if chemicals would delaminate the carbon. And if I sand the old paint, would I just use sandpaper manually? My time is free after all, so I wouldn’t mind that. But I’m unsure if I’d be able to get a consistent enough finish throughout the whole frame. And finally (for now anyway) would I just sand the finish down and leave a little paint on the frame for the new paint to adhere to?
Chemical stripping would only be used on the metal ( NOT on the Carbon ) You can just use media blasting if working with the chemicals is to much. You friend should prep no different than a car. He works with a combination of bare metal and painted surfaces so this should be no problem. How much of the finish you remove based on what level you want to take this project. the carbon are would need to be sanded only to promote adhesion of the paint or clear depending on the scheme. I could keep going on the different stages but this should all be stuff your painter is familar with.
Griffen bikes have some awesome paint jobs that they do in their warehouse in Decatur Texas. I don’t know if they offer custom paint jobs, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind hearing an offer from you.
