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Help DIY Respray (Paint Brands?)

Elbow

Warming-Up
Jan 13, 2010
7
0
Hi,
I'm hoping some of you guys out there will be able to guide me on some paint brands that I could use on my frame.

I have a bare metal frame at the moment and due to lack of funds I cant afford a pro paint job just now so I want to paint it with something so that at least I can ride it without it getting rusted up.
I was told maybe I should use Hammerite paint as it doesn't require a primer etc.

Whatever I use will get removed when I send it to a pro paint shop so I don't care what the finish will come out like.
BUT if I can get a half decent finish at a low cost then I would be happy with that too.

Does anyone know of some brands of paint I could search for in Tokyo?

The bike is a fixed wheel and used daily to and from work.

Thanks in advance

Elbow
 
Ok, I've actually sprayed several frames by hand and it's actually a pretty easy process and you can get some pretty great two tone effects going on if you take your time.

I advise that you completely strip the frame and forks down to just those two key components as it actually saves time in the long run.

First thing you need to do is prepare the frame, you'll need to wash it down making sure there is no grease or debris.

Next you will need to sand down the frame with 2000 grit sand paper to give the primer something to grip on to.

The next step is the most important and getting this wrong or rushing it will totally affect the overall finish of frame. There are several different types of primer and you'll want to start with a heavy grade. Also there are several different colors, Black, White, Grey and beige/brown. If you want the frame White then use the Grey primer, if you are going for metallic's use the black and other Bright Colors use the white.

Give the frame its first coating spraying in broad strokes left to right slightly over lapping the layer above don't worry about missing bits or drips as these will be dealt with later.

Once the frame has got its first coat walk away, yep leave it over night and let it completely set. For a first time attempt this is pretty hard to do but you'll thank me for it.

Now the first coat has set go about spraying areas that look thin or have been missed welds or joints are typical areas that might need looking at.

Again once you have completed this step walk away and leave it for another 12 hours or so. This is your base coat and it's very important for the rest of the paint job.

Now what you're about to do is going to sound odd but you're going to sand the primer, start with something like a 500 grit paper and sand areas with drips or visible build ups that are height or dark than other areas.

Once these have been seen too switch to a 100 grit paper and sand away till you get a dull polish, you may find that the frame shows through in some areas, this is normal and will require you to respray these areas again with primer. You'll need to repeat this process until the whole frame has a dull polished finish with no drip marks or spots of frame showing through. Once you have this effect switch up to 2000 or 3000 grit and get sheen finish to the primer, this is now the perfect base for the fine primer.

Again repeat the same process but instead of using a coarse paper start with 1000 or 1500 grit paper and sand the frame and forks to a sheen finish.... if you go through to the heaver primer then repeat the process. Finally sand to a polished finish and this will be the perfect base for the base colour.

Before you start spraying you'll need to wash the frame and forks in warm soapy water to remove the micro dust. Once washed, dry with a lint free cloth and leave over night in a warm dry location.

Now you're ready to begin. The process is identical to priming the frame but this time you need to have more layers so each time you apply a thin coat let dry and then repeat. If you get any drips, smudges or motel effect again don't worry you will sand these out once that coat has dried. But remember to use a fine grit paper.

Once you have a good layer then take the 4000 or above to it to polish it up ready for the next coat. Build about 5 or 6 layers. The final coat should look like the finishing coat. Rather than taking paper to it you'll need rubbing compound like T-Cut or holts you'll want to achieve an almost mirror finish with this.

Again once complete leave for 12 hours and then wash the frame in warm soapy water.

Your now ready for the final coat which is the lacquer, this needs to be done very carefully. Again you want about 3 or 4 layers and once you have the final layer on leave for 24 hours and then take the rubbing compound to it.

Wash the frame and you'll be left with one brand spanking new looking bike. Also if you have any graphic...i.e.: transfers not stickers you'll need to apply them before the lacquer.
 
you know your stuff!!

Im not good at writing what my points are, I should have said, what brands of paint cos i dont know the nihongo! :)

I used to work in a body shop so all the above really took me back....great stuff!
(we almost never used Hammerite unless we needed to hide the rust on the chassis or floor pan)
I know all about prep for cars but was a bit worried about bikes as they get a lot more knocks on the road (especially when your a bar fly)
I was thinking of using a mop and cutting paste between each coat but as a frame is very small I will have to use a rag n t-cut I suppose.
I just dont have a clue about where to purchase these items, internet or the local diy like DOIT? (DOITO)

nice 1

thanks very much for your reply.
appreciate it
 
Elbow, Tokyo hands will have a huge array of paints that you can use and normally they have English speakers at hand to help out. Just explain that you want to custom spray a bike frame and they will take you to the relevant floor.
 
I'd go to Autobacs or JMS or Yellow Hat for the paint and cutting compound. They'll have a huge selection of automotive paints, which are fine for any steel or aluminium frame. I understand that carbon bikes need special paint because the thinners in regular paint will destroy the frame. (You're concerned about rust so I'm guessing your frame isn't carbon.)

Cutting compound is called "konpaundo".

Primer is called "Puraima-".

Sandpaper is called "sando pe-pa-". Do-It or Big Thumb would be best for sandpapers. You could get it all at Tokyu Hands, as suggested, but would pay a huge premium for the privilege.

The advice to leave each coat to set thoroughly is good - that will help increase the paint's resistance to knocks. I usually rush it and regret it.

--mike--
 
But you said,

`Whatever I use will get removed when I send it to a pro paint shop so I don't care what the finish will come out like.`

So why don`t you save time/money and do what I did with my Cannondale MTB: I got sick of it`s fire-engine redness and covered the whole frame, in one spraying, with rubberized bumper paint. It`s been a chip-and-scratch-resistant flat black for about ten years now. And I`ll bet it would strip down really easy if I ever wanted to give it a proper paintjob like the one described above.
 
But you said,

`Whatever I use will get removed when I send it to a pro paint shop so I don't care what the finish will come out like.`

So why don`t you save time/money and do what I did with my Cannondale MTB: I got sick of it`s fire-engine redness and covered the whole frame, in one spraying, with rubberized bumper paint. It`s been a chip-and-scratch-resistant flat black for about ten years now. And I`ll bet it would strip down really easy if I ever wanted to give it a proper paintjob like the one described above.

I like the sound of that......
Where would one get this bumper paint and will it stick to a bare metal frame?

I actually overlooked the fact that I don't have anyplace to spray the bloody thing.

Another thing,
Do I have to go and register my bike everytime I remove the sticker?
This frame doesnt have one so Im gonna have to go to my local shop and register it I suppose.
Just wondering to not stick the sticker on the frame but keep it in my wallet...
 
I got the paint at a home center (is that really English? I mean a big hardware/DIY store) when I lived in Kyushu years ago. I don`t remember what it was called, exactly, but I think it`s pretty standard stuff for coating wheel wells, underbodies and the like. The only prep I did was to disassemble, tape off the headtube, bb and dropouts, etc, and then wash it and give it once-over with fine grit sandpaper, to roughen up the factory finish. The stuff goes on thick and dries with a slight texture, not smooth like paint. Over the years it has rubbed/scraped off in a few places, which makes me assume it would be a simple thing to strip it off some day and give it a proper paint job...

Alas, that is unlikely to happen to the old horse....
 
You mentioned its the stuff used for wheel wells and underbodies,
Im assuming its not that sticky black tar like stuff?
We used to use that a lot when I worked with cars, bloody horrible stuff. (20 odd years ago)
Im assuming the stuff you are on about has risen up with technology and is a bit more plastic type rubbery thingy majigy.......

I'll go and have a wonder around my local DONKi, failing that there is a Tokyu Hands nearby.

My girlfriend just bought a spray gun for painting her club interior so Im wondering if I can use that to paint the bike, but I recon its gonna be only good for emulsion type paints (electric paint gun, 20,000yen)
ramble over.....

EDIT (seems like it is ok for oil base type paints too so maybe I can spray it over there)
 
Ok, I've actually sprayed several frames by hand and it's actually a pretty easy process...

OK, this thread lets me know where to get the paint, and the sandpaper. I have an old steel frame with about 5% of the paint missing on it and I am considering repainting the whole thing. My question is, is there some chemical you recommend for taking the old paint off with, or you just sand it all down a little or to the bare metal? I imagine in the welds, it would be rather tedious to sand, no?
 
I've always had the sand blasted..... very cheap, very quick and 100% perfect finish for the first coat.
 
I went to the local Mopped dealership for Yamaha where I live and spoke to the guy there if they could strip the frame.

3 days later and 2,000 JPY less I had a silky smooth finish. However there is a place in Tokyo that will do the complete strip and respray for less than 10,000 JPY which after you've had the frame stripped, base, primer, 3 coats and a lacquer its probably going to cost about the same.

Hiroshi at C-Speed knows the guy personally and its the same shop that did the custom bikes for Fuji-cyclingtime.com so they are highly recomended.
 
Yeah - all up and down Yamete Dori are Gypsy repair shops with bead blasters. Also - around Ueno is Motorcycle Central with lots of small shops. Once the frame is bead blasted (be a little careful of sandblasting, btw, as it can 'peen' the tubing making it surface brittle).

You can use the chemical method, too - but it's very messy , caustic and if you don't clean/flush the frame perfectly, it will start tocorrode it in about 12hrs flat! And if it's alloy (or even steel) you need to etch and chromate it.

I went to the local Mopped dealership for Yamaha where I live and spoke to the guy there if they could strip the frame.

3 days later and 2,000 JPY less I had a silky smooth finish. However there is a place in Tokyo that will do the complete strip and respray for less than 10,000 JPY which after you've had the frame stripped, base, primer, 3 coats and a lacquer its probably going to cost about the same.

Hiroshi at C-Speed knows the guy personally and its the same shop that did the custom bikes for Fuji-cyclingtime.com so they are highly recomended.
 
Tim... I think most places bead blast now and only use sand blasting for industrial things... like battleships.
 
...there is a place in Tokyo that will do the complete strip and respray for less than 10,000 JPY which after you've had the frame stripped, base, primer, 3 coats and a lacquer its probably going to cost about the same.

Hiroshi at C-Speed knows the guy personally and its the same shop that did the custom bikes for Fuji-cyclingtime.com so they are highly recomended.

I will need to look into this. Sounds perfect! Thanks :D
 
I went to the local Mopped dealership for Yamaha where I live and spoke to the guy there if they could strip the frame.

3 days later and 2,000 JPY less I had a silky smooth finish. However there is a place in Tokyo that will do the complete strip and respray for less than 10,000 JPY which after you've had the frame stripped, base, primer, 3 coats and a lacquer its probably going to cost about the same.

Hiroshi at C-Speed knows the guy personally and its the same shop that did the custom bikes for Fuji-cyclingtime.com so they are highly recomended.
Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu! ;-)

I see that this thread has been dead for a while but I'm hoping to revive it. I am looking to strip and paint a frame I have and I thought this thread had some really great information in it.

I am interested in what FarEast wrote about being able to get a frame stripped and painted for under 10.000Y, does anyone know if this kind of deal is still available in Tokyo? And if so where?
 
Go to Ueno, North Side Station - lots of scooter / bike /custom shops. if you provide them a fully stripped frame (all the bits off it) , then you should be able to get it bead blasted, primed and sprayed (1 color) for under 20,000 yen. or just follow FE's advice and get it blasted, then paint it yourself.
 
Ok, I've actually sprayed several frames by hand and it's actually a pretty easy process and you can get some pretty great two tone effects going on if you take your time.

I advise that you completely strip the frame and forks down to just those two key components as it actually saves time in the long run.

First thing you need to do is prepare the frame, you'll need to wash it down making sure there is no grease or debris.

Next you will need to sand down the frame with 2000 grit sand paper to give the primer something to grip on to.

The next step is the most important and getting this wrong or rushing it will totally affect the overall finish of frame. There are several different types of primer and you'll want to start with a heavy grade. Also there are several different colors, Black, White, Grey and beige/brown. If you want the frame White then use the Grey primer, if you are going for metallic's use the black and other Bright Colors use the white.

Give the frame its first coating spraying in broad strokes left to right slightly over lapping the layer above don't worry about missing bits or drips as these will be dealt with later.

Once the frame has got its first coat walk away, yep leave it over night and let it completely set. For a first time attempt this is pretty hard to do but you'll thank me for it.

Now the first coat has set go about spraying areas that look thin or have been missed welds or joints are typical areas that might need looking at.

Again once you have completed this step walk away and leave it for another 12 hours or so. This is your base coat and it's very important for the rest of the paint job.

Now what you're about to do is going to sound odd but you're going to sand the primer, start with something like a 500 grit paper and sand areas with drips or visible build ups that are height or dark than other areas.

Once these have been seen too switch to a 100 grit paper and sand away till you get a dull polish, you may find that the frame shows through in some areas, this is normal and will require you to respray these areas again with primer. You'll need to repeat this process until the whole frame has a dull polished finish with no drip marks or spots of frame showing through. Once you have this effect switch up to 2000 or 3000 grit and get sheen finish to the primer, this is now the perfect base for the fine primer.

Again repeat the same process but instead of using a coarse paper start with 1000 or 1500 grit paper and sand the frame and forks to a sheen finish.... if you go through to the heaver primer then repeat the process. Finally sand to a polished finish and this will be the perfect base for the base colour.

Before you start spraying you'll need to wash the frame and forks in warm soapy water to remove the micro dust. Once washed, dry with a lint free cloth and leave over night in a warm dry location.

Now you're ready to begin. The process is identical to priming the frame but this time you need to have more layers so each time you apply a thin coat let dry and then repeat. If you get any drips, smudges or motel effect again don't worry you will sand these out once that coat has dried. But remember to use a fine grit paper.

Once you have a good layer then take the 4000 or above to it to polish it up ready for the next coat. Build about 5 or 6 layers. The final coat should look like the finishing coat. Rather than taking paper to it you'll need rubbing compound like T-Cut or holts you'll want to achieve an almost mirror finish with this.

Again once complete leave for 12 hours and then wash the frame in warm soapy water.

Your now ready for the final coat which is the lacquer, this needs to be done very carefully. Again you want about 3 or 4 layers and once you have the final layer on leave for 24 hours and then take the rubbing compound to it.

Wash the frame and you'll be left with one brand spanking new looking bike. Also if you have any graphic...i.e.: transfers not stickers you'll need to apply them before the lacquer.

Strewth!

You certainly do know your stuff.
Very useful.
 
The only changes I'd make are this ---

1) You can use 400 grit for prep (wet/dry) the frame before priming.
2) You can use 600 grit between priming coats (wet sand)
3) Use 1000 grit between coats for color or clear (wet sand)
4) Finish the bike with compound (after you've clear coated it)

I'm pretty frugual and would do just about everything with 600 grit wet/dry. The more you use it , the finer it becomes, so - you can use well worn 600grit instead of 1000 and the fresh 600 will be fine on the bare frame (after bead blasting).

Attention to detail is the key. The small scratches around the lugs, etc - these will stand out like a wart on an OL. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEt5dEOcW0I)
 
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