|   Clearcoating Aluminum? | hellomotoaz
Feb 26, 2003 12:21 PM | | I recently bought a '97 Schwinn Homegrown as a "fixer-up" bike. The paint is terrible. I am going to strip the paint using chemical stripper, but I am unsure of how to prep the frame for clearcoat (i.e. sanding, not sanding, brand or type of clearcoat, etc...) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! |
| well, no expert by any means but | Duckman
Feb 26, 2003 12:47 PM | | as well all know, alum oxidizes when left to its own in short time. On stuff like mag wheels back in my hotrod days, we'd polish them first, then spray'm with clear plastic bought at WW Grainger under their Demkot label. Worked like a charm. Polished tunnelram intakes as well. |
| I would just have it powdercoated instead | bikerboy
Feb 26, 2003 3:00 PM | | |
| I would just have it hard annodized instead | Fingerpicker
Feb 26, 2003 3:06 PM | | Get it annodized. You can chose many colors including silver. It adds no weight. It is very hard, much harder than paint or powdercoat. I think Ellsworth annodizes the Truth. Be sure and cover the threads. |
| 6 of one, half a dozen of the other | Yeti_Rider
Feb 26, 2003 4:45 PM | | Powder coating and anodizing each have their advantages and disadvantages. It really just comes down to preference more than anything else.
Powedercoating is heavier than anodizing but it's also thicker so if you do lay your bike onto some rocks you're not as likely to scratch all the way to the frame as with anodizing. Also, you can get touch up paint for powdercoat that will look better than on an anodized frame (granted, it won't look perfect either way but it won't stand out as much).
Even thogh powdercoating is heavier, if you are that concerned about a couple of grams then you have more to worry about. Anodizing is a much harder surface finish but it's only a few microns thick which isn't very much. So, it's easy to wear off from heel or cable rub and as already mentioned, if it's scratched there's not much keeping you from hitting bare metal.
You can get clear powdercoat or clear anodizing though so that's not an issue either way.
Some people prefer powder while others prefer anodizing so it's just a matter of what you want. You can't do either one at home though as they both require specialized equipment to apply.
Michael |
| re: Clearcoating Aluminum? | hellomotoaz
Feb 26, 2003 4:38 PM | | Well, the situation is this. I already dropped a couple grand into this bike because EVERYTHING had to be replaced. I also have a Gary Fisher that I have spent alot of $$$ in modifications. So I am trying to save some cash, and I like the aluminum look. From what I understand anodizing is pretty expensive, and I don't really want to paint the frame. The rear swingarm is bare aluminum (or maybe it's clearcoated, I'm not sure how it came from the factory), and I have polished it. I am worried that the clearcoat won't stick if I polish the frame once it is stripped. |
| maybe check into | Duckman
Feb 26, 2003 5:25 PM | | the custom sportbike world. My days of roadracing was filled with many a polished deltabox chassis type bikes(GSXR, FZR, ZX1, etc) both on road and track. This is a common practice with many, so its a doable thing. |
| Why don't you just strip... | Quattro
Feb 27, 2003 5:59 AM | | off the paint and then polish the frame with a polishing wheel and some polishing compound. You can get a nice finish with about a day of work. You then apply a couple of coats of automotive wax. I use a
metal polish once a month followed by a coat of wax. If you ride in the mud,you can use auto polishing compound to bring back the shine after a muddy ride. It sounds like a pain but only takes about 20 min.
a month in upkeep and looks much better than ball burnished. If you go with a clearcoat, have it powder coated clear.Powder coating does scratch and after a while looks dull.You can always strip a polished bike down to the frame and repolish it to a new look. |
| re: Clearcoating Aluminum? | meloh1
Feb 27, 2003 7:02 AM | | Clearcoat over a polished frame is no problem. The clearcoat will adhere, just don't put on too thick a coat at one time. You can polish it to any luster you want, from brushed to shiny. Just depends on how much work you want to put into it. Clearcoat is much better than wax, IMHO. It is more protective, lasts longer and is much lower in maintenance. All I need is another hour or more of maintenance each month! Powder coating is another good option. I just had a steel road frame and fork powder coated for $60 (including sand blasting). Regular powder was $50 but it was a special effect which cost $10 more. That's pretty reasonable and given the amount of work you'll have to put in to strip (I stripped a Cannondale Headshok and it took a looooong time and mucho elbow grease. That paint was tough!), polish and clearcoat I'd think twice. |
| Last Question | hellomotoaz
Feb 27, 2003 2:29 PM | | I am in the process of the stripping the paint right now (the chemical stripper is taking a little longer than I had anticipated). I still think I'm going to try to clearcoat it first. If that doesn't last I can always get it powder coated. Once I get done stripping the paint, I'm going to polish it with mag polish. At that point, do I need to wipe the frame down with acetone or some other kind of chemical prior to clearcoating, because the polish compound leaves a residue and I'm affraid the clearcoat won't stick... Also, on a totally different subject, does anyone know where I can find new bushings for the suspension pivot on a Schwinn Homegrown? Thanks for everyones help and suggestions. |
| Last Question | Fingerpicker
Feb 27, 2003 3:12 PM | | Acetone can leave a residue. You might try IPA -isopropyl alcohol. |
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