Getting a frame re-painted

[Skywalker83]

evening all.

I'm in the middle of stripping down my old mountain bike (17 years old!!),a Peugot rad forumala. Once it's all stripped I want to get it sand blasted and re painted. And eventually get all new hardware on it. It's an aluminium frame. Anyone got any advice for doing this,anything to be careful about?

 

[Illaveago]

Are you going to spray it yourself? If you are you will need to etch prime .

 

[classic33]

Anywhere local to you that does industrial shotblasting?

 

[Skywalker83]

Anywhere local to you that does industrial shotblasting?

Yeah I just found a place...they also do powder coating which would probably be the way to go....

 

[screenman]

Is it worth looking for a new frame? It will be easier to get your new parts to fit.

 

[classic33]

Both frames I got repainted, I was lucky. Worked in a place that did shotblasting and also powder coating. It was just a matter of waiting until the right colour was going through and then just hanging it on the track. Second was done at Ellis Briggs, because of a damaged tube.

 

[Drago]

Powdercoating can be questionable on alloy frames. The curing process can affect any heat treatment or ageing process the frame may have been subjected to during manufacture.

You want a soft media or soda blast, perhaps a bead blast if the operator is skilled and has a sympathetic hand.

 

[fossyant]

Is it worth looking for a new frame? It will be easier to get your new parts to fit.

How dare you suggest a new bike. You do up the old bike AND buy a new one....

 

[fossyant]

A mate sent his alloy bike for shot blast. The company didn't do bikes often.... The frame came back like a golf ball, and don't mention the carbon forks that were fitted.... Gone...

Make sure they do bikes.

 

[screenman]

How dare you suggest a new bike. You do up the old bike AND buy a new one....

I never said sell it, I like my old bikes to show their battle scars.

 

[fossyant]

I never said sell it, I like my old bikes to show their battle scars.

Heh heh.

 

[Illaveago]

As Drago said it might be best to avoid grit blasting as it tends to get into places where you least want it.

 

[EltonFrog]

I sent mine to Mercian cycles to stripped down and painted. Expensive but they did a beautiful job.

 

[Andy_R]

Powdercoating can be questionable on alloy frames. The curing process can affect any heat treatment or ageing process the frame may have been subjected to during manufacture.

You want a soft media or soda blast, perhaps a bead blast if the operator is skilled and has a sympathetic hand.

If you have a look at this article it might suggest otherwise. The way I read it, the powdercoating cure temperature is very close to the aging temperature of the frame, but for a small fraction of the time.

 

[Drago]

And I've got a book that suggests otherwise to that article. It's just something to consider, is all.