How to Refurbish and Paint Your Bike Frame

Finished bike and with new paint work
Finished bike and with new paint work


If you have ever found a really good bike frame, or seen an old bicycle you really wanted to have but didn't like the colour or the paint was all chipped? If so, this is the article for you. Take an old bike frame and paint it, producing a professional finish. This is the best way to get a good bike frame for a lot less.

Steps   

  1. Take off or tape over any items you don’t want painted. For example, the bottom bracket or forks. Completely degrease the bike; you can use bike degreaser or methanol, after which you must make sure you rinse down the frame.
  2. Sanded down carbon bike frame, ready for priming
    Sanded down carbon bike frame, ready for priming
    Get medium grade sandpaper or a rough sponge (80 grit). Remove all the existing paint to form a smooth surface. If you are lucky enough to have a carbon frame, make sure that you do not sand the carbon; it may mean therefore may not be able to remove all the paint. If you have any dents or wear marks that you want to fill in, this is the time to do it. Buy knifing putty to produce a smooth surface, make sure that you sand it down well after, and remove the dust.
  3. Bike frame drying after being primed
    Bike frame drying after being primed
    Add a primer. Look at warnings for specifics about primer paint before you proceed. Hang the bike (check the tips to show how to do this). Read the instructions on the can on how to apply the paint but typically spray about 20 cm from the surface. Try to apply very thin coats as this will provide the best finish. Start at the joints and bottom bracket in the frame, as these are the hardest parts to paint and the easiest place to get runs or miss out. Wait about 15 minutes in between coats, and don't be too pre-occupied if you don't fully cover the frame in the first or second coats, as you will be applying several coats.
  4. Allow it to dry for about 24 hours. Try to let the bike dry in the place you painted it but if this is not possible, lay it carefully on newspapers and try not to touch it as the paint is easily destroyed. After 24 hours you can sand the primer using 220 grit paper/sponge. Aim to achieve a smooth surface which the next layer of paint can adhere to.
  5. Main colour paint drying
    Main colour paint drying
    Put on your main coat of paint. Once again, make sure your bike is clean of dust and any grease. To apply the colour, simply follow the same steps as you did for the primer, ensuring that you apply thin coats until you have a uniform finish. If you wish to paint the frame in 2 colours, simply apply the lighter paint first, applying until an even coat is achieved. This should be approximately 3 or 4 coats. Then you can mask over the area where you wish the light colour to remain and paint on your second darker colour.
  6. Main colour sanded down producing matt finish
    Main colour sanded down producing matt finish
    Sand the dried paint. After the paint has dried you will have to sand it down again this time using 1200 grit paper/sponge. When sanding, all you want to do is to take the gloss off the paint to produce a matt finish. If you wish to put any sticker/decals on your bike this is the time to do it just before you lacquer the frame, this will protect the stickers however unless you have very thin stickers it is unlikely you will produce a completely smooth surface. If you want to buy decals, have a look on an online auction site such as eBay, as there are many replica decals for major bike manufacturers.
  7. Apply the clear lacquer. This is exactly the same as all the painting steps before, however this time you may only need to put on 2 or 3 coats. It is important especially with this stage that you do not have the spray can to far from the surface as you could end up with a ruff surface.
  8. Allow the lacquer to harden. That is the re-painting of your bike completed. The steps for the frame are exactly the same as for the forks or any other part. However, you need to allow the lacquer to harden for at least a week, before you begin adding the headset etc., as you will probably damage your beautiful new paint work if you try to fix it any earlier.


Tips   

  • If you cannot be bothered sanding your bike down to the metal, you can always find a sandblaster to do it for you, but make sure the person doing this is confident in what he or she is doing or he or she could destroy your frame.
  • Hang your bike by the head tube to ensure that your paint does not clog up at the bottom bracket.
  • Ensure that you pick an area to hang your bike that is easy to access, as you will need to be able to move around the whole bike and underneath it too.
  • Make sure you hang your bike in a well ventilated area, where there is a good source of light as it will help in checking you have covered the bike with an even coat.


Warnings   

  • Buy the right type of primer, as the colour of the primer depends on what your final colour will be. Ask for instructions in store, often this will be very helpful.
  • If you are refurbishing an aluminium frame, you may need to get a special primer, possibly an alomide coating, which ensures that the pores in the aluminium do not affect the finish.
  • When priming the bike outdoors, wear goggles and a mouth mask, as it is not a nice feeling to have paint fly into your eyes whenever a gust of wind comes. Also wear gloves, as some paints strip your skin, and it can take a long time for the skin to regrow.
  • Do not mix different paint manufacturers (be that for primer, primary paint and lacquer) unless you have knowledge that they are compatible. This is because the 2 types of paint may react and destroy your frame.
  • Make sure that even 24 hours after painting that you do not lay your frame on a carpet or put it in clamp etc. as this will distort the paint as the paint is still very soft and will be imprinted with the pattern in the carpet, for example.


Things You'll Need   

  • A bicycle frame
  • Some basic hand tools to disassemble the bicycle (wrenches, screw drivers, etc.)
  • Sand paper/sponge (80 grit, 220 grit and 1200 grit)
  • Razor blade (helps when removing old decals, if present)
  • Masking tape, for use in covering up paint work if you are applying different colours
  • A piece of stiff wire to hang the bicycle up with
  • Primer (about 2 cans for a large bike)
  • Paint of desired colour (again about 2 cans for a large bike
  • Clear lacquer coat, 1 can should do
  • A clean, well lit place to work, with good ventilation (remember don't destroy your skin/lungs and eyes over a bike)