Things you will need
-Aircraft grade paint stripper, I prefer the non-spray can type
-your part that you intend to paint
-99% isopropyl alchohol, anything less than 99% can cause rusting, paint thinner works as well
-1 can of brand name grey/dark grey primer
-1 can of brand name (Krylon, Dupont, 3m, Rustoleum, Montana gold etc) topcoat (this is the color you want)
-1-2 cans of brand name clear coat
-220 grit sandpaper, go for better quality, 3M is perfect
-a rope, not too thin, not too thick
-some sort of object that has a V shape or a tree branch parallel to the ground
-duct tape
-thick rubber gloves, check the list attached to the gloves for an idea of what rubber type suits the main ingredient in your paint stripper the best, usually the main paint stripper ingredient is methylene chloride
-an old sweatshirt so you don't get chemical burns all over your arms
-safety glasses or goggles, chemical burns in your eyes are not good
-about two weeks you are willing to wait for the frame to completely dry
-a paint brush to safely apply paint stripper with, get a 10 pack for a dollar at the hardware store
Optional but highly recommended
-old, rusty BB bearings
-white printer paper
-t-shirt rags
-q tips
-a spare frame to use while your main frame is drying, so you don't get tempted to ride it and risk damage to the brand new, still drying paint job
-paint/primer/clear that is custom mixed from an auto parts store
This guide is meant for parts like bars, forks, and frames, high impact areas like cranks and rims will not turn out well or last. Rims and stems are always anodized so paint stripper will not work on these parts.
1. Locate a tree or hook, basically anything that you can throw a rope over and hang the frame without risking said fixture breaking and taking your frame down with it, such as this one pictured below.
2. Play with this program to determine what color will look good with what colors you already have on your bike. That way you don't put in weeks of effort to find out your bike looks horrible.
3. Go to your local hardware store (or auto parts store) and locate the color that you intend to paint your frame. If you are simply painting the frame raw, I recommend using matte clear coat, flat, semi gloss or satin, instead of gloss. Choose from name brands (Krylon, Dupont, 3M, Rustoleum, Montana Gold etc) rather than the 99c cans, the name brands have more consistent colors, are more durable, and just turn out better than the cheapo kinds. Look for the terms "professional"and "automotive" when you are shopping for paint.
For example Rustoleum Stops Rust Paint and Primer, Professional, and Automotive are all great choices. Only use the "2x Cover" type for clear coat if that is all you can find. For this project, I chose 1 can of Grey Rustoleum Stops Rust Automobile Primer, 1 can of Stops Rust Gloss Army Green Protective Enamel, and 2 cans of Rustoleum 2x Ultra Cover Satin Clear, for a nice semi-gloss finish. It helps to choose all from the same brand if possible.
4. Tape up the bolt on an integrated seat clamp, doesn't need to be tight, and run the rope through the open hole right below the bolt on the seat tube so that the frame is being help up by the rope that is hanging on the seat clamp bolt. Otherwise hang it from the head tube or BB shell, but make sure to mask it off so your bearings still fit well. Make sure all holes, bearing seats, gyro holes, and brake mount holes are completely masked off. Q-tips work great for keeping paint out of the removable brake mount threads. If you can't take off the chain before painting, wrap it in a plastic bag. Personally, I like taping off the entire dropouts to prevent any wheel slipping, and peeling, plus it never gets seen so it won't look tacky.
5. Take your duct tape, and your old rusty BB bearings if you have any, and install the aforementioned bearings. Now take a towel/t-shirt rag and run it through the center of the bearings, where the spindle would go, so paint doesn't effect any part of the bottom bracket. If you don't have old bearings, just take the ones currently installed out, and put a square piece of duct tape over both sides of the BB tube. I prefer to use old bearings so that I can paint up to the very edge of the BB tube so that it looks cleaner.
6. Throw the rope over whatever you have chosen to hang it from, and tie it up so that your frame doesn't fall down onto the ground. Set the length so that it sits around eye level.
7. Put on your goggles and rubber gloves, along with closed toed shoes and a sweatshirt or long sleeved t-shirt. Take out your paint stripper and apply some to a part of a tube, and work bit by bit until all of the paint is gone, except for little bits that wouldn't come off. Wipe off the bubbled paint with t-shirt rags (can be bought at OSH for under $5) or an old towel. Now take the 220 grit sandpaper and sand all residual paint off (don't forget the welds) and the bare tubes so that the primer adheres well. Remember, the longer you spend making sure all of the metal is bare, the better and less uneven the color will look when everything is done. Then give the frame a wipe down with 99% rubbing alcohol to make sure any and all chemicals, dust, paint chips, and residue are all off of the metal so that any debris won't get trapped under the paint and make the finished product look uneven and bumpy.
8. Now take out your primer, and start shaking it for at least a minute, otherwise the primer will come out unmixed and look horrible and uneven. Now you can start spraying the frame, making sure you aren't too close to avoid drips. The first coat of primer should just be a slight dusting, but if it doesn't cover every bit it's fine. Make sure to do this the same day that you raw the frame, to avoid any overnight rusting, and let it dry more than it lists on the can as how long it takes to become dry enough to handle. If you can, leave it out drying until it gets dark. At night, take the frame in and hang it up inside a garage if possible. If not, put the forks (without wheel in it) on and have the frame standing on the tips of its dropouts only and the only other contact being the crotch of the forks.
9. The next day, hang up the frame again and paint a coat, wait the re-coat time listed on the can until you add the next coat. Remember to use a pushpin or bobby pin to clear the nozzle of any dried paint and shake it between each coat. Don't feel like you have to use up the whole can, but make sure you use enough. Give it 24 hours to dry completely. (Optional): now take the completely dry and primer'ed frame and "sand" all of it with normal white printer paper until the surface is smooth enough for your standards. Again this isn't required, but highly recommended.
10. At this point you can start painting. Remember to shake the can like you did with the primer, and follow the instructions on the can. Make sure to clear the nozzle and shake the can between coats. If you do a coat or two a day for a few days that works as well.
11. The last real step is clear coat. Some people have problems with the clear coat cracking and peeling but there is an easy step you can take to prevent this. On your last coat of paint, immediately topcoat it with 2-4 coats of clear coat. Doing this allows the clear coat and paint to bond and mix, and gives the topcoat the same glossy look that clear coat gives, and lets the clear have the bonding power that paint does. Watch out for drips. This will cause matte clear coat to have a shinier finish so if you want a matte finish, use matte paint and matte clear coat.
12. This step is the worst. I mean it really really really sucks, but it is probably the most important step out of everything. Let the finished frame dry for a week (7 days, not 5) before you even think about building the bike back up. If you scratch the paint lightly after a day, it might peel off a nice little chunk, but after a week it should just scratch and not peel all the way off. For best results, put it in a sunny place (where it won't get stolen) during the day to maximize the amount of solvent you evaporate from the paint each day. After 7 days you can safely build your bike back up and start riding. Remember, the more thorough job you do, the better it will turn out.
Thank you for sharing this interesting and informative article, painting with airless spray gun will be faster and more interesting!
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