How to Remove Paint from an Aluminum Bike Frame | Pedal Street

merely so you know, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made via bold green links, buttons or images. sometimes it makes sense to refurbish an older bicycle quite than buy a new one. Bikes aren ’ thymine cheap, and finding the correct one for you can be identical slippery. Why drop all that money if it isn ’ thymine barely right ? If you have an previous bike—or you buy one used—and you want to make it look new, a fresh coat of paint or an entirely new paint occupation goes a long way. In order to do this by rights, however, you first have to remove the old key. In this post, I ’ ll expression at the best way to strip paint off an aluminum motorcycle frame .

Paint stripper

The best manner to strip paint off an aluminum bicycle frame is to use a paint stripper. Let ’ s spirit at how that is done, mistreat by step.

Paint stripper is a chemical solution designed to remove key and clean the underlie open. Some are made specifically for use on aluminum. A visit to your region hardware shop can help you pick out the best one for your needs, but I like because it ’ south eco-friendly, biodegradable, water-based and doesn ’ t stink.. While you ’ re at the store, you might a well pick up the respite of the items you ’ ll need :

• heavy-duty work gloves
• paint brushes
• something to protect your work surface (such as a tarp)
• sandpaper or another abrasive scrubbing instrument
• small container for the stripper

Test the paint stripper

Before you get down to business, you need to test the paint stripper on your motorcycle to make sure it will work properly. I powerfully recommend doing indeed on a belittled blemish that will be out of sight if something goes wrong. You should besides choose a less vital separate of the frame, in shell the stripper destroys it—unlikely, but even potential .

Strip the rouge

The actual method for doing this will vary depending on the intersection you use, indeed be certain to follow the manufacturer ’ s instructions. In most cases, though, the steps will look something like this :

1. Lay down your tarp and get all materials together. Be sure to wear protective gloves, and clothes that you don’t care about.
2. Soak the aluminum frame in the stripper. Most likely, you’ll need to work in small sections by brushing the paint stripper onto the frame using the paint brushes. In some cases, you can use a rag.
3. Gently remove the paint using sandpaper or another scraping tool. Keep in mind that sanding too hard might scratch the aluminum underneath.
4. Repeat until the project is done.

A few words of caution

You should keep a few other things in thinker if you want to strip the paint off your aluminum bicycle. First, know that doing then will probable void any guarantee you may still have on the bicycle. If other parts are still covered, consider whether this is worth it. besides consider that the manufacturer likely never intended for the aluminum frame to be exposed. This means the aluminum underneath might not be in pristine condition ; it might be scratched or dinged from the production process, since the godhead knew it would be covered in key. What ’ s more, the paint may have been protecting the aluminum underneath. Be prepared to either repaint the bicycle, or otherwise treat the metal to protect it.

If you in truth want to maintain that bare aluminum search, clearcoating will offer the most protection. That ’ s basically a resin or paint without paint that will allow the aluminum to shine through. If that ’ s besides much, you can polish the frame with wax for security. however, this is something you ’ ll have to keep up on a reasonably regular basis. image at crown : © Nick Johnson | Creative Commons

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Category : Cycling