Painting an aluminum bicycle. How to paint a bicycle: instructions and ideas from the Rusavtolac company. Removing old paint

You can paint the frame or any part of the bicycle in a fast way, sand off the old paint and paint it with a brush or blow it out with new paint, but in most cases it will not look attractive. In this article we will talk about how you can paint a bicycle frame at home and with the highest quality possible.

The first step is to prepare the frame for priming and painting, namely to get rid of the old layer of paint. In order to “wash off” the old paint on the frame, we need a special product - a remover for old paint. Nowadays, finding such a product is not difficult, the choice depends on your budget, do not buy the cheapest one, but ask a consultant to choose the optimal product for your intentions. This product is a gel-like substance that must be smeared onto the frame with a brush. Be sure to do this in fresh air and wearing rubber gloves, follow safety rules, as this product is caustic.

How to remove paint from a bicycle frame? And so, spread it with a brush on bicycle frame paint remover. Wait 10-15 minutes (read the instructions for the product), then use a metal scraper to remove the layer of old paint that has become shriveled from the chemical action of the product. This operation must be repeated until the paint peels off to the metal, 2-4 times. The better you remove the old paint, the better it will be for the new paint; you shouldn’t skimp on this matter.

Now that the frame is perfectly clear of the old paint, we need to prime it. Before applying the primer, it is necessary to wash the frame with a solvent to better clean the frame and so that the primer lies evenly on the surface. The primer must be applied in a thin layer, 2-3 layers, with a 20-minute break before each application. The main thing in this matter is not to create drips, so try to keep the can at a distance of 10-15 cm.

Then, it is necessary to leave the primed frame for a day so that it dries properly.

After this, we need to sand the frame with sandpaper. At the same time, we try not to press too hard on the surface so as not to tear off the layer of soil. Now the frame is ready for painting.

Once you have decided on the color of the frame, you need to buy paint. It’s better not to skimp on paint; buy high-quality paint, maybe automotive paint. It will also not be difficult to choose any color scheme using services that sell paint in bulk, but for this you need to have a compressor at home.

We apply a thin layer of paint to the prepared frame, then wait 5-7 minutes and apply a new layer, very thinly and carefully, so that there are no drips. For high-quality painting you need 10-15 such layers. The last layer must be kept for a longer time, 2-3 hours. The main thing in painting is not to leave smudges and apply layers very thinly. If you hold the can at a distance of 8-12 cm from the frame, then you need to move it very quickly to avoid leaks. For painting you need 1-2 cans, depending on the consumption and how effectively you use it.

The next step is to cover the frame with layers of varnish, possibly automotive varnish. We apply varnish in the same way as paint. It is advisable to dry the last layer at a temperature of +30 degrees for 2-3 days; in order for the varnish to gain sufficient strength, it must be dried for a couple of weeks.

If you did everything correctly, then this frame coating will be in no way inferior to its original factory color. It will be resistant to mild chemicals such as oil, gasoline, as well as mechanical stress.

When applying primer, paint and varnish, it is best to hang the frame by the steering tube or carriage, or by the seatpost, in general, whatever is convenient for you.

Looking to update the old peeling paint on your bike? Maybe you want to add to the appearance " iron horse» a touch of creativity? It doesn't matter what your goal is. But if you are wondering “how to paint a bicycle,” then this is the place for you!

Let’s say right away that you don’t need any special skills to make yours more attractive. Even a schoolchild can cope with this if he has the following:

Solvent for removing old paint.
For various types surfaces (large, medium, small).
White spirit for degreasing surfaces before applying paint or primer (available at any hardware store).
Primer for durability of “tuning” and evenness of painting.
Paint (ideally acrylic).

How to paint a bicycle. Stage one: preparation

Preparation vehicle Before painting, it begins with disassembly: the bare frame is painted. Required condition A thorough wash is considered. If there are various labels, badges and other attributes on the frame that need to be kept unchanged, it is recommended to cover them with paper tape (its edges should not extend beyond the boundaries of the picture, otherwise there will be unpainted areas). To remove the old layer of paint, you need to use a solvent and sandpaper with a gentle surface (with small grains). Such actions must be carried out with gloves so as not to damage the skin of the hands, and in a well-ventilated area. Next, you need to degrease the surface of the frame with white spirit.

How to paint a bicycle. Stage two: primer

To carry out this process, it is better to hang the bicycle frame in such a position that it does not touch any other surface, but is easy to access from all sides.

You can apply the primer using a brush, spray it with a can or a special gun with a compressor. Drying time is usually no more than a day (at a temperature not lower than 5-7 degrees).

After this, the frame must be sanded again until a smooth surface is obtained.

How to paint a bicycle. Stage three: applying paint

If you don’t know how to paint your bike, we hasten to tell you that the best option- This

Its main advantages are a perfect even layer when covering, fast drying, bright (sometimes the most difficult thing is to decide what color to paint the bike) and resistance to high humidity.

The paint is applied in small strokes (to obtain a uniformly painted surface, you should not “pass” more than twice over one place).

If you want to get exactly the color shown on the can, you must first paint the surface with white paint.

The drying time for different brands of paint is usually different, so it is better to leave the frame for several days. After this, you can assemble the bike and enjoy riding the updated vehicle.

Now you know how to paint a bicycle so that it is not only beautiful, but also quite durable.

The bicycle frame is what creates the first impression of your bike. A shabby frame with scratches looks dull, but a shiny, freshly painted frame makes the bike look like it just came from the store.

If you're selling your two-wheeled friend or just want to update its look, paint the frame!

What you need to paint a bike

1. A degreaser, preferably a silicone cleaner. You can do without it, but the frame will quickly lose its attractive appearance. appearance.

2.Primer for the car.

3. Sandpaper with a grain number of 240 and 400 or 600. To sand a surface with deep scratches, you will need 60 or 80 sandpaper.

4.Paper tape.

5. Napkins, rag.

6. Soap solution.

Bicycle frame painting

All removable parts are separated from the frame. If some parts cannot be removed, they need to be covered with paper tape.

Wash the surface to be painted with soapy water and remove the stickers completely, leaving no traces of paper or glue.

Primer

The frame need not be primed only if there is no serious damage to it. In other cases, saving on primer will result in a quick repainting of the bike. When preparing the frame for priming, you need to go over it with sandpaper. If the surface is relatively smooth, you can get by with only 240 sandpaper. If you need to remove deep scratches or chips, you should use #60 sandpaper. Having removed the largest damage, change it to No. 80, and then, after pouring water on the frame, go over it with No. 240 sandpaper.

The surface must be sanded to an eggshell smoothness.

The most difficult thing to sand is pipe joints, but they must be processed as efficiently as possible so that the new paint does not start to peel off.

If you have to paint wings or other parts, you need to do the same work with them as with the frame.

When the surface of the frame becomes smooth, you can proceed directly to the primer.

The frame should be primed by hanging it on a mount or stand. The surface should be wiped with a soft cloth or napkin and dried thoroughly. If there are scratches that cannot be sanded, they should be eliminated using paste putty.

The primer is applied with a spray or can. The paint is sprayed after the soil has completely dried (the period depends on the type of materials used and the air temperature).

The surface is again sanded to a matte state, this time with sandpaper No. 400 or 600. The not applied primer is first leveled with sandpaper No. 240.

Applying paint

Before applying paint, the frame is treated with a silicone cleaner applied to a napkin.

The paint is sprayed in thin layers from a distance of 25 - 35 cm. A dense layer will not be obtained the first time; there is a high probability that smudges will remain on the frame. It is better to apply the paint in several thin layers. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried a little; there is no need to wait for complete drying. The coating applied in this way will lie smoother and better, and ultimately dry faster.

You can also paint with a brush, watch the video of painting a bicycle frame with a brush.

Smooth color transitions are created at once - all shades are applied at once, one after another. There is no need to wait for one of the flowers to dry.

The design or inscription is applied to the frame after the main shade has dried. A stencil is made from paper tape, which is glued to the surface in those places that should not be painted.

Once the paint is completely dry, the bike can be assembled.

More about putting your hands on the bike.

Factory bicycle paint sooner or later loses its shine, and often acquires “life scars”: chips, scratches, rust deposits. Returning your favorite vehicle to its former shine and shine or radically changing its design at your own discretion - every cyclist can do all this with his own hands and at home.

What is necessary

To paint your iron friend you will need not only aerosol car paint of a suitable shade, but also other consumables and tools:

Screwdriver, spanners different sizes;
Putty or mastic;
Primer;
Sanding paper with grit 80, 220 and 1200;
Degreaser or special car wipe;
Brush, spray;
Masking tape;
Rag, sponge;
Respirator, gloves, safety glasses.

For colorful works It is better to choose a spacious, ventilated, illuminated room or a place protected from direct sunlight. outdoors. It is advisable to hang the frame and other parts of the bicycle on a wire or clothesline so as not to leave unpainted areas.

The required number of cylinders with paints and varnishes is calculated individually. Based on the calculation that a standard bicycle requires 2-3 aerosols of paint, primer and varnish.

Painting stages

The whole process can be divided into several stages: preparatory, disassembling, sanding, painting and final.

Each step is important, so let's look at them in more detail.

General preparation

The first stage includes all the preparatory actions: thinking about the future design, purchasing consumables, searching for the necessary tools. Particular attention is paid to safety. So, if possible, wear an apron, gloves, a respirator, goggles, and the work area is covered with film or old newspapers.

Disassembling the bike

Before painting a bicycle, it is disassembled and all parts and spare parts that do not need updating are removed. This is done as carefully and consistently as possible so as not to deform or break anything. For non-professionals, it is better to seek help from specialists or available instructions.

Preparing the surface

Anything that is not planned to be painted, for example, logos, inscriptions, drawings, must be carefully and accurately sealed with tape. Threaded areas are protected in a similar way.

The surface is degreased with a special product (White spirit) or a universal car wipe.
Use P80 grit paper to remove the old coating (for carbon frames the use of sandpaper is prohibited).
Using putty or mastic, all unevenness, damage, corrosion and dents are eliminated.
After drying, the smooth surface is sanded again and cleaned of dust.
A thin (about 5 mm) layer of corrosion-resistant primer is applied. It is taken into account that the final shade depends on the color of the primer.

It is important to choose the correct consistency of the primer, which ideally should completely drain from the brush. A solution that is too thick is diluted with a solvent, and a liquid solution is added to the mixture. To cover hard-to-reach areas as much as possible, the bicycle frame is suspended from the ceiling and treated with an air gun.

All primed parts are left to dry overnight in a suspended state or carefully placed on dry newspapers.

After 24 hours, the dry surface is wetted and carefully sanded with P220 paper.

Let's start painting

Direct work with the paint can is the most important and painstaking stage. The first step is to carefully read these instructions and protect your skin from the toxicity of the paint.

The paint is sprayed evenly until a uniform coating is formed. If the design of the bike involves an ornament of several shades, then first the lightest of them is applied in 3-4 layers, which, after drying, is sealed with tape. Then the coating is done in a similar way with other colors, ending with the darkest tone.

Using masking tape you can not only make geometric patterns, but also any other ornaments. To do this you need to use your imagination and scissors.

Some experts note that it is better to paint a bike using the powder method, which is more reliable, durable and resistant to negative environmental influences.

If necessary, other parts of the bicycle are also painted: handlebars, forks, wheels, pedals.

Final processing

The final steps include sanding the frame again with the highest grit paper possible and keeping the surface wet.

Before varnishing, the vehicle is optionally decorated with labels, emblems or other suitable decorative elements. Also, if you have talent, you can paint the surface with a bright contrasting color or use a stencil.

The end result is fixed with 2-3 layers of varnish, which is sprayed at a distance of 5-10 cm to avoid the appearance of roughness and unevenness. It is worth noting that only matte paints need to be varnished, so find out in advance whether it contains varnish.

A freshly painted bike needs to dry completely, which takes about a week on average. Previously, assembling an iron friend was risky: uncured paint and varnish are easily damaged.

The strength of the coating is checked by lightly moving a blunt knife, the sliding of which means complete drying.

The following recommendations and tips will help make your work easier and reduce risks:

Use paints and varnishes from the same manufacturer to avoid causing a possible negative chemical reaction;
Accurately calculate the required volume of consumables, or better yet, purchase cans for future use in order to carry out local “repairs” in the future;
If the old coating cannot be removed with sandpaper, use a wire brush on a drill or an angle grinder with wire bristles. A thermal hair dryer and spatula are also suitable for this purpose;
It is easier to defeat rust with special anti-corrosion substances and products;
Old stickers can only be removed with sandpaper, since the solvent only causes the glue to smudge;
Wet sanding will give the frame a matte finish if you keep the surface damp with glass cleaner during the process.
When assembling the bike after painting, lubricate the bearings, internal mechanisms, and springs to increase their wear resistance.

You can update your bicycle transport both in the showroom and in your home workshop. At the same time, the second option is more economical, more interesting, and more productive. Only by painting yourself will you be able to fully control the process, evaluate the quality of materials and realize your dreams in an individual design.

The main thing is not to deviate from the proposed algorithm, listen to the recommendations and not be lazy. Then your freshly painted bike will delight you for a long time and cause the envy of your neighbors.

One of my readers asked in the comments what I can say about painting a bicycle frame from a car cylinder yourself, so I decided to describe my experience.

I've only painted a bicycle frame once, and that was when I was still living in Scotland. I had just broken my first bike and was experiencing a lot of discomfort due to having nothing to ride. A new bike, for some reason I could only afford it in a month.

However, the hand of fate directed me one day along a street that I usually rarely walked along. Passing by one house, I saw a bicycle placed in a trash heap. This was a sign, because if I had been here half an hour later, most likely I would not have found anything, because the ubiquitous Poles constantly supervise the garbage dumps, taking away all the valuables that the residents put out.

The bike was old, the mechanisms were broken and rusty, but the frame was in good condition. Most importantly, it was aluminum! I immediately decided to simply transfer the entire body kit from my broken bike - after all, everything was intact, except for the frame.

Naive me, I thought it was that simple. To disassemble two bicycles down to the bone, I had to buy a basic tool and thoroughly study bicycle forums to understand what to put where.

All that's left of the old bike

Well, that’s okay, it was then that I received the basics of bicycle repair, applied in practice, and this was very useful in later life. Anyway, within a week I was already riding the new bike. Everything was fine, except for one thing: the tattered frame looked terrible.

I started to figure out how I could paint the bike myself. Having disassembled it again down to the screw, I freed the frame. I went to the car shop next door, where the owner was a friendly Scottish grandfather.

We talked for a long time about the topic of bicycles, he said that in his youth he himself rode along the local hills. My grandfather provided me with everything I needed to do my own painting.

Car paint in cans. I took matte because I planned to varnish the frame. I bought two cylinders, and I was not mistaken - there was barely enough. I chose a radical red color.

Primer. Two cylinders are enough. Grandfather said that in his youth he did not bother with such things as primer before painting the frame, but I decided to do everything right.

Varnish. In theory, it would be possible to take paint that contains varnish, but I was already imagining a bright red bicycle sparkling with multiple layers of varnish, so I purchased two cans.

Sandpaper. Since the surface of the frame was very shabby, and the old paint was peeling off in some places, I took coarser sandpaper, with 80 grit. I also took a few more sheets with smaller grit, and, of course, zero.

White Spirit. This goes without saying for degreasing before painting.

I left the store 30 pounds lighter. However….

I took the frame out to the patio and started sanding, which took me all evening. In the end, the surface became quite smooth, and the next day, hanging the frame by a hook on a clothesline, I began priming.

When the soil was completely dry, I sanded it a little with zero. Then I started painting. I dusted two cans of red paint - a sight to behold! I waited until the paint dried in the fresh air and went over it with varnish. The second cylinder also went quickly, and I was already thinking about going to the store for a third. Changed my mind. It seems to be quite shiny.

Is it worth painting a frame from a balloon?

I let the freshly painted frame rest for a day, and after that I began to assemble my updated iron horse with trepidation. This is where disappointment awaited me. It turned out that the paint adheres very poorly to the frame, and as soon as you lean the bike harder against some sharp edge, a mark remains in that place.

Just after painting - it shines and shines!

I thought it was because the paint wasn't dry enough yet, but over the next few days the bike continued to get new scratches. I went to a car service center for advice. The mechanics said that painting a bicycle from a can is a thankless task.

Allegedly, this paint serves only as a touch-up and only applies well in a thin layer to the old base. Whether this is true or not, the sparkling appearance of the updated bike has faded somewhat over three weeks of riding. 🙁

Subsequently, I read on the forums that there really is very little point in painting a frame made from car cylinders - the paint does not stick. However, the result of spray painting is not particularly praised.

Powder coating of a bicycle

The best way to paint a bike is powder coating. In the production of bicycles, only this type of painting is now used, and the reliability of the coating has increased significantly.

To sum it up, I’ll note to my reader that it’s probably not worth painting the frame from a can on your own - it’s a waste of days and time. If the frame is dear to you as a memory, then Google who does powder painting in your city. The cost may be quite high compared to spray paint, but the bike will be like new.

However, if you just need to update old bike, then the appearance of a frame painted even from a can will be better than shabby and peeling paint. Therefore, in some cases, this option has the right to life.

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