I am repainting and rebuilding a vintage CCM on my other blog: Great Canadian Bike Overhaul. If you want to know how to repaint your bicycle, you can view the articles linked below with all the information regarding this task. The bicycle is presently in the primer stage. Color and clear coat will follow within the week, weather permitting(I have to work outdoors).
75 comments:
Thanks!!! Three years ago, I purchased a used road bike, after following your directions, I have successfully taken apart my bike, and I am in the process of sanding. I hope I can put it back together. Total Amount Spent:
1. Paint Thinner 1 gal- 9.00
2. Crank Puller- 21.66
3. Chain Tool- 16.00 I am 17 yrs old =), and I did it*
*I am doing it!
Dude you have no idea how happy I am to read about this. Yes you are doing it and you can do more. Never quit and never hold yourself back. Come and join us at http://ratrodbikes.com for even more inspiration and ideas. You've never been on such a nice forum with no drama and a bunch of helpful and fun people.
Gerry
hi, its kid 17 from before. What is the difference from spray painting and brush painting? Which do you recommend?
Brush painting will give you better coverage and a heavier paint coat, however the results are not always even because of the brush strokes. Spray gives better results but requires more coats. I use Krylon spraypaints myself, I always get good results.
Gerry
hey, gerry, i am kid 17... I had to bring a someone w/ me to get the spray paint =( . I purchased an automotive primer,Rust-oLeum Gloss Protective Enamel and an appliance epoxy. I am doing my bike in black, but i dont know if the epoxy(black) would work for my bike, i couldnt find the clear one. Would my bike shine like new? i dont want to do anything rash, i just nicely primed the bike and all the parts too
hey, gerry, i am kid 17... I had to bring a someone w/ me to get the spray paint =( . I purchased an automotive primer,Rust-oLeum Gloss Protective Enamel and an appliance epoxy. I am doing my bike in black, but i dont know if the epoxy(black) would work for my bike, i couldnt find the clear one. Would my bike shine like new? i dont want to do anything rash, i just nicely primed the bike and all the parts too
Also, the appliance epoxy has a subtitle "Ultra Hard Enamel', I was initially going to do 2 coats of primer, 1 coat of Rust oleum Gloss Protective Enamel and 1 coat of appliance epoxy? Is this conclusion optimal? Help Please.
Hello Kirbi, my advice is to start by painting the fork. If whatever you do doesn't work out, it's easier just to redo the fork than the entire bike frame.
Gerry
hi, hey gerry i have a question? is that bike stand good for fixing bikes! or only paint jobs! i would be interested in buying one!
That is a regular bike work stand that can be used to fix bikes as well.
Gerry
it's about the bike stand! were can i buy it!? you said it's around 60$! please give me some info address or something! thanks in advance!
Hello Heather, the raw steel left to the elements will start to rust in a matter of hours. You must coat the entire frame with a good coat of glossy clear paint or oil the frame on a regular basis to prevent rust. Remember, LOTS of clear coat paint. Make sure you don't miss a spot.
Gerry :)
Sorry for not answering about the bike stand, but it died on me not too long ago. So selling it would not be inappropriate.
Gerry
If youre interested in watching my attempt at repainting my ladies 1970`s(?) CCM on my balcony.
http://vintage-wheels.livejournal.com/
Hi Gerry! Is it true that you cannot sand an aluminum frame? How do I remove the old painting then?
thanks!
I don't know who told you this but in my book aluminum is just another metal. You can sand it, but make sure you use a primer made specific for aluminum.
Gerry
stumbled across your site while trying to change my rear derailer cable. and got as far as where the only thingy left was removing the wire from the gear changing thingy itself. but its a 12 year old Giant ATX, and my screw driver reduced the threads on the screwhead to barely more than one big hole: P
gave up and sent it to the avanti bikeshop(owned by my neighbors)haha
its got a few dinks in them too. have always dreamt of repainting it. but one day . . . one day i will have enough courage to engaged on the project..haha. until then, its great having someone inspirational like you: )
I'm glad I can inspire you Johnny and the day that you decide to do it, you will find that it is very gratifying.
Keep trying and never give up.
Gerry :)
Gerry, do you know of any pro paint shops in the montreal area for painting frames (powder coat or wet paint)?
Hello there, I just stumbled upon this helpufl blog yesterday. I refer them to this blog if they have problems with their bicycles. I regretted that I didn't chance upon this article earlier.
If you don't mind, I have a minor problem with my bike's paint job. I have just finished painting my bike using aerosol spray. I followed the general procedure of sanding the whole bike down. However, as I have heard from many others, aerosol spray paints does not require any sort of primer. So, I did not apply one. I spray painted around 4-5 coats of paint.
However, the paint peels off easily(small bits of paint chip off if hit). Currently, I am thinking of applying 2-3 layers of hard anti scratch gloss(painted on) on top of the paint on an attempt to strengthen the paint. Do you think this would maybe make my paint more durable?
p.s. For more information on the project, visit my blog @ milkybutter.blogspot.com
Thanks lots.
Yes Ching, you must always use a primer. Since you have already sprayed on the color, you have nothing to lose by applying a clear coat. If it doesn't work, just strip the bike and start over. It's the cost of learning and anyways, paint is always temporary. Good luck.
Gerry :)
Hi Gerry,
I want to leave the original logo that is painted on my bike on, but paint everything else. What do you think the best way to do this would be? I was thinking of putting a sticker or tape, but not sure which would be best. Cheers!
You can tape it over with painters tape and then trim it with an X-acto blade knife.
Gerry :)
Gerry,
This is this is daniel wilthborough from plymouth in england. I just recieved this old Holland purple Holland bycicle from one of my friends. ive read up on how to apply the primer, sand and apply paint e.t.c from your website and ive found it extremely useful! thank you.
However, a few questions-
1) at first sight the bike looked like a complete mess. however, upon further inspection it was just all grime and a little bit of rust, therefore i think if i was too polish and restore it, it would still be able to look decent. however, i do not like the color of the purple paint, and therefore want to sand everything down and add the primer (red sandable primer). in your opinion do you think it would be easy enough to sand all of the original paint off completely? and apply primer + color? (about 97% of the paint is still on)
2) if so how would you apply the primer?? i do not know whether to use a brush?
2) the shop that i went to were out of stock of clear coat. i assume this is what you add after the whole painting process?? and if so...what will be the difference if i just leave the bycicle with its new paint...without the clear coat?
Your help is much appreciated.
Dan
Hello Dan,
You can lay primer on the old paint, just make sure that you sand it good before hand. Putting the primer down with a brush will give you a thicker coat, you might have to sand it for the surface to be smooth however. Putting a clear coat over the color is not absolutely necessary. It protects the finish and gives it a bit more shine.
I hope I answered your questions properly, good luck with your project.
Gerry :)
Gerry, great site!
I too love to rebuild and repaint bikes, but still pretty new at it.
My daughter outgrew her bike, so I took my sons bike that he just outgrew, painted it yellow and purple with some girly accessories added and now she wont part with it, even though she has a new purple Mongoose.
I'm putting everything in place to rebuild/repaint my early 90's Raleigh Capri touring/trail bike and am coming up with 'nada' when I try to find the decals. The bike is black with neon green decals and I want to go with a white/soft grey bike with the same decals, but in black. I even tried the Raleigh website. Any ideas? I am actually toying with trying to replicate the stickers the best I can and print them on blank sticker paper.
Thanks!
Sorry man I have no miracle answer for you. Maybe one of our readers has the answer?
Gerry :)
hi, all of the information given on this website is really a great help .. i have a used beach cruiser that i just purchased and i am wanting to paint it matte black .. does anyone have any tips or special instructions? anything will help .. thanks, Jon
Jon, the only thing I can add is that for a good flat black paint job, I found the best paint to be Krylon's rust tough. It's like a buck more per can but it gives great coverage over any surface and render rust inert if you missed a spot.
Gerry :)
Hi Gerry. What do you think of Nitro acrylic spray paint? I red on some forums that this type of paint is messy. I put two coats of this paint and im not so satisfied with it. I made some mistakes painting and i think that color is not so resistant, so im thinkin to take some other type of paint ,same color, sand the last caot i did with acrylic and put this new one as final.
Hi,
I'd like to strip my steel frame and NOT paint it. I am happy to take the frame to a powder-coat/paint shop to have any lacquer applied.
I would also like to remove the braze-ons as I don't require them and want the bike to be as simple as possible (converting to fixed gear)
Is there anything I need to consider with the 'raw steel' look?
Thanks :)
If you seal the steel with a clear coat, make sure it's nice and thick. Consider keeping an eye on your frame since nicks and peels in the clear will only be visible when rust decides to show it's ugly face.
I'm sure it will look awesome.
Gerry :)
hey! great site. i just bought a '64 schwinn tiger that i am going to attempt to make my first ever cutomization/restoration on. i have the bike completely apart and ready to go. i think i want to strip the frame completely of all paint. best way to do so? do i need to clean and sand it of all dirt and rust first, or hit the rust AFTER stripping? is this just a regular steel frame? like i said, i have her apart. what now? lol.
rxxl, your best bet if you want to strip the bike is to use aircraft grade paint stripper available at Wally world. Just be careful, wear eye and hand protection, ie goggles and gloves. The stripper should remove everything dirt and oil wise. Take care of the rust after it's stripped. In my opinion this is the best way since you'll be able to see where the rust is a lot better.
Gerry :)
Hey Gerry, i just purchased a 10 speed Schwinn Le Tour and i am thinking of repainting it. What painting method would you recommend me to paint it with. i read one post and you said you used Krylon spray paint, should i use that also? I am just looking for the best method that will prevent premature rust and paint chipping. Also, how will i protect the stickers? i looked on ebay and saw stickers, should i buy those? or is there a way to protecting it?
If you want to repaint the bike yourself, Krylon is the best rattle can in my experience. I highly recommend their rustproof primers. As for stickers, if you have the chance to buy replacements, I would go for it. Nothing comes close to a freshly installed new sticker when you want that pro look.
Gerry :)
Hey Gerry, I have been an avid fan of your site for some time now. I decided to repaint an old mountain bike I had stashed in the back of the shop, stripped all the mechanics off of it and ran inside to read "Painting According to Gerry". I was clueless, but my 13 yr old son and I have read and re-read your repaint section and He's opted to take the lead and He and I are gonna see what happens. He wants to send you some pics of his work if you are cool with that. He wants to do a 2 tone bike, Is the blue masking tape good for this? He has a case of it from a school project but we don't want to accidentaly pull off already painted areas if we don't have to. It's suppose to be in the low 70's starting the day after Christmas so we are hoping that we get things started pretty quickly.(Warm weather almost all year long, and his grandparents wonder why we won't leave West Texas.)
THANKS A HEAP IN ADVANCE,
Bryan & Hayden
Hey Guys, you just made my day. The blue tape should do fine, just make sure that the coat of paint that you are sticking it to is very dry. By all means do send me some pics of your finished project, that would be fantastic.
Gerry :)
Hey THNX MUCHO on the advice, but one last question, about taking the bike apart and getting it to the frame, are their a set of instructions i should follow, for my type of bike especially???
Just follow the full build on http://bikeoverhaul.blogspot.com and you should be good. If you can't remove it, tape it.
Gerry :)
Hey Gerry,
Bryan here, from Dad & Hayden, I forgot how much of a hoot sanding was. :[ I figured I would have it all sanded for the President of your fan club so when he flies back this Saturday he can get straight into painting. That wet sanding technique is working like magic on this bike. "YOU THA-MAN"!
Thanx,
Fly'n'-Bry'n
Bryan again,,,,I almost forgot,,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! You gave me the best gift all of, My son's admiration.THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO ON HERE!!!!!
Fly'n-Bry'n
Merry Christmas to you both.
Gerry :)
Gerry, hope you don't mind, but hayden wanted a blog like yours, so be it. We just got done giving you your props on there bikinbryan.blogs.org
You tha man,
Dad & Slick
Great blog man, thanks for plugging the Skull badges, they look way cool on those bikes! btw, you have a few post with pictures not showing. I look forward to updates and I love your signature.
Gerry :)
I checked the blog, they all show up from here. Remember which one? Anyway, I owe you the thanks Gerry.
Until then, Ride Hard and Laugh Often,
Bryan
OOPs, forgot to tell you, I did put a link to your page on there.
hey, I am 13. I have a bmx and I have been sanding down the forks and handlebars. Are there any tips for sanding down the frame? I heard that you can just make it rough and take the shine off it. Thankyou!
Hey there, just click on the 3 links at the bottom of the article, it will bring you to http://bikeoverhaul.blogspot.com You'll have all your answers there on how to wet sand the frame to take the shine off prior to primer and paint.
Gerry :)
Hey Gerry, We are off of facebook for now. Temporary thing. I will be in touch here or I moved my blog to flyinbryin.blogs.org I will stay in touch, still planning on Canada trip.
Bryan
thanks i have a bmx bike and followed your directions i even got the cranks and sprocket
14 year old artist right here
hi i just recently bought a bike for $10. i found out that it is a Peugeot U.S. express mountain bike with a L1011 mountain frame, i want to paint it but use the the same paint scheme which is the rainbow one, and was wondering if i could turn a mountain bike into a bike with the thinner wheels easily, so it would look more like the mont blanc. any advice??? -Kim
Hey Kim, you can always equip the bike with 26X1.25 slick tires and put on a set of drop bars.
Gerry :)
Just found this blog and it's *the best*. Anyway, I have a bike with kind of flat black rims and want to paint the rims flat red for the rat look, just the rims and not the spokes. I've been looking around(googling) with not much luck. Hints, tips and tricks are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Simple, grab the masking tape, wrap each nipple and then the rest of the wheel.
That's the easiest way to do it.
Good Luck and Thanks
Gerry :)
lol, im 15 and im considering if i should repaint my bike. kinda scared, first timer at DIY stuffs.
Go for it Winston. I have younger readers who did this and I am sure you can as well. Remember, paint is temporary. If you fail, just sand it and start over. Success is a very bad teacher.
Gerry :)
Echoing what other people have said - A deep thank you for posting this sort of information up on the web. took the time to fine-sand and paint the fork of my early 1970's road bike. So far, it's turned out exactly as I planned with a paint job as smooth as silk. Next: the frame!
-K
Good Luck.
Gerry :)
I just got thru painting a bicycle from bare metal and found etching primer is superior for bare metal. Also many primers build a thick layer which kills lug detail and also is very delicate sanding. Thin non-Filling primer is the way to go on nicer quality bicycles. Also check primer compatibility with your paint. Upol clear is a very good rattle can option for clear coats. 4 coats light and then wet sand 2500 and then compound medium. If you want a nice job.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
Gerry :)
salut salut!
jsuis tombé par hasard sur ton site grâce à stumbleupon, il semble bourré d'infos. pas mal cool, félicitations!
Merci Julien. C'est très apprécié.
Gerry :)
hey G. i finally finished painting our stingray frame. in the process of reassembly i left some grease spots. i figured i might as well wait till i finished before cleaning it up. now that ive gone back to clean it up im noticing that i cant get rid of these grease stains. i tried soap and water, cleaning wipes, and cleaning spray.
im guessing that i didnt allow enough drying time. have you ever seen this before? any suggestions?
Hi. Great Site. I am contemplating repainting my mid 90's alluminum mountain bike. It is silver and has some kind of plastic coat on it which is coming off in place. I would want to paint it a color, maybe red or black. Any advice on painting aluminum? Also, as the bike is pretty old, if I were to print some decals, could I safely put them under the clear coat?
Thanks again.
Hey Michael, the frame needs to be stripped clean and then shot with a self etching automotive primer made for aluminum. They sell the stuff in spray cans, just ask. Then you'll be able to shoot it with any color you want. If the decals are the water sliding type, yes. I wouldn't clear coat over vinyl decals.
Gerry :)
If i was to paint small areas of a spraypainted bike before applying clear coats, what type of paint should i use? acryllic? Thank you
You can put acrylic on anything but you can't put anything else on acrylic.
Gerry
I wanted to paint the lugs a different color with a brush. Do you mean if i paint them with acryllic i cant put a clear cost on top? And is there a type of paint you would suggest better than acryllic? Thank you
Acrylic has funky results sometimes when painted over with something else. I suggest doing a test piece on something else to see what happens. Rust paint will do a good job since it is pretty thick and...rust proof.
Gerry :)
Hi. I just made the mistake of using steel wool and nail polish remover to get the decal glue off of my shiny red bike. I'm guessing the steel wool or maybe the remover took the shine away in some areas. How can I make it shiny again? Thanks.
Try furniture polish like Lemon Pledge.
Best of luck
Gerry
thanks Gerry. i love when there are simple solutions! its shiny again.
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