Polished aluminium frame???

Mancunianfightingcat

I'm quite tempted to strip and polish my Orange 5 frame. I'd probably need to get it laquered too.

Any thoughts?

Alternatively, what about stripping it and giving it a 'brushed' effect with some very fine wet and dry???

Anonymous

sounds good, i have seen polished frames but they were designed to be so, im not sure if you will find all sorts of manufacturing related blemishes under the paint on a bike which was always going to be painted perhaps?

Mancunianfightingcat

Not sure what I'll find.

Just got March MBR and there's a feature on Orange Bikes and there's a lovely polished 5 pictured several times. But I was in my LBS the other day and saw a bike that was brushed style aluminium under a very thick lacquer. I can't remember what make it was unfortunately!

badly_dubbed

you cant lacquer highly polished aluminium - there is no "key' for it to adhere to

either run it bare and risk corrosion, or brushed.

will look good though

nicklouse

i would not waste my time.

Mancunianfightingcat

Never thought about that. Brushed with a deep lacquer it may have to be then.

Wonder if I could etch the original graphics into the metal???????

pastey_boy

i got a frame powder coated at a place in bamber bridge that refurbishes car alloy wheels. they did my frame the same silver they do car wheels with then gave it a coat of extra hard lacquer. looked stunning ,much easier than polishing

Mancunianfightingcat

nicklouse wrote:

i would not waste my time.

That's your choice.

I'm sure there's things that you do that I wouldn't be the slightest bit interested in doing........

......such as posting in threads with less than useful comments

pastey_boy

heres the finished article

Mancunianfightingcat

Looks good.
What's the name of the company that did it and what did they charge you.

But I think, If I do it, I'll go for the brushed finish under a thick lacquer..

nicklouse

you asked for

Any thoughts?

and those are mine.

having spent a lot of time ding just this and also see the results of other peoples attempts.

Rawing it with a brushed finish is a better option as you can hide the damage etc...

but dont expect to have it done in a weekend.

well rephrase that if you want to get all the paint off the frame be prepared to sit down with a pic to get it out of all the welds or take a risk grinding the welds down and possibly weakening the frame.

whatever you chose have fun.

pastey_boy

http://www.wheelrepair.co.uk/ it cost me £60 all in including stripping the original paint and masking everything to a high standard. had some amazing colours. gonna get my ragley mmmbop done to make it stand out

badly_dubbed

vapour blasting or dipping it would be the best option of removing paint

if you were local id have had it dipped for you

Mancunianfightingcat

Cheers Nicklouse.

I suppose I did ask for your thoughts.:oops:

I'm just trying to fend off my cravings for a new bike when there's nothing wrong with the ones I've got.

I was thinking of getting the frame dipped and stripped rather than doing it myself.

stumpyjon

Mmm quite like the idea of the wheel finisher when it comes time to refurb the stumpy, only just up the road to. Duly book marked.

Paul 8v

There are chrome powdercoats available now if you want it really shiney, I've seen it on some parts on a hotrod, lovely finish :-)

big_tex_uk

I loved my Old Faith which came in the raw finish, it looked so PIMP.

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Mancunianfightingcat

£60, for dip, strip and repaint. Bargain!!!! Cheers pastey.

My warranty is up in May, so I'll seriously look into it then!

Anonymous

Mancunianfightingcat wrote:

£60, for dip, strip and repaint. Bargain!!!! Cheers pastey.

My warranty is up in May, so I'll seriously look into it then!

will you have to strip the frame of its bearings yourself and will they mask up the bits where you dont want paint?

Mancunianfightingcat

It's a proper bike so it's only got 2 bearings. :P

Pastey-boy says masking was included at that price, but I think I'd rather do it myself. I'd better factor in a few quid to get everything faced up agian though!