Painting my old Raleigh Chinook

Paddy Davison

Hi
I'm looking to repaint my old black white and gold Raleigh Chinook because its looking abit dated
And I'm a bit of a newbie to the repainting game and I would appreciate some instructions as well as some links on where to buy the necessary tools, paints, and sandpaper etc that would be gratefully appreciated
Thank you

The Rookie

Simply strip, sand clean and then spray paint, it's not hard, I did my first frame in 1984!

If the original paint is sound it can be easier to not strip it, give it a good sanding down, prime any exposed metal (and sand smooth the joints after using a fine wet and dry used wet) and then top coat.

I usually use a hole at a dropout for hanging it from and then hang above head height and paint and rotate as I go.

I assume it's steel so normal primer will do, if it's alloy use an etch primer.

Pwalo

Hiya, another slightly more expensive alternative is to strip the components from the frame and take it to your local car wheel refinisher. They have bead blasting equipment and will blast and powder coat the frame to a colour of your choosing for about £60-70. Price depends on how greedy they are. I had an old cinder cone frame done in orange a couple of years ago and the finish is fantastic and way more durable than spraying with cans. Also trying to rub down a frame by hand to get and even base is not a nice task unless you are a sado masochist. Just make sure any threaded bosses and bb threads/ headset bearing surfaces are protected before being coated.

JGTR

Only problem with spraying by hand is that the finish will never be great and the paint will chip off very easily.

For what you'll spend on paint/paper/prep material you can get it shot blasted and powder coated by a professional.

codfather

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773347#p19773347]JGTR[/url] wrote:

Only problem with spraying by hand is that the finish will never be great and the paint will chip off very easily.

Not necessarily. If you know what you're doing and take time over it a decent, sturdy finish is not difficult to achieve.

JGTR

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773379#p19773379]Codfather[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773347#p19773347]JGTR[/url] wrote:

Only problem with spraying by hand is that the finish will never be great and the paint will chip off very easily.

Not necessarily. If you know what you're doing and take time over it a decent, sturdy finish is not difficult to achieve.

Sturdy maybe, but no where near as durable as powder coat or a 2k finish, and probably more expensive once you have bought the necessary rattle cans etc.

The Rookie

I spent £22 on paint for my last bike, it was dearer as I needed etch primer.......'more expensive' no!

Powder coat is heavier and has other disadvantages (like unseen corrosion starting under the coating).

codfather

There's no reason why it should be expensive.
If automotive paints and automotive lacquers aren't durable, you better ring the likes of BMW and let them know.

JGTR

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773568#p19773568]Codfather[/url] wrote:

There's no reason why it should be expensive.
If automotive paints and automotive lacquers aren't durable, you better ring the likes of BMW and let them know.

BMW don't paint their cars with rattle cans though.

codfather

Just because the paint comes from a can doesn't mean it's any less durable than the factory paint

JGTR

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19774519#p19774519]Codfather[/url] wrote:

Just because the paint comes from a can doesn't mean it's any less durable than the factory paint

Yes it does. Automotive clear coat is 2k, rattle can paint isn't. Application is also different with automotive being quite a few microns deeper.

Put a rotary polisher on a car and then on a rattle can painted vehicle and see what happens!

The Rookie

Agreed, its not the same paint.....

codfather

I didn't claim it was the same paint. Just claiming that rattle can paint and lacquer is more than durable enough for use on bike frames

JodyP

If you don't know much about painting then have it powder coated. Yes, some people can produce a decent finish but most won't. It will end up looking like a nicked bike that's been given a blow over with a rattle can. Prep-work for a home user will always looks OK but its only when you apply paint that the full horror becomes clear.

Give it a go by all means but for the cost (£80 ish) I would do it properly.

joeb_444

No connection to this firm whatsoever, but I've had good results using their 2k clear coat aerosol:

http://www.specialistpaints.com/custom-aerosol-cans