How can I strip an aluminum frame to bare metal (for polishing)?

Hey guys,

I have an aluminum frame with an old, scraped up paint job that I would love to strip bare and polish the snot out of - make it so shiny, it looks chromed.

What are the fast/easy ways to strip the paint off the aluminum, and then what products/methods would be best to polish the bad boy???

 

No easy way

You need to use paint striper. Let it sit and scrape off with a wooden paint stir stick. Then for the tight areas you may need to use a brush.

There are all kinds of Alum polish

 

I've done it with a really harsh chemical paint stripper and it was much more trouble than it was worth. If I could go back and do it again, I'd just use a point stripping wheel and go for the brushed aluminum look.

 

You can drop it off at Olympic Powder Coat in Santa Ana. As long as parts aren't glued together you can have them strip it down and repaint it for about $100. They have a ton of colors.

 

OH YES YOU CAN. I did. It was fun.

First, use brush on paint remover. you can buy from walmart, lowes, etc... Once applied let it sit for at least an hour. It has directions on the can. Dont rush it. Let the remover do its job of bubbling up the paint.

You can use a wooden stick or metal putty knife to remove the paint. there will be spots that just dont want to come off. putty knife works wonders.

Second, for those hard to reach spots there is a sprayable version of paint stripper.

And you'll need a good steel brush to knock off paint from those not so easy spots.

then when done use steel wool to clean up and give it a great shiny finish.

i wish i had pics to show when i did both my frames.

 

have someone drop it in acid bath, or use one of the paint strippers and take your time working it into the hard areas, after its stripped take it to gedt polished or hit it with some mothers for a couple hours

 

just send it out to get dipped that will get everything off plus the places that offer this can have it polished for you as well somtimes in house. Once it is polished you can have it clear coated so you dont have to worry about polishing it, alot of high end hot rod guys with all there billet do that especially on engine parts

 

Do they paint it or powder coat it?

Would there be any issues doing this on a FS bike?

For $100 I would consider making my bike white:bang:

 

Media blasting to be super clean or spray on paint remover which is messy.

 

I like the idea of media blasting...what kind of shops offer this service?

 

Any kind of auto body shop should be able to do it.

 

I didnt even think of that have someone blast it with walnut shells or something similar should take off paint and not kill the alum

 

I don't think walnut shells will hurt the frame but if you really want to be careful some places use compressed baking soda.

 

Its a powder coating, with a Fully they ask you to remove all linkage. I think they can also break it down for you but there is a charge. I looked into doing my Giant and the quote was 130.

http://www.olympicpowdercoating.com/powder-coating/bikes.html

 

They dip it and get all the paint off. Clear coat is a rad idea.

 

Wow does that include the sandblasting to take off old paint/coating? I think I might be really considering that now.

 

I kind of want to get my stumpjumper coated.

 

it was a few months back but I think 130 was for the blasting and PC, not sure about the taking of parts...just use a digital cam, and catalog your parts, stay organized and you should be able to put the bike back together, give them a ring on the tele, not sure if rates/services have changed since

last time this subject came up I think someone mentioned that spesh tells people to go to Olympic(something about warranty). but dont quote me on that one

 

yeah I didn't get it new so warranty is out the window already.

 

then you are golden.:beer: