Cycling UK Forum

Hello,

I've started to prepare an old frame for respray and would like to spray it orange, which was the original colour.

However there are so many colour shades to choose from and makes of can spray out there...

Can anyone recommend an orange shade, and make of car paint, that looks good on a bike frame?

Thanks

I have been using Halfords car paint, but it is quite soft and chips easily at first. You need to leave it to harden for a couple of months ideally ( I hung mine in the greenhouse). I was recommended Plasticote from Halfords which comes in a huge range of colours. This seems much tougher and gives a very good finish. The bikes I restore are used very carefully and paint durability is not a big issue. However, using car paint at about £6 per can, you need I can for primer (3 coats) plus 2 cans for colour (5 coats) and one can of clearcoat (3 coats). This will all give you a very good finish. This works out at £24 plus a few quid for paint stripper and sandpaper. It all adds up. I have recently been out for quotes for stripping and powder coating (which gives a very tough and durable finish). The quotes range from £30 - £50. So for my next project I am going for a powder coat base coat. Any contratsing panels I will spray on afterwards.

Many thanks for your helpful reply, Plasticote does look like a good choice, and their website gives lots of tips too...

I wonder has anyone else used Plasticote on a bike before?

Sorry it's B&Q for Plasticote. I did some bars with it a couple of weeks ago as a test case and the paint seems very tough when hardened. I will be painting a frame with it soon!

Thanks, they sell it in Wilkinson's too, where it might be a bit cheaper...

Also take a look at their website,

http://www.plasti-kote.co.uk/

where there's lots of good tips and colour charts

I used black Plasticote on a bike frame (after taking it back to bare metal and priming it) and I'm afraid rust came through after a few months.

You can get a plain enamel job done for £60-70 and this seems good value provided you don't need to pay courier charges (which can add another £35).

I'm afraid paint won't stop rust coming through, to prevent this the rust needs to be neutralised first. This is what you need to do:

1. Strip back to bare metal using Nitromors paint stripper.
2. Sand down until all surface rust is removed.
3. There will still be rust in the pits - sometimes so small you can't see it. To neutralise this you need to use phosphoric acid. This is available in gel form from Halfords and the like as "Hammerite rust remover". This is a very weak form and will work but you may need several 2-3 hour application cycles before all the rust turns to a blueish colour. The best stuff to use is "Jenolite" from jenolite.com or "Milkscale remover" from an agricultural merchant. This is stronger and cheap.
When the rust is neutralised use "Hammerite Number 1 rust beater". This is a zinc phosphate rust proof primer.
4. Then prime and paint as normal.

This process has been used in classic car restoration trade for many years and done properly this will definitely kill the rust. I have done two rusty 1960's frames (one very rusty) and used one all last winter with no recurrence of the rust. If there is much rust on the frame it's probably best to get it media blasted, but still use the jenolite/milkscale remover as the blasting process will not remove all the rust in any pitting there may be.

Another tip is to use plenty of paint to make sure moisture cannot get through. A 2 pot epoxy paint is best as this is totally waterproof whereas convential enamles aren't. I also clearcoat the the whole frame after the transfers have been fitted. Plasticote is the correct stuff for this as it won't damage the transfers. I also wax mine with car wax after the paint has hardened. The only problem with professional re-enamelling is to make sure they are using the correct process of blasting/dipping to remove and neutralise any rust. Obviously if your frame isn't rusty then stripping, priming and painting is sufficient.

Ok,I have resprayed several frames over the years mainly due to paintspraying being part of my previous engineering job, when I got made redundant I still sprayed but at home.
1. it is not cheap, by the time you add up the material costs it is very close to powder coating or a basic respray.
2. Smooth Hammerite is very good indeed (though not available in orange) Plasticote is also good(not sure of colour choices)
3. Halfords paints are I believe an acrylic base they do give a very good finish but it isn't that durable IMHO, I did a frame last year and the paint has cracked around the rear brake mount, the deraillieur front clamp and just above the bottom head bearing race, the frame had dried for about 6 weeks prior to building and everything was done correctly, I must add that the rest of the frame has stood up well, it's just where things have been clamped to it, so it would probably be good for a fixed bike.
I used Smoothrite black for the forks on the above and they came out like glass and have proved very durable indeed...most recommended.
4. are you technically capable? be realistic some are some aren't...I don't want to put you off but it is time consuming and finicky and to get a good result you must be very fastidious, especially if using paintstripper which can bubble through the paint if it isn't washed off completely.
5. I used Halfords 'burnt orange' which looks great colour wise.