12/7/16 12:29 PM

We're going to "re-gift" my oldest daughter's bike to her younger sister. I was thinking of either stripping it down and painting with spray paint or bringing the bike to a local place that will do single color powder coating for $50-60.

Does anyone have experience re-painting a bike yourself? I think $50 seems worth it to have it done right. The spray paint method sounds messy. Anyone tried it?

12/7/16 12:45 PM

How cold is it in Denver now, how much are you willing to smell the residual if you do it in basement or garage?

Steel, yes?

As far as powder coating. make sure they are aware of the issues and do them already. Like getting cured Powder/paint in the BB threads and/or head tube where the head set may get a interference fit and not fit anymore.

You should spend 25.00 in supplies to do it close to right IMO FWIW.

12/7/16 5:08 PM

Thanks for the pointer re paint in the BB threads and head tube. I'll ask the shop if that's something they're familiar with. Any other points I should ask? I'm actually in California now, not Denver (have to update my forum profile). But even if it's warm enough for the paint to dry, I'm not sure I want to deal with the mess.

12/7/16 5:29 PM

I don't even like doing it,, And I got the big compressor, water separation provisions, even a spray booth I made with filtered positive pressure ventilation etc [for painting guitars]. Even with a very good filter mask specific for materials I spray, I don't like it. ;)

I don't mine the finished product though, be it guitars or a bike frame. ;)

The powder coat will be 'X' factors more durable than any wet spray you'd do. Even if you spray dangerous two part stuff. ;O

12/7/16 5:50 PM

and rattlecan painting was fine by my standards, but "done right" is subject to varying standards. My daughter was very pleased with her older brother's black bike transformed to pink with her name and some flowers hand-painted on the top tube.

I also repainted an old frame that I was converting to fixed-gear, and it's fine, too. But it may not be up to your standards.

I didn't find it all that messy. I didn't in either case strip it to bare metal.

12/8/16 1:08 PM

A couple of other creative options to consider:

1) plasti dip or equivalent . You can find it at a motor vehicle supply store. It will be less work, not messy, less time and less expense and will likely look better than painting over a frame. Some thing it looks cool, too. Additionally, with that - you can always return the bike to its original splendor and it will help protect the frame, too.

2) Instead of paint, use lots decals. Let your daughter pick them out and help apply them. Also consider value tube cap and spoke lighting to further personalize the bicycle.

12/8/16 2:11 PM

A decoupaging of her fav pop icon art with a home depot wipe on poly top coat perhaps?

12/9/16 4:38 PM

We had a local body shop that would sand blast and paint club owned bikes for 25.00 as long as he already had the paint. Limited color choice, but we didn't much care as long as they came out some shade of blue.