So I'm a big fan of Walton's completely sanded down look on his new track bike. My girlfriend got a cheap Scattante cross frame and we're thinking about sanding it. Is this just a matter of taking all the parts off and using a mechanical sander? Does anything else need to be done? Any tips?

Max is NOW!:

Tip: Save your lungs and have a shop do it for like $20-30.

Totally. I've prepped a few frames and it is sucky work and without the proper tools you will never get all the paint off.

use paintstripper. if your not going to be painting over it theres really no reason to sand it. paint stripper comes out cleaner anyway. also make sure you clear coat the bare metal

walton:

Jasco? never used it but heard it works

Nasty stuff. It will burn you if it touches bare skin. You need to wear really thick rubber gloves and they eventually get hot and will begin to melt into your skin. I used some to strip paint off the ceiling of my front porch. The stuff would drip down on me and burn my face until I got smart and started wearing a hat/goggles/mask.

I imagine that environmentally it is bad news.

use the gel stripper, the liquid just runs off before it eats the paint.

Do it over several large cardboard boxes, and when your done sprinkle kitty litter and any spilt stripper. grind it in with your foot.

do this outside only, the fumes are bad news for your neurons

rubber dish gloves, scraper, wirebrush

don't leave the bare metal, clearcoat it after a steel wool and steel polish for a really dope look

or have a shop media blast it for $15-25 boodles

thats cheaper easier and better for the environmnt

they use crushed walnut shells as a blasting media, so aluminum is no problem

just my .02$

been there, done that. once. expect to have a lot of paint dust around if you sand. a mechanical sander might not work so well with all the curves, nooks, and crannies of a bike frame.

jasco and other methylene chloride-based strippers will work. it will also soak through your skin and into your fatty tissue, muscle tissue, bloodstream, etc. plus it will bring along the paint, primer, whatever has dissolved into it. the fumes will also be nicely absorbed by your nasal passages, bronchial passages, and lungs. there's some immediate neurological effects too (dizziness, headache, unconsciousness). make sure you don't smack your head as you pass out. that's the one-time short term hazard. long term and repeated exposure might lead to little things like cancer.

i'd be still careful with the "eco-friendly" stuff. read and follow the fine print on the label.

if you still want to chemically strip paint, make sure you have the proper protection. ask the hardware store person about it. certain gloves won't hold up to certain organic compounds. kinda like pouring gasoline into a styrofoam cup.

Cool, I think it's worth the $20-30 to have a professional do it. Anyone have a recommendation?

I might need to check that place on 37th out, I want a good power coat. stuff last forever!

jojo:

I might need to check that place on 37th out, I want a good power coat. stuff last forever!

I had a friend get a frame done there. Came out pretty nice but it took a really long time.

krylon high gloss. takes longer to dry but looks sick. i have a bunch of molotow clear coat that i used on my pista. its kind of yellowing now though.

i like my rattlecan job aswell. it doesnt look half as good as dougs probably but it was a lot easier and cheaper than powdercoating. plus its a bike, its going to get scratched and chipped, might as well rattlecan it.

yep yep.