best way to self strip a frames paint??

All this talk of paint and such has got me daydreaming about the 11/73 z1 that i inherited....the frame was bare and outside for 9 yrs after a fire did some damage too....

i am gonna post some shots this weekend,but for the most part it has the factory paint...some rusted bare areas and the original vin/neck paer/plastic tag......i wanna cover this tag and restore the frame .....whith simple drill paddles and emry cloth....???? or naval jelly for a while then try and wire wheel it???


any experience here would be nice......i have most everything to do a stock restore except pipes and paint

thanks guys

Sand/bead blaster would have made it so much easier but...
I should have called around just to see how much it would have cost just to strip...

Obviously didn't have... Used a drill style wire wheel both heavy steel and fiber wheels... Sucked but was able to get it stripped clean...

The chemical cleaners... I'd be caustious for you have to 100% completely remove before preping for paint...

Let us know what you end up doing.... Picutres of the project as you go are always demanded big guy...

OMR

Just thinking out loud.... Maybe try using an aircraft stripper or some type of paint stripper, coating the frame, then perhaps placing the frame inside a super jumbo sized plastic garbage bag... with the idea that the stripper's solvent won't evaporate as fast if the frame is wrapped in a plastic cocoon. The HomeDepot sells drum-sized bags - maybe two would be needed. Or maybe use a big sheet of heavy plastic, putting the frame on top, coating it, then folding the plastic over top of the bike.

Some of the "Aircraft Paint Srippers" will react with plastic disolving/melting them. The problem I see with using a chemical stripper is how do you safely remove the residue.

Resistant gloves and eye protection would be the way I'd do it as the chemicals are very nasty!

Grit/sandblasting followed by a good wash with hot water and soap should remove all traces of the old paint.

You'd want to either quickly prime the frame or flash rust will form on the now bare metal.

I was thinking the same, chemical stripper would be nasty & dirty... Not to mention how the hell you get all the crap off for prepping...

Ah well, have Amy do it while you drink beer... Get R done... :laugh: Sorry Amy.... :laugh:

carwashwith5 gallons of good paintstripper and a couple cheap paint brushes,do ya smell what im stepping in? after seeing how bad that frame was when i was there id probably sand blast it though

My garage floor got kinda yucked up with paint & stains from all of the home repair projects over the years, so I used a paint stripper from the HomeDepot. Apply, let it sit, scrub it a tad, wipe off with rags, then rinse w water or soapy water (the cleanup wasn't that bad). Not sure if doing a frame would be easier, but I would do it outside on the driveway. If the stuff eats plastic, you could just lay the plastic over the bike - lumber stand-offs could be used to minimize contact w the frame. Maybe just skip the plastic.

Assuming media/sand blasting isn't an option.

you know i bet i should call around and see also if i can find this guys card i got at last years quail lodge classic bike gig....we got to talking about his rd400 and dt1 and he had flyrs showing his work and machines.....one machine was a media blasting machine....he said it fit a cbx frame and arm no prob...i think he said it was under 100 or wwas that 180.....anyway....after reading what you guys said about gooky strippers....i remember telling a client i was building a deck for that if he bought the strippers and wheels ,i'd strip an old cast iron table and chairs (the little flower and vine old school outdoor sets)....that was a nightmare and the deck was a breeze.....stripper only did layers!!wire wheels gave me a few nice deep splinters...skinned my paws up scrapping knooks and crannies...stripper burning my arms and legs in tiny spots after spraying each layer off...10 trips to the hardware store for more wheels and junk.....IT SUCKED....i'm gonna pay dude to blow the thing clean and stay away from the vin tag.....................plummens not kidding....the frame is almost a throw away...but it could be blasted or sanded and revieved.....seat latch is rusted in place and will need some attetion...all the greases have long since disappeared too i'm sure......thanks guys...i will post pics this weekend and see who can do it local and give my quotes.............PLUMMEN wrote:

carwashwith5 gallons of good paintstripper and a couple cheap paint brushes,do ya smell what im stepping in? after seeing how bad that frame was when i was there id probably sand blast it though

A d/a sander would make short enough work of most of it with goop stripper and a lacquer thinner wash for the joints, but really, how much would a guy charge you to blast it? I might would duct tape some shoebox cardboard over your vin tag, though. You know, just in case. Please, if you're going to do this, let us lurkers follow along.

I have found that permatex gasket remover works well at removing paint. It's main ingredient is dichloromethane which is quite volatile and evaporates. Best of all is that due to it's volatility the gasket remover gets really cold and "gels" when you spray it, so it will stick to your frame and not run off as much as a regular thinner. I have also had good luck using brake cleaner to remove any residue, that's what I am doing for my frame.

I would find a place that powder coats and have them to blast it. Then talk yourself into the powdercoat. Roy

Just hit me, there is one other way.... Heating torch!
No joke, it will burn/blow paint off... Used it in the welding fields many times to clean paint off pipes before welding.... Of course you'll still have some clean up, wire brush, wet sand etc... but it did work....

Now, damn it, why didn't I think about that when I was doing my frame... What an old douche I am..... :blush: And I had to strip my down 3 times due to shiza PJ1 frame paint chipping.... DOH!

NOTE: I said heating torch, not cutting! :blink: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: