The result was better than expected! Muc-Off also makes products for motorbikes, so there's no wonder they have a metal polish product. If I was to do this, I'd go for an electric polisher with a lower profile. That gives better stability and access to tight places.
Absolutely! That was one of the requirements when I got my Specialized Diverge DSW in brushed and clear-coated aluminium. I'd like to do this sort of job on my other black daily bike but I'd prefer to send it to a professional bead-sanding service and a clear-coating service.
ALWAYS use eyeprotection when using a wire-wheel. The little metal wires frequently comes off. And at the speed you're using the machine it can literally make you blind. Jeans or something would also be prefered, them shit's hurt!
You got here there first, 100% agree with you. absolutely cringed when I seen zero eye protection at 6:24, just takes one ejected wire strand for you to loose an eye. Seen it happen to a lad in a metal fabrication shop and its not nice. Safety first.
I used a wire brush on a drill to raw my BMX cranks, later on i ended up with one tiny snapped wire in my foot. All I could think was wow I'm an idiot, what if this was in my eye instead 💀
GCN Tech, Using, for example, an 80 grit sand paper before using the paint stripper would have had removed far more paint before using the wire wheel. The point was to create grooves on the frame, using sandpaper, for the paint stripper to be more effective, starting out.
It does even help to cover the paintstripper with PE-plastic wrap from the kitchen or plastic bag (cut to stripes) leave it over night... I used this technique to remove the underwater paint on my sailboat. It prevents the paintstripper from gettin dry to early.
Peeps, do NOT USE a wire wheel on anything aluminium you want to polish at a later date. It will only create more work for you as those scratches will need to be removed during the initial polishing phase.
⬆️⬆️ some of us have an eye for aesthetic, some don't. He must be joking. Put them side by side. Mirror vs poorly brushed aluminum vs a good brushed aluminum the mirror will always catch the eye more.
I was professional stainless steel polisher and @michaelhayward7572 is 100% right. Aluminium is so soft that even kitchen paper towel scratch polished surface.
Watch Manon's video and prep a metal frame like she did, pay a local firm 20-30 odd quid to bead blast for you, it will save you hours and hour of work and the result will be much better!! If you absolutely have to do it yourself, skip the paint stripper completely and just use an abrasive poly disk to get the paint off, they do far less damage to metal surfases than old fashioned wire brushes. Paint stripper ain't at all environmentally friendly and DIY products for the domestic market aren't designed for those paint finishes anyway.
Alex, I did this to my 1984 Cannondale touring bike back in the late 90s and it still looks amazing. I have it hanging on my wall and its beautiful art that I can still ride.
I used that sort of paint stripper when I repainted my vintage frame. I found the problem is the stripper dries out before it can eat away at enough of the paint. I found you could apply the stripper, and then cover it with cling wrap to help it stay moist. It still wasn’t perfect, but it took off way more than in this video.
SO glad there is a video about this online now. I went through the same process on an old bike I had and it was more work than I was expecting. If you want a nice brushed finish Scotch bright pads (the red one) work wonders and are easy to get in all the tight spaces around the frame.
@@Windband1 No, those are very much common EC34 cups. Why would you say it is probably an _integrated_ headset when the _external_ cups are easily visible?
@@Windband1 There are several close ups in the video. For example at 7:52. Besides that, you don't even need a close up to see that those are pressed in external cups that are not part of the frame... this is like the most obvious and recognisable style of headset imaginable. I think you just don't know what you are talking about.
The mask you are using will protect you from dust, but not from the fumes off the paint stripper. Although if you are working outside I wouldn't worry about the fumes.
Well done Alex, you've done something that most of us wanted to do, but never had time or courage. You achieved nice effect, but next time instead of metal wheel use Nylon. Abrasive material should be harder than paint, but softer than frame. In your case steel was harder than aluminium, and that's why you had more scratches to remove. Second thing is that when you use paint striper it's better to wrap covered in striper frame with clear film and just leave it for longer. In stead of sanding it later for 6h keep striper for 5h more and sand it for 1h. Plus it's safer to wipe off striper from frame with paper towels before washing it down, and splashing around your place.
for mirror finish you need ultra fine sand paper (P2500+) and polisher for jewelry with fine microfiber cloth. its painful job for such a huge surface, but its achievable :)
THIS I HoW NOT to do it Mistake 1: leaving the Paint Striper to Dry no wonder the paint never came off,Mistake number 2 using a Wire wheel on Alloy this digs into the alloy, Mistake 3 using a Flat sander on round tube leave flat Spots. Chemical Strip Get a paint Striper that works test several , use a tube sander , use a sanding strip wrap around the tube
supplement to mistake no2: you'll have to remove the grooves when sanding. Correct process: _use the paint stripper without leaving it dry _if any spot of paint is left: USE THE PAINT STRIPPER AGAIN _start sanding by hand making parallel movements as much as possible with 2500 or better 5000 grit _continue sanding without changing the direction of the movements until you reach at least 20000 _polish without changing the direction of the movements _now you have a mirror finish
Even worse thing about using the wire wheel is that it leaves steel particles embedded in the aluminium surface, never to be removed again, so they will eventually rust and also cause contact corrosion with the aluminium. What a way to ruin the surface
I restored some badly putted Dura Ace 7710 cranks for a project, started with 240 grit wet and dry by hand, then 400 then 600, finished off with Autosol on a buffing wheel in an angle grinder! New decals, adhesion promoter then laquer. Shiny shiny 😎
Sorry to say, but there are a couple of things which could be improved. Obviously remove the headset for starters, then get EVERY bit of paint of - you will likely not get the welds to look perfekt, but expescially when the paint is black, every little bit counts. Then it looks like Alex went from sandpaper over to polish very soon - and thats why the frame is quite shiny, but also has a lot of micor scratches on it, some from the machine I would say. As others have stated, paint remover doesn´t work so well anymore, but perhaps start with that and continue using it in difficult areas. Then start sanding down the frame anywhere in beetween 60-150 grit sandpaper, depending on the condition of your frame (the bigger the scratch, the rougher the grit). The end result will benefit rom every step of sandpaper used, so take as little steps as possible up to 1000 grit. The main tubes will be the easy ones, but look after the welds as well - if you go back and have to repolish/sandpaper something later on, it will be much more work. Use small strips of sandpaper to get into every little cranny as you will see those pots later on (maybe don´t polish the dropouts completely as you will need a higher clamping force from your quick release later). One you have finished 1000 grit, start wet sanding with 1000, 1200, 1500 and 2000 (as I said, small steps). This will really bring the frame to live and emove all of those microscratches. Then work with a polishing paste until you´re satisfied. I haven´t worked with a machine before, so that might cut down time extensively - mine was about 100h/frame, though I´m a perfectionist ;) Thanks Alex for making this accessible to a broader audience though (and I hope you didn't leave that water running down the road)!
I stripped down a steel frame salvaged from the trash. It took countless hours of precision work and in the end, I found that a satin finish was even nicer, so I rubbed it with steel wool, applied several layers of satin lacquer, and I am delighted with the result.
In the early 2000's, Cannondale had some road models available with polished aluminum frames. Mirror finished and clear painted to prevent oxidizing. The late 80's - early 90's Vitus 979 Dural frames also had the same look using cast al lugs and clear or color anodized aluminum frame tubes.
I used to have a Vitus 979 myself with champagne finish main triangle tubes. It was the dogs bollocks in its day as the rival Alan frames looked and performed downright dowdy by comparision. The Vitus 979 also had an ultra short wheelbase that made it totally awesome for hill climbing.
I used a steel wire wheel once to remove paint from a frame. With way too much pressure i ended up with deep scratches from it in the frame which were too deep to be sanded out. So use brass wire wheels or just don't work it like a mad gorilla...like i did
I did this recently on an old bike frame I was restoring. I went the old fashioned way. 400 grit wet sandpaper and lots of muscle. After that I moved to 600, 800 and ended up with 1200. Result was really nice, but.. Problem was it's a cheap frame (will be used for commute), some areas were just not so nice (around welds, cable clips and something that looked like they fixed in factory before spraying color) so I decided to use color after all. I think I should've stick to the original look. It would have had an "industrial" look. My initial goal was to put transparent primer and 2K clear coat (spraymax).
That’s nice! 🤩 For the non experts, an inventory of the tools used and exact sequence would be great…if I tried I could probably double that time! 😂 As always when I see Alex’s garage, I get workshop envy! This is a seriously good set up! 👍😉
That is part of the bike. It is probably an integrated headset. Many aluminum bikes have them. The frame itself holds the bearings in without needing bearing cups.
@@Windband1 No, I was not there and I didn't need to be, because the defining characteristic of an integrated headset is that you can't see the cups. Get a clue.
If you are applying generic paint stripper, apply and wrap frame with some bin bags (so that it won't evaporate immediately).Leave it for a few hours or overnight - then paint will lift way more than you got here for minimal sanding. It will still give you a workout to leave it brushed looking (my favourite). Great finish you get there in the end.
I love a nice looking raw frame. I always go to that after a couple of years with a nice painted bike. Love the rawness and it will suit every outfit and style so keep going and it would be awesome to se you build up a cool townbike
Nice Job! I stripped and polished my old Shogun Trail Breaker 2 chrome molly bike. A bit of elbow grease has made it look great and nowI want to ride it more often.
I've done quite a few of these now, and the key bits are how you get the paint off in the first place, using the least abrasive method means much less polishing later. The paint removers on the market these days are so weak, it makes that hard to achieve, but the next one I am about to do, I will be taking to the guys who refurbished my alloy wheels on my car, so they can acid dip it, that will hopefully give me a decent base for the polishing phase. For the polish, I've tried quite a few thing, Mothers make a very good polish and I also have a tin of 3M stuff that the people at Duxford recommended, as used on their bare aluminium skinned aircraft. The final key ingrediant, patience :)
Back in the 60s one of the roadies at my LBS ordered a frame and wanted it copper plated (none of that common chrome stuff!). It looked awesome but the plater said he'd never do it again as it ruined his tank! And the guy polished it so much that he polished the copper away on the edges of the fork crown. But it did look good. Happy days ....
Paint stripper works better the longer it sits. I usually sauce up the bike fame then tie it up in a large garbage bag to sit over night. The next day you can wipe most of the paint off with a rag.
I have always thought to do this as well! I think it looks really cool! I would add a “Lamborghini yellow” fork and converte it to gravel-like look! Good job!
I know because of production demands you had to get it done but I have done the same thing to an MTB frame, just in my own sweet time. It's hard graft but I think the results are stunning and safer than painting. Raw ART (Aluminium is Real Too), nothing better.
This is actually the right job to use a buffing wheel, and a few stages of buffing compound. When you finish buffing with a high speed wheel and white rouge, the surface will be mirrored and won't reoxidize as quickly because of the mirror polish. I liked your imaging of reducing the hills and valleys in the video. Great illustration of what you're trying to achieve. In the end, the bike industry uses a thick plasticized coating over all polished alloy to keep it hella shiny, as anyone who has tried to paint those shiny silver bike parts will find, when they try to sand them key before painting. My guess is clear powdercoat might be the right way to go if you were intent on doing this to last.
OK now you have a semi polished bare metal aluminium frame. The problem with aluminium is that it will oxidise extremely rapidly, within minutes of being exposed to normal air. This will create a initially a very thin homogeneous protective layer of white Al2O3 (aluminium oxide). Because the layer is so thin it will initially not be visible. However since this layer is extremely fragile and easily disturbed it will over a very short period of time this layer will thicken unevenly , especially if touched with fingers, containing natural acidic sweat. This will increase the level of oxidation and lead to a splotchy appearance. This is the reason why bare Al surfaces are never used in any circumstances but they are anodised, i.e. artificially oxidised in an electrolytic bath. This gives the surface a thick and strong artificial oxide coating which protects the bare Al. Depending on the anodisation process and material used one can achieve many different colours including clear metallic appearance. But without this process I am sorry to say that your frame with look horrible in no time and would like to see an image of the frame in 1 or 2 months time after use. The only other alternative to anodisation I see is to use a thin protective layer of clear varnish to prevent uneven oxidation and this needs to be applied immediately after polishing. On balance, I am sorry to say that I think you have done your frame quite bit of disservice.
@@tom_zanna If it is Stainless Steel, you do not need any protective layer or coating. However, it is nearly impossible to polish SS to a mirror shine, it will always be a bit dull. The problem with normal steel, i.e. non stainless, is that it very quickly corrodes and even a small scratch in a protective paint layer will allow this to happen. Also, a good, glossy top layer paint, be it coloured or clear does not stick very well to bare steel. That is why there is always a base layer, a primer, on the bare metal underneath a top paint coat to achieve good adhesion. And this base layer is usually a phosphor based paint which is not very nice, typically grey (and is not available as a clear paint) and does not take on a shine, but that doesn't mater in a normal paint job as it will be overcoated with the top layer. .
Getting it media blasted will save a lot of grief, especially when having to use lower grit sand paper as the scratches are really deep and require a lot of work. Media blasting it will leave the surface uniform and depending on the media ( sand, glass, walnut shell etc) you may only need to use high grit sandpaper ( 1000 grit and up) saving alot of effort.
Very nice finish ! Glad to see I am not the only bike nerd who thought of it. Just please polished aluminum is so fragile to any road contaminant it needs to be clearcoated right after polishing if you plan on building and using it regularly
Wrap cling film over the paint stripper around the tubes, that will keep if from drying out and more of the paint will lift. For the small bits left over, a sandblaster attachment for your power washer with a bucket of play sand will work.
Aluminium can be polished to 90%+ reflective. Nice job for first try. Just coat it with nice clear coat to prevent scratches to metal surface in riding. Fixing scratch paint is a lot easier than repolishing scratch metal.
Stripped my old gt frame using nitromors and it is still like a mirror now,it was chrome but had a coating of lacquer from factory only sandpaper I used was 1500 and 2000 then metal polished by hand and it looks sick,its from the 90s when quality was still a thing
I did this on both my hard tail (about 10 years ago) and the my full suspension Marin a couple of years ago. My motorcycle is also mirror polished where possible. The hard tail was brushed aluminium, it got a scratch and I tried polishing it out and gave mirror finish, so sod it lets do the whole thing. The Marin was chipped scratched and looking dated, and I am not in a position to get a more modern bike, so I thought I would do the same to this one. Once done it looked so much better, but that lasted until the first time I took it out..... I am not precious about my bikes, they get used. The first time I went to a known biking spot, with a couple of mates who own bikes from this year, unlike me, who's bike is nearly two decades old. I was embarrassed thinking I had brought a polished t#rd. I left my bike about 20 metres away from the group of other bikers who had the bikes, the gear, and the talent, while we were chatting. The sun caught the frame and it glistened in the sun. And caught a lot of attention. Then I got a lot of compliments. I went to another bike park last September and a chap made a B-line to come over and talk to me about my bike, he actually mistook it for a much more expensive piece of equipment, rather than the 2005 rift zone it actually is/was. It is a bit of a triggers broom, only frame, swing arm and forks are what came as standard, everything else replaced or modified. But yep. Polished frames are cool
Should have it anodised, clear or maybe something funky like metallic orange or gold. Bead blasting prior to anodising would give a lovely matt finish too
@@asams7255 No apostrophe in "its", please, unless it's a contraction of "it is" (see what I did there?). You don't put an apostrophe in "his", why put one in "its"?
@@stevemawer848 Thank God I'm not the only one to care! I'm not a native English speaker and I'm horrified to see that most people don't even know the difference between "it's" and "its" whereas it's such a simple rule. You see this mistake even on official articles...
I just polished a 1995 Diamond back factory issued never painted aluminum rigid mountain bike (no paint stripping necessary) it came up just beautiful, I did give it 3 coats of clear laqueour to stop any oxidation...
I was thinking about clear coating my mirror polished aluminum, does the clear coat take away any shine? Is it hard for it to stay on since the surface is so smooth?
@@bugaboo2860 ...I'm sure if you get a good quality clear laqueour and remove any moisture and grease including wearing gloves when touching the frame and apply when ambient temperature is ideal it will stay on no problem, with my frame I went with the circular titanium polish look and looks great, with your mirror finish any blemishes will be more visible but if you're careful you'll get a great result
Done that , took it a abrasive blaster , that used a plastic particles ( now hard to get ) , then he dropped it in to a polishing tub full of tiny ceramic balls ( now very expensive) and hour later rise in water ,shake out all the little balls , done , no chemicals or sanding or wire wheels.
Didi that with my Colombo frame in the late 70's. Had to redo it later, as it required a two component epoxy laquer to stay shiny (water permeability). Turned out to be heavier than original, so after a year it was cleaned of and given a metallic bourdeax-red color, that lasted until the bike was stolen some years later...
Wrap the frame with kitchen foil after applying the paint stripper. That helps immensely. Paint stripper shouldn't dry out in order to be maximum effective!
So mit underestimate the time needed for sanding/stripping paint. High quality paint stripper, wrap in stretch film, leave overnight. The warmer it is, the better it will work. Or just spend 30-40 bucks for sandblasting.
Spent months polishing a steel frame to absolute shining perfection before my freshman year of college... then I botched the clear coat. Absolutely crushing, but nobody wanted to steal my bike...
Beko Speed Ex does fairly well with removing the paint, but still struggles with the primer or whatever else there is underneath. "Mirror Shine" means no more dampening scratches to me, as you can see them in the close ups, just use a polishing attachment for a drill or dremel and take your time.
For American viewers. Auto zone. “Air craft paint remover” it’s less than 20$! You brush it on.( use out side!!!) toxic stuff!!! It will remove everything! You literally spay the paint off with a hose! Then just polish the raw frame! I’ve done this it does look incredible! Always is mistaken for a titanium frame!! 😎🤙
You’ve sort of got it right, steel wire wheel on aluminium= big no no, scratches galore. Best results for chrome looking aluminium is steel wool with dishwasing liquid and a bit of water, bit of polish and it’s done. When polishing, use polish on a long shoelace looped around tubes. Bit of elbow grease but much better results.
jenolite paint stripper in an aerosol can is best i've found for stripping ally frames, 2 cans and a wire brush job done 3 hours, i believe is aviation strength stuff
I use to polish aluminium automotive engine parts up to a mirror shine. Bead blast the frame, because wire wheels score the aluminum making it harder to.aquire that high end polished look, after bead blasting start with 320. Grit emery paper and keep on sanding by doing 600 grit, 800 grit then 1000/1200 grit, after which get a sewn cotton buffing wheel with jewelers Rouge and buff away, that frame will be just like a mirror. Wear eye protection and a mask when polishing with the Rouge and buffing wheel, it's a filthy job.
Naked aluminium won't stay shiny for long. Better to get it chromed if you want it to stay shiny. Also, every bump and dint will show up on a shiny frame, so best not use it for riding, keep it for looking at.
just done my kona mtb frame. some areas bubbled up very quickly but it took 3 days for most of the paint to soften up. even then there was some stubborn areas that refused to lift. they were soft enough to scrape off with a plastic scraper. mind you it was probably not the best paint stripper (wilkos brand) and weather was very cold. removing the paint with stripper is a truly disgusting job. the stuff is ultra slimey and the fumes are not nice. the bike looks great even though i havnt polished it up properly. i will probably get it powder coated eventually.
Really great idea to pressure wash the paint stripper and paint directly to mother nature! I liked your channel, but seriously, what is wrong with you guys coming up with such an idea and even film it and put it on the internet? I mean wtf?
Should be sanded to 1500 to 2000 wet and dry. Then 3 stage polish. Will leave a mirror finish. Used to use this method when doing metal polishing on trucks. Have done a couple of frames for friends the same way. 1 with no clear coat. Which ended up being clear coated 18 months later when he realised how quickly they dull without it.
I always wonder why original paint is so good and when repainted, it’s not as good-is it because of the quality of the paint or the method/process painting? If repainting a bike, is it possible to have it as good as factory?
I noticed a Yorkshire sign in the back ground. Do you live near Halifax? I am currently doing the same think with my bike but I just don’t have the tools. Would you do it for me and how much will it cost? Thank you
Now that you've saved weight cutting off those braz-on things, you now need to use more outer cables to increase the weight plus increase friction inside your cables by an immeasurable amount. And you forced me to spell braz-on I have no idea, I just making up some of this spelling. ...and you'll need to get some zip ties from Si to mount your outer cable.
Those are welded, actually. Brazed lugs one can find on steel frames. However, since Alex is going for a fixie rebuild, could have gone further and cut off brake posts and front derailleur lug as well. But should you want the gears back, there are nice chrore clamps for vintage frames, so no need for zipties. Also, full length cable outers give better protecton and in long term give less resistance, since much less grime, grit and corrosion is built up inside
Do you like bare metal bike frames? Let us know in the comments!
Please don't put your bare hands on it until you clear coat it. It will corrode without a protective coating
The result was better than expected!
Muc-Off also makes products for motorbikes, so there's no wonder they have a metal polish product.
If I was to do this, I'd go for an electric polisher with a lower profile. That gives better stability and access to tight places.
If I can't see a cameraman in the final shots, it's not a mirror polish.
YES, I like bare metal but ONLY if it is Titanium. Your bare Al frame will look horrible in n time to come, see my more detailed explanation below
Absolutely! That was one of the requirements when I got my Specialized Diverge DSW in brushed and clear-coated aluminium. I'd like to do this sort of job on my other black daily bike but I'd prefer to send it to a professional bead-sanding service and a clear-coating service.
ALWAYS use eyeprotection when using a wire-wheel. The little metal wires frequently comes off. And at the speed you're using the machine it can literally make you blind. Jeans or something would also be prefered, them shit's hurt!
You got here there first, 100% agree with you. absolutely cringed when I seen zero eye protection at 6:24, just takes one ejected wire strand for you to loose an eye. Seen it happen to a lad in a metal fabrication shop and its not nice. Safety first.
Also eyeprotection while using paint stripper
@@t.b.r.2844 Yup exactly... and put the mask on correctly! Hold me up GCN... do your job at least half decent protecting your guys!
I used a wire brush on a drill to raw my BMX cranks, later on i ended up with one tiny snapped wire in my foot. All I could think was wow I'm an idiot, what if this was in my eye instead 💀
GCN Tech, Using, for example, an 80 grit sand paper before using the paint stripper would have had removed far more paint before using the wire wheel. The point was to create grooves on the frame, using sandpaper, for the paint stripper to be more effective, starting out.
It does even help to cover the paintstripper with PE-plastic wrap from the kitchen or plastic bag (cut to stripes) leave it over night... I used this technique to remove the underwater paint on my sailboat. It prevents the paintstripper from gettin dry to early.
I thought the same. :) The places where the paintstripper has worked well were probably places where the original paint had been scratched...
Peeps, do NOT USE a wire wheel on anything aluminium you want to polish at a later date.
It will only create more work for you as those scratches will need to be removed during the initial polishing phase.
@Andrew Pattinson have fun....
@@michaelhayward7572 some of us like the aesthetic of "brushed" aluminium with intentional, methodically placed whips from the wheel 😉✨
⬆️⬆️ some of us have an eye for aesthetic, some don't. He must be joking. Put them side by side. Mirror vs poorly brushed aluminum vs a good brushed aluminum the mirror will always catch the eye more.
I was professional stainless steel polisher and @michaelhayward7572 is 100% right. Aluminium is so soft that even kitchen paper towel scratch polished surface.
Watch Manon's video and prep a metal frame like she did, pay a local firm 20-30 odd quid to bead blast for you, it will save you hours and hour of work and the result will be much better!! If you absolutely have to do it yourself, skip the paint stripper completely and just use an abrasive poly disk to get the paint off, they do far less damage to metal surfases than old fashioned wire brushes. Paint stripper ain't at all environmentally friendly and DIY products for the domestic market aren't designed for those paint finishes anyway.
Alex, I did this to my 1984 Cannondale touring bike back in the late 90s and it still looks amazing. I have it hanging on my wall and its beautiful art that I can still ride.
I used that sort of paint stripper when I repainted my vintage frame. I found the problem is the stripper dries out before it can eat away at enough of the paint. I found you could apply the stripper, and then cover it with cling wrap to help it stay moist. It still wasn’t perfect, but it took off way more than in this video.
SO glad there is a video about this online now. I went through the same process on an old bike I had and it was more work than I was expecting. If you want a nice brushed finish Scotch bright pads (the red one) work wonders and are easy to get in all the tight spaces around the frame.
7:44 I am deeply triggered by the headset cup removal tool hanging directly behind a frame with the headset cups still installed
IKR?! And without the cups it is easier to polish the headtube. Rivnuts could also go
Prob integrated headset mate. They don't use cups.
@@Windband1
No, those are very much common EC34 cups. Why would you say it is probably an _integrated_ headset when the _external_ cups are easily visible?
@@Exgrmbl Ask him then. There were no close ups to verify. And why can't they be part of the frame? Prove it.
@@Windband1
There are several close ups in the video. For example at 7:52. Besides that, you don't even need a close up to see that those are pressed in external cups that are not part of the frame... this is like the most obvious and recognisable style of headset imaginable. I think you just don't know what you are talking about.
did the same thing recently. didnt use paint stripper or sand blasting. just sanded it all down by hand. that was hard work i can tell ya
Mask.. great.. yeah... but, how about some eye protection?!
its not your eyes at all 😂😂
The mask you are using will protect you from dust, but not from the fumes off the paint stripper. Although if you are working outside I wouldn't worry about the fumes.
I'd be more worried about your bare knees around the stripper. BTW, how much did the paint weigh?
Well done Alex, you've done something that most of us wanted to do, but never had time or courage.
You achieved nice effect, but next time instead of metal wheel use Nylon. Abrasive material should be harder than paint, but softer than frame. In your case steel was harder than aluminium, and that's why you had more scratches to remove.
Second thing is that when you use paint striper it's better to wrap covered in striper frame with clear film and just leave it for longer.
In stead of sanding it later for 6h keep striper for 5h more and sand it for 1h.
Plus it's safer to wipe off striper from frame with paper towels before washing it down, and splashing around your place.
for mirror finish you need ultra fine sand paper (P2500+) and polisher for jewelry with fine microfiber cloth. its painful job for such a huge surface, but its achievable :)
THIS I HoW NOT to do it Mistake 1: leaving the Paint Striper to Dry no wonder the paint never came off,Mistake number 2 using a Wire wheel on Alloy this digs into the alloy, Mistake 3 using a Flat sander on round tube leave flat Spots. Chemical Strip Get a paint Striper that works test several , use a tube sander , use a sanding strip wrap around the tube
supplement to mistake no2: you'll have to remove the grooves when sanding.
Correct process:
_use the paint stripper without leaving it dry
_if any spot of paint is left: USE THE PAINT STRIPPER AGAIN
_start sanding by hand making parallel movements as much as possible with 2500 or better 5000 grit
_continue sanding without changing the direction of the movements until you reach at least 20000
_polish without changing the direction of the movements
_now you have a mirror finish
Mistake I've made: Use something to scrap the paint off. After you master it it comes off with the brush itself. Scraping leaves marks on the frame.
Even worse thing about using the wire wheel is that it leaves steel particles embedded in the aluminium surface, never to be removed again, so they will eventually rust and also cause contact corrosion with the aluminium. What a way to ruin the surface
Early Marin mountain bikes had polished alloy frames.
Fell in love with the brand.
Waiting for my carbon Headlands frameset...
I restored some badly putted Dura Ace 7710 cranks for a project, started with 240 grit wet and dry by hand, then 400 then 600, finished off with Autosol on a buffing wheel in an angle grinder! New decals, adhesion promoter then laquer. Shiny shiny 😎
Sorry to say, but there are a couple of things which could be improved. Obviously remove the headset for starters, then get EVERY bit of paint of - you will likely not get the welds to look perfekt, but expescially when the paint is black, every little bit counts. Then it looks like Alex went from sandpaper over to polish very soon - and thats why the frame is quite shiny, but also has a lot of micor scratches on it, some from the machine I would say. As others have stated, paint remover doesn´t work so well anymore, but perhaps start with that and continue using it in difficult areas. Then start sanding down the frame anywhere in beetween 60-150 grit sandpaper, depending on the condition of your frame (the bigger the scratch, the rougher the grit). The end result will benefit rom every step of sandpaper used, so take as little steps as possible up to 1000 grit. The main tubes will be the easy ones, but look after the welds as well - if you go back and have to repolish/sandpaper something later on, it will be much more work. Use small strips of sandpaper to get into every little cranny as you will see those pots later on (maybe don´t polish the dropouts completely as you will need a higher clamping force from your quick release later). One you have finished 1000 grit, start wet sanding with 1000, 1200, 1500 and 2000 (as I said, small steps). This will really bring the frame to live and emove all of those microscratches. Then work with a polishing paste until you´re satisfied. I haven´t worked with a machine before, so that might cut down time extensively - mine was about 100h/frame, though I´m a perfectionist ;) Thanks Alex for making this accessible to a broader audience though (and I hope you didn't leave that water running down the road)!
I stripped down a steel frame salvaged from the trash. It took countless hours of precision work and in the end, I found that a satin finish was even nicer, so I rubbed it with steel wool, applied several layers of satin lacquer, and I am delighted with the result.
In the early 2000's, Cannondale had some road models available with polished aluminum frames. Mirror finished and clear painted to prevent oxidizing.
The late 80's - early 90's Vitus 979 Dural frames also had the same look using cast al lugs and clear or color anodized aluminum frame tubes.
I used to have a Vitus 979 myself with champagne finish main triangle tubes. It was the dogs bollocks in its day as the rival Alan frames looked and performed downright dowdy by comparision. The Vitus 979 also had an ultra short wheelbase that made it totally awesome for hill climbing.
I used a steel wire wheel once to remove paint from a frame. With way too much pressure i ended up with deep scratches from it in the frame which were too deep to be sanded out. So use brass wire wheels or just don't work it like a mad gorilla...like i did
I did this recently on an old bike frame I was restoring. I went the old fashioned way. 400 grit wet sandpaper and lots of muscle. After that I moved to 600, 800 and ended up with 1200. Result was really nice, but..
Problem was it's a cheap frame (will be used for commute), some areas were just not so nice (around welds, cable clips and something that looked like they fixed in factory before spraying color) so I decided to use color after all. I think I should've stick to the original look. It would have had an "industrial" look.
My initial goal was to put transparent primer and 2K clear coat (spraymax).
That’s nice! 🤩 For the non experts, an inventory of the tools used and exact sequence would be great…if I tried I could probably double that time! 😂 As always when I see Alex’s garage, I get workshop envy! This is a seriously good set up! 👍😉
Spindatt channel, did the same stuff in garage.
Whyyyyyyy would you not remove the headset completely :((
I know right?
That is part of the bike. It is probably an integrated headset. Many aluminum bikes have them. The frame itself holds the bearings in without needing bearing cups.
@@Windband1 No, it is not an integrated headset.
@@davidf2281 You were there?
@@Windband1 No, I was not there and I didn't need to be, because the defining characteristic of an integrated headset is that you can't see the cups. Get a clue.
If you are applying generic paint stripper, apply and wrap frame with some bin bags (so that it won't evaporate immediately).Leave it for a few hours or overnight - then paint will lift way more than you got here for minimal sanding. It will still give you a workout to leave it brushed looking (my favourite). Great finish you get there in the end.
I love a nice looking raw frame. I always go to that after a couple of years with a nice painted bike. Love the rawness and it will suit every outfit and style so keep going and it would be awesome to se you build up a cool townbike
Nice Job! I stripped and polished my old Shogun Trail Breaker 2 chrome molly bike. A bit of elbow grease has made it look great and nowI want to ride it more often.
I've done quite a few of these now, and the key bits are how you get the paint off in the first place, using the least abrasive method means much less polishing later. The paint removers on the market these days are so weak, it makes that hard to achieve, but the next one I am about to do, I will be taking to the guys who refurbished my alloy wheels on my car, so they can acid dip it, that will hopefully give me a decent base for the polishing phase. For the polish, I've tried quite a few thing, Mothers make a very good polish and I also have a tin of 3M stuff that the people at Duxford recommended, as used on their bare aluminium skinned aircraft. The final key ingrediant, patience :)
Back in the 60s one of the roadies at my LBS ordered a frame and wanted it copper plated (none of that common chrome stuff!). It looked awesome but the plater said he'd never do it again as it ruined his tank! And the guy polished it so much that he polished the copper away on the edges of the fork crown. But it did look good. Happy days ....
Did this to a ridge back commuter bike bought new decals ,got lots of positive comments 7 yrs later still looks ok .
Paint stripper works better the longer it sits. I usually sauce up the bike fame then tie it up in a large garbage bag to sit over night. The next day you can wipe most of the paint off with a rag.
Heat helps too. If you have a small room you can get to 40C, do it. Also scratch the paint with a blade, so the stripper can get underneath.
I think a key component of that is the tying it up i a garbage bag. If you don't the solvent evaporates after a time and the paint hardens up again.
I have always thought to do this as well! I think it looks really cool! I would add a “Lamborghini yellow” fork and converte it to gravel-like look! Good job!
I know because of production demands you had to get it done but I have done the same thing to an MTB frame, just in my own sweet time. It's hard graft but I think the results are stunning and safer than painting. Raw ART (Aluminium is Real Too), nothing better.
This is actually the right job to use a buffing wheel, and a few stages of buffing compound. When you finish buffing with a high speed wheel and white rouge, the surface will be mirrored and won't reoxidize as quickly because of the mirror polish. I liked your imaging of reducing the hills and valleys in the video. Great illustration of what you're trying to achieve. In the end, the bike industry uses a thick plasticized coating over all polished alloy to keep it hella shiny, as anyone who has tried to paint those shiny silver bike parts will find, when they try to sand them key before painting. My guess is clear powdercoat might be the right way to go if you were intent on doing this to last.
OK now you have a semi polished bare metal aluminium frame.
The problem with aluminium is that it will oxidise extremely rapidly, within minutes of being exposed to normal air. This will create a initially a very thin homogeneous protective layer of white Al2O3 (aluminium oxide).
Because the layer is so thin it will initially not be visible. However since this layer is extremely fragile and easily disturbed it will over a very short period of time this layer will thicken unevenly , especially if touched with fingers, containing natural acidic sweat. This will increase the level of oxidation and lead to a splotchy appearance.
This is the reason why bare Al surfaces are never used in any circumstances but they are anodised, i.e. artificially oxidised in an electrolytic bath. This gives the surface a thick and strong artificial oxide coating which protects the bare Al. Depending on the anodisation process and material used one can achieve many different colours including clear metallic appearance.
But without this process I am sorry to say that your frame with look horrible in no time and would like to see an image of the frame in 1 or 2 months time after use. The only other alternative to anodisation I see is to use a thin protective layer of clear varnish to prevent uneven oxidation and this needs to be applied immediately after polishing.
On balance, I am sorry to say that I think you have done your frame quite bit of disservice.
What about steel? Does it need to be stainless?
@@tom_zanna If it is Stainless Steel, you do not need any protective layer or coating. However, it is nearly impossible to polish SS to a mirror shine, it will always be a bit dull.
The problem with normal steel, i.e. non stainless, is that it very quickly corrodes and even a small scratch in a protective paint layer will allow this to happen. Also, a good, glossy top layer paint, be it coloured or clear does not stick very well to bare steel. That is why there is always a base layer, a primer, on the bare metal underneath a top paint coat to achieve good adhesion. And this base layer is usually a phosphor based paint which is not very nice, typically grey (and is not available as a clear paint) and does not take on a shine, but that doesn't mater in a normal paint job as it will be overcoated with the top layer. .
@@tom_zanna Reynolds 921, 931 and 953 are stainless steel tubesets.
If you google it there are mirror polished naked frames available.
The frame is aluminium ALLOY, so the oxidation of pure aluminium you mention is totally irrelevant.
I love metal color! I needed this video yestarday because just yestarday i ve done that to my steel frame
Getting it media blasted will save a lot of grief, especially when having to use lower grit sand paper as the scratches are really deep and require a lot of work.
Media blasting it will leave the surface uniform and depending on the media ( sand, glass, walnut shell etc) you may only need to use high grit sandpaper ( 1000 grit and up) saving alot of effort.
Very nice finish ! Glad to see I am not the only bike nerd who thought of it.
Just please polished aluminum is so fragile to any road contaminant it needs to be clearcoated right after polishing if you plan on building and using it regularly
The main thing you need to do is before applying the stripper lightly go over entire frame with medium grit sandpaper just to break the clear coat
‘Work it’s magic’ Bingo vid! 👍🏻
Wrap cling film over the paint stripper around the tubes, that will keep if from drying out and more of the paint will lift. For the small bits left over, a sandblaster attachment for your power washer with a bucket of play sand will work.
Aluminium can be polished to 90%+ reflective. Nice job for first try. Just coat it with nice clear coat to prevent scratches to metal surface in riding. Fixing scratch paint is a lot easier than repolishing scratch metal.
Most mirrors use Aluminum after all. Silver is more reflective but you'd be polishing quite often!
Stripped my old gt frame using nitromors and it is still like a mirror now,it was chrome but had a coating of lacquer from factory only sandpaper I used was 1500 and 2000 then metal polished by hand and it looks sick,its from the 90s when quality was still a thing
I did this on both my hard tail (about 10 years ago) and the my full suspension Marin a couple of years ago. My motorcycle is also mirror polished where possible.
The hard tail was brushed aluminium, it got a scratch and I tried polishing it out and gave mirror finish, so sod it lets do the whole thing.
The Marin was chipped scratched and looking dated, and I am not in a position to get a more modern bike, so I thought I would do the same to this one. Once done it looked so much better, but that lasted until the first time I took it out.....
I am not precious about my bikes, they get used. The first time I went to a known biking spot, with a couple of mates who own bikes from this year, unlike me, who's bike is nearly two decades old. I was embarrassed thinking I had brought a polished t#rd. I left my bike about 20 metres away from the group of other bikers who had the bikes, the gear, and the talent, while we were chatting. The sun caught the frame and it glistened in the sun. And caught a lot of attention. Then I got a lot of compliments.
I went to another bike park last September and a chap made a B-line to come over and talk to me about my bike, he actually mistook it for a much more expensive piece of equipment, rather than the 2005 rift zone it actually is/was.
It is a bit of a triggers broom, only frame, swing arm and forks are what came as standard, everything else replaced or modified.
But yep. Polished frames are cool
Aww man this reminds me of my mirror polished titanium Litespeed Vortex that was stolen, great job btw
Should have it anodised, clear or maybe something funky like metallic orange or gold. Bead blasting prior to anodising would give a lovely matt finish too
Drink everytime he says “works it’s magic”. You’ll be absolutely hammered, I promise haha. Thanks for the video.
Now just wait for the alcohol to do it's magic
@@asams7255 No apostrophe in "its", please, unless it's a contraction of "it is" (see what I did there?). You don't put an apostrophe in "his", why put one in "its"?
@@stevemawer848 Thank God I'm not the only one to care! I'm not a native English speaker and I'm horrified to see that most people don't even know the difference between "it's" and "its" whereas it's such a simple rule. You see this mistake even on official articles...
That’s why I have a titanium bike, while a little heavy it’s fantastic to see when polished
I just polished a 1995 Diamond back factory issued never painted aluminum rigid mountain bike (no paint stripping necessary) it came up just beautiful, I did give it 3 coats of clear laqueour to stop any oxidation...
I was thinking about clear coating my mirror polished aluminum, does the clear coat take away any shine? Is it hard for it to stay on since the surface is so smooth?
@@bugaboo2860 ...I'm sure if you get a good quality clear laqueour and remove any moisture and grease including wearing gloves when touching the frame and apply when ambient temperature is ideal it will stay on no problem, with my frame I went with the circular titanium polish look and looks great, with your mirror finish any blemishes will be more visible but if you're careful you'll get a great result
Done that , took it a abrasive blaster , that used a plastic particles ( now hard to get ) , then he dropped it in to a polishing tub full of tiny ceramic balls ( now very expensive) and hour later rise in water ,shake out all the little balls , done , no chemicals or sanding or wire wheels.
Sweet! I've been wanting to do this for a long time.
Why not use sand blaster before polishing frame. It would be much easier to remove painf off areas that are hard to get near with sandpaper.
Not everybody has a sand blaster at home 🤣
@@CarlosGarcia-ze6rt but you can do it DIY in few minutes.
@@krist370 yeah, if you have an Air compressor, and again not everybody has that.
Didi that with my Colombo frame in the late 70's.
Had to redo it later, as it required a two component epoxy laquer to stay shiny (water permeability).
Turned out to be heavier than original, so after a year it was cleaned of and given a metallic bourdeax-red color, that lasted until the bike was stolen some years later...
Agree with safety specs and leg protection comments. Should have smoothed the welds before polishing too.
Wrap the frame with kitchen foil after applying the paint stripper. That helps immensely. Paint stripper shouldn't dry out in order to be maximum effective!
That’s so nice!!! ❤️❤️❤️
So mit underestimate the time needed for sanding/stripping paint. High quality paint stripper, wrap in stretch film, leave overnight. The warmer it is, the better it will work.
Or just spend 30-40 bucks for sandblasting.
I had a Marin with this finish, and it was so hard to maintain lol.
Spent months polishing a steel frame to absolute shining perfection before my freshman year of college... then I botched the clear coat. Absolutely crushing, but nobody wanted to steal my bike...
Michele Scarponi rode a M5 Alum S-Works polished. IIRC, it was clear lacquered.
Good job - looks cool.
Great 👍🏾! Loved the shiny look.
Beko Speed Ex does fairly well with removing the paint, but still struggles with the primer or whatever else there is underneath.
"Mirror Shine" means no more dampening scratches to me, as you can see them in the close ups, just use a polishing attachment for a drill or dremel and take your time.
Do you always wash poisonous chemicals into the road drains? Think about the world around you mate!
My thoughts too!! Hopefully they address it later in a tech show or something
I thought the same!
What are the options then ?
White diamond metal polish is superb for a mirror finish
"Saved 70 grams for basically no money." What about the paint stripper and supplies, or the 3 days working on it?
Suggest that you clear coat the frame to stop any oxidation from the elements.
Especially since elemental aluminum oxidizes really fast not sure about all alloys
For American viewers. Auto zone. “Air craft paint remover” it’s less than 20$! You brush it on.( use out side!!!) toxic stuff!!! It will remove everything! You literally spay the paint off with a hose! Then just polish the raw frame! I’ve done this it does look incredible! Always is mistaken for a titanium frame!! 😎🤙
I’ve been looking for years but it’s not sold here in Florida anymore. But 100% that plane stripper is amazing.
Did the same thing to a CAAD 8 I bought on e bay. Everyone asks me how I got the finish so shiny. Looks like chrome!
You’ve sort of got it right, steel wire wheel on aluminium= big no no, scratches galore. Best results for chrome looking aluminium is steel wool with dishwasing liquid and a bit of water, bit of polish and it’s done. When polishing, use polish on a long shoelace looped around tubes. Bit of elbow grease but much better results.
It will look good when you polish it LOL
jenolite paint stripper in an aerosol can is best i've found for stripping ally frames, 2 cans and a wire brush job done 3 hours, i believe is aviation strength stuff
I use to polish aluminium automotive engine parts up to a mirror shine. Bead blast the frame, because wire wheels score the aluminum making it harder to.aquire that high end polished look, after bead blasting start with 320. Grit emery paper and keep on sanding by doing 600 grit, 800 grit then 1000/1200 grit, after which get a sewn cotton buffing wheel with jewelers Rouge and buff away, that frame will be just like a mirror. Wear eye protection and a mask when polishing with the Rouge and buffing wheel, it's a filthy job.
Naked aluminium won't stay shiny for long. Better to get it chromed if you want it to stay shiny. Also, every bump and dint will show up on a shiny frame, so best not use it for riding, keep it for looking at.
Great to see things being recycled
I do worry about the contents of the paint stripper when they get washed down the drain though
just done my kona mtb frame. some areas bubbled up very quickly but it took 3 days for most of the paint to soften up. even then there was some stubborn areas that refused to lift. they were soft enough to scrape off with a plastic scraper. mind you it was probably not the best paint stripper (wilkos brand) and weather was very cold. removing the paint with stripper is a truly disgusting job. the stuff is ultra slimey and the fumes are not nice. the bike looks great even though i havnt polished it up properly. i will probably get it powder coated eventually.
Really great idea to pressure wash the paint stripper and paint directly to mother nature! I liked your channel, but seriously, what is wrong with you guys coming up with such an idea and even film it and put it on the internet? I mean wtf?
Should be sanded to 1500 to 2000 wet and dry.
Then 3 stage polish. Will leave a mirror finish.
Used to use this method when doing metal polishing on trucks. Have done a couple of frames for friends the same way.
1 with no clear coat. Which ended up being clear coated 18 months later when he realised how quickly they dull without it.
I always wonder why original paint is so good and when repainted, it’s not as good-is it because of the quality of the paint or the method/process painting? If repainting a bike, is it possible to have it as good as factory?
original is powder coated and baked to the frame
I imagine it's a bit of both. Automotive paint is baked on in an oven, A frame factory probably does the same thing.
Applaud the effort but left wondering if anyone is doing bike wraps a la automobiles...
I noticed a Yorkshire sign in the back ground. Do you live near Halifax? I am currently doing the same think with my bike but I just don’t have the tools. Would you do it for me and how much will it cost? Thank you
How are you going to route the rear brake cable since you ground the cable guides off?
Great idea! Does anybody else have ideas how to improve the looks of an old bike? My bike still drives great, but is in need of a makeover.
Strip it down, clean & de-grease, coat of Clear Laquer to shine it up, re-assemble :-)
How do you prevent this from rusting. Finishing with a clear coat or is there another way?
What grade was the wire wheel and what paint stripper did you use. Thanks
Wrap the frame with plastic wrap (the stuff we use to cover food) if the stripper drys out it pretty much stops working....Keep it wet!
Now that you've saved weight cutting off those braz-on things, you now need to use more outer cables to increase the weight plus increase friction inside your cables by an immeasurable amount. And you forced me to spell braz-on I have no idea, I just making up some of this spelling.
...and you'll need to get some zip ties from Si to mount your outer cable.
Nearly there! You dropped a couple of E's. : )
Those are welded, actually. Brazed lugs one can find on steel frames. However, since Alex is going for a fixie rebuild, could have gone further and cut off brake posts and front derailleur lug as well.
But should you want the gears back, there are nice chrore clamps for vintage frames, so no need for zipties. Also, full length cable outers give better protecton and in long term give less resistance, since much less grime, grit and corrosion is built up inside
Or, it's just a fixie. And there you go, no cables.
2:26 Inquisitive dog behind the gate.
Could you do a vid on how to get rid and re lacquer a carbon frame? Mines battered.
Washing off the nasty paint thinner solvent into the ground water. Nice.
Now you've got to Chrome-Plate the frame and then send it to be painted cromovelato to look properly unique!
Sand Blaster? Much faster and easier and earth friendly.
Great job!!! But with your hatred of zip ties I can't believe you had any, much less used any. :)
that wire wheel will leave deep marks that make sanding tougher
The before weigh in still had the headset cups in!!!!
Maybe someday GCN will be as cool as SPINDATT…
2:24 doggo
What about smoothing out the welds?
Do a fixed gear bike, that would awesome
GCN, please invest in sandblaster and blast cabinet.
How can I keep it from rusting after polishing