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Very often in our forums, we talk about repainting a carbon frame, perhaps after a repair. So the question is: which bike paint should you use? We asked the specialists at Stardustcolors for their opinion.
Leading modern bike brands are competing to offer the most attractive finishes for their bikes. Special effect paints are all the rage. You can apply special effect paint to a bike yourself, either with spray paint or a paint spray gun. Modern paints are extraordinary, offering stunning visual effects with a huge variety of possible colour combinations.
Here are a few names of innovative special effect paints: you’ve probably already heard of candy paints, chameleon paints, holographic paints, fluorescent paints, or even crystallised or marbled paints.
Before you start, you need to lay a good foundation, i.e. prepare the surface properly to ensure that the paint on your bike frame is durable and resistant.
When planning to paint a carbon frame, the first thing to do is to determine the steps involved and how to properly prepare the surface before applying the bike paint.
Carbon is a modern, lightweight and resistant material used in most modern bike frames. It is a completely different material from metal or other types of materials. A carbon frame is difficult to coat and requires the use of an adhesion primer that is completely different from other primers commonly used in bike painting, particularly those used on ferrous or non-ferrous metals and plastics.
Applying paint to a carbon bike frame with a specific, suitable primer ensures good durability over time, whereas skipping this preliminary step can lead to unpleasant surprises: you can be fairly certain that the paint will peel off sooner or later, either on its own or as a result of impact.
A few rules to follow for durable paintwork on a bike
1 – Ensure adhesion by using the correct primer and sanding with the correct grain
2 – Avoid applying excessively thick coats of paint and accumulating too many layers of paint
3 – Clear coat: choose a flexible, soft clear coat to resist impact, or a hard clear coat to resist scratches
Often, when paint does not adhere to its substrate and flakes off, for example after impact with stones, we tend to blame the paint for being of poor quality! In reality, it is not a problem of resistance but rather a problem of adhesion to the surface… It is therefore very important for the painter to prepare the surface correctly.
What are the steps for painting a carbon bike frame?
The art and rules of painting a bike frame follow certain basic rules.
After preparing the carbon frame, a series of steps are carried out, involving the application of several coats of paint.
The surface of a bike frame is like a mille-feuille, consisting of a primer, a base coat, paint and varnish. This can become more complex if there are several colours.
It is very important to ensure good cohesion between the layers that form the mille-feuille of paint on the bike frame: to do this, we can either apply the layers one after the other using a technique known as ‘wet on wet’, or allow each layer to dry and then sand it with the right sandpaper grit. This ensures perfect adhesion between each layer.
‘Wet on wet’ is a technique that involves covering a freshly applied coat of paint (within 10 to 30 minutes) to avoid sanding and benefit from natural adhesion.
If you want to paint a bike with a design created using masking and adhesive tape, you must allow the first coat to dry and then sand it, creating ‘micro-scratches’ so that the next coat can adhere differently.
You cannot apply masking tape, which is used to define colours and effects and also to protect certain areas of paintwork, to paint that is not at least ‘touch dry’, because when you remove the tape, the bike paint will come off with it.
Specific adhesion promoters for carbon
First and foremost, it is important to understand that when a bike frame leaves the factory, it is already painted, which means that the surface is no longer carbon but paint. In such cases, no primer for carbon is necessary.
Carbon is a special material that is difficult to adhere to. Once you have stripped or sanded your carbon bike frame, it may be necessary to apply a primer to ensure that the various paints adhere properly over time:
First, there are carbon-compatible filling primers. These are often two-component primers that are fairly thick and effective on carbon. They have a dual function: firstly, they adhere to the carbon, but they also level and fill to create a perfect surface.
The second type of carbon primer is transparent. It is a two-component product that is glossy and transparent. It can be useful when you want to keep the raw appearance of the carbon visible.
Some technical information on drying and sanding layers
Sanding grit: it must not be too coarse (below 320), otherwise it will leave marks. It must not be too fine (above 500 or 800) as this could cause the paint to peel. In general, you should sand the primer with 320 grit and sand between each coat of varnish with 500 grit. Similarly, for varnishes used to finish bike frames, it is not advisable to sand with anything finer than 800 grit.
An important tip: do not sand pearlescent or metallic paints with abrasive sheets, as this can damage the paint. Use abrasive sponges on these types of paint.
Desolvation: this is a technical term used by painters. It refers to the phase during which the paint must be allowed to evaporate from its solvents. During this time, usually 10 minutes, the paint must not be covered with another coat, as this could trap the solvents inside.
Special paint effects for the world of cycling
We won’t mention any big brands here, but you’ve no doubt already seen these iridescent colours that change tone depending on the angle of view, these chrome and coloured finishes. Of course, this type of special finish adds a few thousand pounds to the price of the bike. But did you know that you can achieve the same effects for less than £200?
Here are some of the main special effects
Chameleon paints for bikes: these are pearlescent colours with special properties that allow them to change shades depending on the angle from which they are viewed. Chameleon paint can change from two to eight colours depending on the viewing angle.
Holographic bike paints: their real name is ‘prismatic’ because they are capable of fragmenting light into all the colours of the rainbow. This is probably one of the most surprising effects. However, this paint becomes completely inactive when there is no direct light source, for example if the light is diffuse or the sky is cloudy.
Candy paints for bikes: Candy Nano colours are now resistant to sunlight. These are completely transparent colours that allow sunlight to pass through and filter it through their dye. The light bounces off the metallic undercoat, resulting in a luminous and ultra-deep colour that is truly impressive. This type of effect is available in around twenty colours.
Opal paints and patinas:
Here is another paint that you have probably never heard of, which stands out for its rarity and extraordinary visual appearance. These are paints that can limit the colour of certain shells, particularly certain mother-of-pearl or pearls. They can be combined with a mirror effect. Some bike manufacturers already offer them. It is a discreet and elegant effect, and truly stunning.
Decorations with adhesive masking
By carefully planning the different stages involved in each colour in advance, you can successfully complete your painting project and achieve fabulous designs. Specialist painters can work wonders in this area; all you need to do is discover their technique and reproduce it according to a well-established plan. With a little technique, anyone can do it.
Take, for example, this customised painting sequence: apply a black base coat, then create a gradient of anthracite metallic layers. Next, apply a few adhesive strips to mask off areas, preserving the metallic colour with the anthracite gradient. Cover with another coat of black, then apply a transparent ‘Candy’ tinted varnish.
Is it necessary to apply a primer to a non-stripped carbon bike frame?
The answer is no if the bike already has a varnish finish. It is therefore not necessary to strip and repeat all the steps from priming to varnishing. How can you tell if there is varnish on the carbon fibre of your bike? Simply rub it lightly with sandpaper and a little water: if you see white dust or a white residue, there is no need to strip it and start all the steps again, from priming to varnishing.
In some cases of special paint, such as chameleon paint or fluorescent paint, it is necessary to apply a base coat that will allow the effect paint to show through. In general, this can be a coat of white paint or a coat of black paint.
Is it necessary to apply a clear coat to bike frame paint?
The answer is clearly yes. This can be a matt clear coat or a glossy clear coat. Its role is not simply aesthetic, but above all to protect the different layers of paint and also the substrate material from corrosion.
The clear coat provides good long-term protection against the elements, the sun, abrasion, and most chemicals and fuels.
Glossy clear coat clearly has a revealing effect on metallic and pearlescent paints. It magnifies the colours and makes them sparkle in the sun.
The clear coat used on a bike is mainly polyurethane, more or less the same type as that applied to car bodies.
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[[{“value”:”Very often in our forums, we talk about repainting a carbon frame, perhaps after a repair. So the question is: which bike paint should you use? We asked the specialists at Stardustcolors for their opinion. Leading modern bike brands are competing to offer the most attractive finishes for their bikes. Special effect paints are all the rage. You can apply special effect paint to a bike yourself, either with spray paint or a paint spray gun. Modern paints are extraordinary, offering stunning visual effects with a huge variety of possible colour combinations. Here are a few names of innovative special
The post What type of bike paint should you use on a carbon frame? appeared first on MTB-MAG.COM.”}]] Read More MTB-MAG.COM
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