How do I...Raw a frame the cheap way??

[SteveLaps]

I am going to be rawing out my Strowler and I am looking for some tips and hints.  I have stripped a frame before, but it was to repaint it, so I wasn't razy anal about a minor scratch or a little paint left here or there.  So, I ask again, what is you advice to me for doing this?  Paint stripper? Sand paper? No stripper? No sandpaper? Gimme some ideas or experiences guys!

And sandblasting or particle blasting is probably going to be out of the question so unless it is cheap it won't help me.

[Spinnin n Grinnin]

chemical dip.  media blast will remove the tube color ur looking for.   send it out for clear powder and let them dip it.

[SteveLaps]

Um, that didn't really answer my question, as I don't know what either is, and neither sounds cheap.

[Spinnin n Grinnin]

chem dip is like an acid bath. media blast is sand, plastic bbs, walnut shells,etc shot by air. not expensive if u find a shop with equipment. smiley posted a link for a powdershop in l.i..  callem and get a ballpark figure.

[Levi]

paint stripper is cheap and pretty easy.
are you going to make a how to on how to strip it?
please do if you can.
good luck

[SteveLaps]

Maybe I will pictureblog the whole thing... good idea Levi

[Levi]

Maybe I will pictureblog the whole thing... good idea Levi

I used to have a step by step guide for rawing but it was on another forum but it's dead now. so far for my input. 

would be nice if you made one for here. the chemical way is pretty cheap but not so healthy. so watch out for that. and getting the paint from the difficult corners can be a bitch to. i used this to speed up work.

[Levi]

this was the result

[timk4130!]

steve..if you use off the shelf chemical strip, make sure to get the dad's brand, and not the kind in the blue gallon container. The Dad's works so much more effient, but 1. also comes with a squeeze trigger bottle. 2. hurts worse when shot up in the eyes! (that will be 2 beers now! lol )

[Claude]

I just did this last week and I'm not sure if it was the best way but it was cheap and got the job done (eventually).  It was a stock paint job so you are right - it's a little tougher.

LOWE's - extra strength paint stripper - in the spray paint aisle = $7 each (Takes 2 cans and about 4 sprays)

I found out that the paint is the most ready to peel and lift in about 5min after hitting the frame - the longer I waited the harder it just dried back on.  Maybe I'm wrong but this was my experience. 

I grabbed a couple of coarse pads - not steelwool but plastic versions.  That got 90% off with a clean wipe.  = $5 for pack of 2

However I did spend another 2hrs or so meticulously scratching at green paint flecks caught in every crevasse.  But again, I think this had to do with my timing and not the method.  Eventually I started spraying a spot, going to get something to drink and coming back to just work that spot and the paint came off pretty easily.  If worked my way down the whole frame.  I wish I would have done that from the beginning.

Overall it was cheap, I got the labor I deserved in doing it the cheap way but less difficult than I thought overall.

Hope that helps. 

 
PS  - The real question is how did Levi get his bike to stand up in that picture, lol...  magic!

[lamehead]

Did you just use some clearcoat paint? I am thinking about rawing a fork but I'm worried about rusting.

[Claude]

I just used the normal rust-oleum brand crystal clear enamel from Lowe's.  Kept it off the threads, bb, headset, 990's by taping. I'm not totally sure that is the best but I think it will be fine.

[SteveLaps]

here is my finished raw project.  frame and forks.  i am rawing my sequence bars also, but may paint those black when done.  sorry i didnt get step by step pics or anything.  have been busy and i usually just worked on the bike here and there for a few days.  did the top tube first, then the rear end, then the downtube, then the rear end again to finish up.  the forks were done in a day and were pretty easy.  I used some stripped that came in a yellow can, i'll have to look at what brand.  anyways, i used a nylon paint brush and chemical gloves and just loaded and globed and painted the stuff on little sections at a time.  I used a plastic paint scrapped and a few kitchen scrub thingys with the rough side.  i loaded the paint stripper on, when the paint bubbled i scrapped it with the scrapper.  i then would put more stripper on and let it bubble or do it thing and then would use the pad to get more paint up.  repeat as needed!

at the end i used some clear coat enamel made by rustoleum.  i did one coat, let it dry, did another coat, let it dry... etc etc.... 4 coats in total.

[Claude]

Looks sweet bro.

[diesel1ne]

dremel, and sanding bit, or if you dont have a dremel a drill would do nicely, and buy a sanding dremel bit, the big ones, lazy and cheap, then clearcoat , rustoleum

do NOT use clearcoat in the cold, my mistake, my frame looks like a purpple crusty desert floor