Getting the ‘brushed’ finish on a titanium frame. How?

I have a part painted Ti frame and i was thinking of stripping the paint and making it a brushed finish all over.

Is this something I can do, or can someone suggest a specialist?

Thanks

Matt

can i be the first to say: brush it 🙄

Yeah but what does that mean??????

Surely you cant just put a wire brush on the frame!

A green scotchbrite pad should do the trick nicely.

Really thats all I need to do to take it from a dull grey to shiny Ti finish?

Yes it’s as simple as rubbing down with a scotchbrite pad, though the brown pads seem to be better.
I can be difficult to get a uniform finish by hand, it’s a bit easier using a pad that will attach to a drill an then us the edge – we sometimes do fittings at work in this way.
The best option would to be to find somebody to bead blast it for you. Use clean fine glass beads to get a nice uniform matt finish.
It’s important to make sure to beads are clean, as if they’ve been used on steel previously you may end up with little rust marks after a bit of use.
Hope that helps

I’m just building up an one-one 29 Ti frame as I type.
Maybe I’ll keep it as it is and then keep my eye out for other Ti bikes and make a call as to whether or not I go the shiney route.
I was thinking of putting some Helicopter tape on the frame too.
Tim

Tim – I havent bothered with tape on mine as you’d need to stick it everywhere. The matt finish will pick up even hand grease marks. Im going to let it develop its own pattina for a while and then when I can be bothered get it blasted and laquered.

Once youve stripped it, get some Scotchbrite pads from ebay, but don’t use a drill attachment – the finish will come out funny.

Use the pad around the tubes, rather than along them, and it’ll look sweet as. It doesn’t take much.

barney – do the tubes need “finishing” in anyway?

will they oxidise later or the finish change very quickly?

The tubes won’t need finishing unless you want to give them a bit of a buff up. You won’t need to put any tape over them either, it shouldn’t scratch at all. I’ve got a 10yr old Ti frame which still looks like new except for round by the chainstay where there’s a few scratches caused by the chain.
Personally I much prefer raw (matt-grey) Ti finishes rather than painted or polished.

Brown Scothbrite pad and use round the tubes rather than along. Can finish it off with a bit of polish for that nice shiny look

I bought my Tinbred already done, but have re done a few bits, no need to laquer it..

Once you have had the paint removed the best thing to clean oil, fingerprints and dirt off is a rag with a bit of baby oil on it. I have tried everthing and ask loads of people, its the best thing by far.