Re Spaying Old Aluminium Frame

I’ve snapped my leg badly while out on my bike. So to pass the time I’ve decided to do one of these retro MTB to Gravel bike project.

I’ve picked up an old alu Orange G2 frame for next to nothing and I’ve been watching video after video on utube of how to do a full respray.

Has anyone done this? Or have any tips or tricks, hacks of how to do it?

I’m going with sandpaper (120, 320, 800) then a good clean, prime, then paint.

Any help or advice is welcome, I know it’s a long process, but time is what I’ve got with my leg busted!

Last time we needed something  spaying we took it to the vet…but… you do you.

I’ve done two steel bikes. Key is prep, sand it well – you don’t have to take all the paint off, but make sure it’s smooth.

120, 320, 800

I’ve never resprayed a frame, but I do a lot of sanding. That is a ridiculous grit progression. For a start, 120 sounds too coarse for paintwork. 320 is a big jump and will take forever to clean up the grazes that the 120 creates. 800 is too far from 320, and isn’t that too fine for paint to key to?

I don’t know the right answer, but that one looks wrong, google it again, come back and tell me if my gut feel is wrong.

decent primer on aluminium is a tricky one

i always buy a rattle can or two of two part epoxy primer when working on aluminium, sticks to everything…. well

Amazing, cheers for the replies. I’ll do some more digging on what youve fed back.

Re the sandpaper, there was another video that used 320 (I think) and only 320 just to dull down the paint to a Matt finish then went straight to primer.

It’s a lot of fun, I did it twice to a frame. Absolutely nothing professional about my method!

Re the sandpaper, there was another video that used 320 (I think) and only 320 just to dull down the paint to a Matt finish then went straight to primer.

sounds much more reasonable to me. Followed by a good cleaning.

I did one with spray.bike cans. It looked fine at first, but not at all robust and looked scruffy within a month or so.

As it’s aluminium why not just strip all the paint off and polish it up GT Zascar style?

You’re better off using self-etching primer for Alu. You can use bog standard primer but your finish won’t last long.

Last time we needed something spaying we took it to the vet…but… you do you

The OP should be fine doing it himself, as long as he doesn’t do it anything too garish, a nice neuter colour will be good

Right. So I’m at self etching primer, 320 sandpaper. My Mrs and brother have oberuled my colour scheme and say I have to do an orange, orange. Bullbars I think. Might even do them chrome.

Honestly having a broken tib and fib there’s only so much Olympics can do to get you by. All ofy new Banshee bike parts are ready and greased. Sanding a frame in the sun with music on sounds like it will pass the time nicely!

When you think you’ve sanded enough, keep sanding. Prep is everything and will make the difference.

When you finally get round to spraying, patience grasshopper. Fine passes. Never press the button pointing at the frame, or when the can is stationary. Build layers up thinly.

Think hard about how you will hold the frame, maybe hanging or on a support. If it’s outside, it has to be completely still, no breeze

While it dries, will it be safe from dust and insects