Suggestions for Bike Frames?
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Hi – I am painting new bike frames and would like to get the best durability possible. I feel the combination I am using now chips too easily, and wonder if I should switch primers. The frames are new. What I am using now:
Lechler Monoprimer
Lechler 1K Basecoat
Glasurit Klarlack 923-45 Kratzfest (clear coat scratch resistant)I switched to the Glasurit clear to try and improve scratch resistance. I am not sure if it made a difference. But now I think about switching to an epoxy primer as I have heard they have better adhesion. I see that Lechler has Epofan, but this seems to be not so easy to get where I am located. Glasurit has 801-72 which is available to me. I would really appreciate any suggestions you might have!
You forgot to say that you are in Germany 😉
Epoxy primer will help with the chipping. Mipa is a German paint company and they do an epoxy primer. Using 2k topcoats will help further, but then you need breathing apparatus and consideration of those also around where your workshop is, as the fumes can bring on severe and lasting issues.
Any shops close by that can powder coat them for you?
Powdercoat is possible, but some bikes get paint.
richie00boy it looks like I can get the mipa products without much trouble. So you would recommend the MIPA EP-Grundierfiller? Can I get away with using the base coat and clear I already have?
Thanks!
The base and clear you already use should be fine over the epoxy primer. If you leave the epoxy longer than about 5 days you will need to key it up. It’s best to paint over it within a couple of days as the cross linking is still going on so it bonds better to the colour coat.
In the end I bought the Glasurit EP primer, since I already have their clear. New frame is already painted. It seemed to me that it was an improvement, but I haven’t ridden the bike yet.
I have heard that the paint sticks better if the metal is sandblasted rather than sanded. Any thoughts about that? Also I am wondering about force drying with heat, and if that makes a difference.
Blasting is supposed to provide the best surface for adhesion. I don’t think the heat will really do anything though, it would speed up the cure of the epoxy, but the top coats wouldn’t be hugely affected because it’s a single pack product.
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