Sanding and Painting

This is the part that took way longer then it should have, mainly due to me having to move midway through sandblasting and a lack of work space. I HIGHLY SUGGEST USING PAINT STRIPPER. I was stupid enough to take the time to sandblast the frame. Waste of time, money, and sandblasting compound. I used an 150 dollar 10 gallon air compressor I bought from harbor freight. Not a bad purchase. I ended up using it to repaint the bike. This is what I suggest using for removing paint. That paint remover coupled with a wire brush, and you'll get all that paint off in about 20 minutes. As oppose to three weeks of trying to find a buddy to let me use their backyard to sandblast, which I ended up having to do in my garage a week before I moved. If you do go the paint remover route, make sure to use 400-grit sandpaper on the frame, scuff it up a bit before you repaint it so the paint has a surface to stick too.

Sandblasting with Aluminum Oxide.

Sandblasting wasn't actual that horrible. I tarped off a room in my garage. Just make sure to use heavy tarps and set it on a wood backboard behind the frame so you don't blast through the tarp.

Blasting room.

Painting I fortunately didn't end up having to deal with. I was busy with moving and working and I paid my buddy 60 bucks to paint all my parts for me in his backyard. Took him a day. I supplied the tarps, primer, paint, clear coat, air compressor and accessories for him. He did a pretty good job. He didn't do it exactly the way I told him to. The best way to do it is apply the first coat of primer, use 600-grit sandpaper and after the first coat has dried, dip the sandpaper in water and wetsand any dripmarks or uneven paint. Continue this process through first few coats of primer, then move onto paint. For paint I would suggest 800-1000 grit sandpaper, and wetsanding through 3 coats of color. For clear coat, I would use 1200 grit sandpaper and only apply where necessary. My buddy ended up putting too much clear coat on a few parts, and they are shiny as all fuck.

Not bad for 60 bucks of paint and 60 bucks of buddy exploitation labor.

The frame he did a pretty good job on. He only applied 2 coats of clear coat and it got a good sort of shiny-matte finish.

A close up of the frame, matte finish.

The fenders I am most happy with. He applied 3 coats of clear coat on them and they got a damned good glossy finish.

3 coats of clear coat. Happy fucking camper.