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365 Days - Day 73

This is my own personal logo. I made it out of my favorite Asian snacks, Pocky. The logo is actually just my first name. Can you tell what it is?

How to Raw / Paint your BMX bike

This article will cover the process of getting that raw bike frame look, removing anodized color from rims & stems, and painting bike parts with canned spray paint. I have also included a link to a SHORT VERSION if this article seems too long to read, but keep in mind, the SHORT VERSION doesn’t have all the warnings of the long version.

 

Here is a list of what you will need:

A bike and/or part you want to change the color of

Tools

Newspaper

Clothes hangers

Sandpaper (varying grits)

Rubber gloves

Masking tape

Paint stripper

Oven cleaner

Mineral Spirits

Canned spray paint/clear coat

 

All of these items can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

The first thing you need to know if you’re going to repaint or “raw” your bike is what you want the final product to look like. I love to paint my BMX bike a lot. I like changing up the color schemes on a regular basis. In the last 3 years, I’ve had at least a dozen variations of colors on my bikes with one of those color schemes lasting almost a year and a half. That being said, it’s important to have a visual in mind when you start the process of changing colors on your bike so you know what parts are getting what color.

 

My first “good” BMX bike went through more than half a dozen color combos while I owned it with the rims, sprocket, hubs, forks & bars changing color every couple of months. My current ride started out factory blue with white highlights. Originally I had to paint the hubs & rims to match the factory blue as well as the brakes, lever, sprocket, & seatpost white for highlights. I ran that color scheme for the longest time because the factory color was great but after awhile I even grew tired of that and had to change. That’s when I went to the green & brown colors inspired by a U.S. Army Harley motorcycle.

This is why I am stressing the importance of having a game plan before you begin painting. If you’re anything like me than patience is not a virtue for you and you attack your bike with spray can in hand without a plan. In the past this has not been as big a problem but for my last color scheme it didn’t pay off as well. When I painted my bike green & brown I decided to paint over the blue & white instead of stripping it off and painting it fresh from scratch. That’s where I made my mistake. The paint and colors came out just fine but after my first session I started to see little spots of blue coming through where I scratched off the green. Being a bit of a perfectionist like I am, that began to bother me. That is why I promptly decided to change colors once again after only 4 months.

 

Since I have never been rich enough to have an actual spray paint gun I have always painted my bikes with Krylon and I have gotten numerous compliments on my bikes paint jobs. I figure this means I’m doing something right so I’m going to share my techniques with you today. First thing you need to do is realize that to do it right, you have to take your bike apart. Most people don’t like this idea because it just adds to the time it’s going to take to complete the project but to make it look good you have to do so. That’s why I paint my bikes when it’s going to rain for a few days. If you like painting your wheel sets as much as I do than this will also force you to learn how to lace a wheel. That can save you money as well because you won’t have to pay somebody at your local bike shop to do it for you. THIS is the website that taught me how to lace up a wheel but I suggest you do a Google search on the topic and read multiple articles on the subject. I also highly recommend you take photos of your wheels laced up before you take them apart so you have a reference for putting them back together. You can also do one wheel at a time so you can look at the other wheel as a reference. If you’re going to paint your frame than take your bike completely apart before you start painting. That means pulling the wheels, forks, bars, headset, cranks, seat-post, brakes, and chain off. You can leave the bottom bracket bearings in if you want but I don’t recommend it if you’re going to use paint stripper on your frame. The thing that most people don’t take into consideration is the overspray that happens when painting your bike. This means you need to have every part that you DON’T want to paint kept separate from the parts you DO want to paint.

Now that you’ve taken your bike apart, it’s time to sand down any rough spots. These rough spots are generally caused by falls and grinding which means you should check the chain-stays, bottom bracket, crank arms, etc. I suggest you start with a medium grit (80-120) to get the big scratches out. Then move to a fine or extra fine grit (180+) to smooth out the sanding marks from the medium grit. Once you’ve done that it’s time to strip the old paint off. From this point on, YOU SHOULD NEVER TOUCH ANY PART OF YOUR BIKE OR SUPPLIES WITHOUT GLOVES. I personally like to use a pair of surgical gloves as my first layer & rubber house cleaning gloves for the outer layer. In order to begin stripping the old paint off your bike you need to create a place to use the paint stripper. DO NOT DO THIS INSIDE AN ENCLOSED SPACE. I do all my work in my garage with the garage door open. I also lay down multiple layers of newspaper to protect my garage floor.

 

I suggest you test the paint stripper out on a small area of your bike first before you cover the entire part. I like to use the spray on stripper but you can get the kind that paints on if you prefer. I have found they both work just as well. Paint stripper can be found at Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. Keep in mind also that for most bikes, it is going to take multiple rounds of stripping to get everything off the bike. When you’re applying the stripper make sure you put a thick layer on the part you are stripping. I used 4 cans of the spray-on stripper to remove the paint from every part of my bike. I like to do one side at a time and I don’t like to do too many parts at one time. The reason being is that if you let the stripper sit on the part for to long it will dry out and begin to gel on the part which makes it more difficult to wipe or scrape off. Most strippers will get the first layer of paint off within 5 to 20 minutes. Now that you’ve sprayed down the part and waited, it’s time to wipe off the stripper and see what paint is left. Spray paint from a can will generally come off easily but a factory paint job will take multiple wipe downs. As you can see, the green paint bubbled up letting me know it was ready to be wiped down. I usually start wiping the part down with paper towel to get the majority of the chemical off and then I give it a good wipe down with a steel wool pad. My recent experience with stripping my bike parts taught me that the paint on some parts is tougher to get off then others. The paint on my frame came off after two coats that soaked for 20 minutes. The paint on my handlebars took 4 coats and the forks took 5 coats with the last coat soaking for 2 hours. Even then I had to scrape the paint off with a metal scraper to get it completely clean. Once you’ve removed all of the paint, and you are down to bare metal, it is time for the next step.

Remember; NEVER TOUCH A BARE METAL PART WITH YOUR BARE HAND. The oils in your skin will cause the part to rust pretty quickly, ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES. Now that you’ve removed all the paint from the part, hose the part down with water and rub the remainder of the stripper off with your gloved hand. At this point, rust and time are your worst enemies. Immediately after hosing the part down, clean it with a rag and mineral spirits. Mineral spirits (or paint thinner) will remove any remaining water and oils that may have gotten on the frame which will keep it from rusting. Once again, do this outside because the fumes from the mineral spirits/paint thinner can be toxic, or at the very least give you a headache.

 

If you’re running any aluminum parts on your bike (i.e. stem, seatpost, rims, etc) then there is a good chance you have some anodized parts on your bike as well. If you want to remove the anodized color from your aluminum parts then you will need to get some oven/grill cleaner. I bought a commercial strength over cleaner from Home Depot but any oven cleaner from the grocery store should work just fine. You will want to do this in a similar manner to stripping the bike except that you won’t want to let it “soak” as long. The oven cleaner will begin to oxidize the aluminum part if you leave it on there too long so I suggest waiting only 5 to 10 minutes between layers. If you do find some oxidization of the parts then just sand it down with a very fine grit sandpaper to remove any marks left behind.

 

Now that all your parts are paint/anodizing free and have been cleaned with mineral spirits, it is time to paint/clear coat. Before your begin painting, you will want to mask off any areas that you don’t want to get paint into (i.e. bottom bracket, headtube, drop outs, etc.). On my frame I always mask off the drop outs, bottom bracket, & brake mounts. On my handlebars I mask off the area where the stem clamps down and on my back rim I mask off the sidewalls where the brake pads rub. Paint acts almost like a lubricant and can cause your rear wheel, handlebars & brake pads to slip. Once you’ve stripped the parts to bare metal, you want to cover that bare metal with either paint or a clear coat to protect it from rusting. If you’re painting your bike then 3 or 4 coats should be enough paint to make the part look good. Once you’ve finished putting color on your bike, put 2 or 3 coats of clear coat on there to protect the paint. If you plan to leave your bike with the raw metal look then you will want to put 7 or 8 coats of clear spray paint on there to make sure you have enough to protect the part from rust. This being said, you will probably need a total of 3 to 5 cans of spray paint and/or clear coat to repaint an entire bike (frame, fork, bars, crank arms, sprocket, rims, hubs, spacers, headset, stem, etc).

I usually hang my parts from coat hangers so that I can paint each part completely instead of having to paint one side at a time. When painting your bike with spray paint it is important to remember to use light coats sprayed at a distance of 12 to14 inches from the part. Spray each part with one layer at a time and allow the manufacturers suggested dry times between coats. Most spray paints require 10 minutes to an hour between coats and a total dry time of 1 to 24 hours. Check the back of the can before you buy the paint to make sure the dry times work for your schedule. The first layer of paint should be thin enough that you can still see metal underneath. Being patient and spraying numerous light coats of paint will prevent you from getting runs in your paint job which are a dead give away that you did it yourself, and makes the paint job look bad. If you do get a run in the paint then wipe it down immediately with a rag and let the paint dry completely. Then you can sand down the remainder of the run and start painting again afterwards. Remember, be patient with the painting process and allow the recommended total dry time before you put your bike back together. If you get anxious and try to put the bike back together before it is completely dry the paint will scratch off easily and once again, make the paint job look bad. If you take your time and do it right, you will get compliments on the quality of the paint even if the color scheme looks horrible.

Now that you’ve finished painting the bike and let it dry completely it is time to put the bike back together and go for a ride. I hope this helps anybody planning on painting or “rawing” their bike. If I’ve left something out or if you have a question just post it in the comments below and I’ll try my best to answer it.

How to Raw / Paint your BMX bike SHORT VERSION

Here is a list of what you will need:

A bike and/or part you want to change the color of

Tools

Newspaper

Clothes hangers

Sandpaper (varying grits)

Rubber gloves

Masking tape

Paint stripper

Oven cleaner

Mineral Spirits

Canned spray paint/clear coat

 

All of these items (except for the bike) can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

 

Step 1:

Take your bike apart, making sure that all parts being painted have been removed from parts that are not being painted.

 

Step 2:

Sand down any rough spots, scratches, etc. to ensure a smooth surface. Use a medium grit sandpaper first then work up to an extra fine grit.

 

Step 3:

PUT ON THICK RUBBER GLOVES. Spray on paint stripper in a thick coat. Allow 5 to 20 minutes for the paint stripper to work. Wipe off the paint stripper with paper towels or steel wool pad. This will take numerous layers to get all the paint removed. After all the paint has been removed, spray the part down with water and wipe off any excess paint stripper with your gloved hand.

 

 

 

Step 4:

To remove anodized color from aluminum parts, spray the part down with oven cleaner and let soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not let the part soak too long or it will begin to oxidize. Wipe off the oven cleaner and spray it down with water to clean it thoroughly.

 

Step 5:

Clean your raw bike parts down with mineral spirits or paint thinner. DO NOT TOUCH BARE METAL PARTS WITH BARE HANDS. The oils in your skin will cause the metal to rust. ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES.

 

Step 6:

Mask off any areas of your bike part that you do not want to get paint into with masking tape. Paint your bike with a total of 7 or 8 thin coats of paint/clear coat. Use thin layers to prevent the paint from running and make sure you put enough coats to avoid potential rust. Allow the suggested dry time between coats and before you put the bike back together.

 

Step 7:

Put your bike back together and go ride.

 

Ramp Ranch Demo Video

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago I posted about a Mutiny Bikes Demo that went down at Ramp Ranch Skatepark near Austin. Well thanks to a Mutiny Bikes Facebook update I found the video below on ESPN from the very demo I wanted to hit up. Now that I've seen the video, I'm kicking myself for not figuring out a way to get down there. Oh well, lesson learned. Anyways, check out the video of one of my favorite indoor parks being shredded by one of the best teams in BMX. Enjoy!

North Texas BMX shredders: G-Crew

I just found this G-Crew Mix video on Tazz's blog, Crank Faster, which was uploaded to YouTube a few days ago. G-Crew is a group of BMX riders (mostly from Garland hence "G" Crew) in the Dallas area that shred street and park. I've run across a couple of the G-Crew guys over the past few years at the local skateparks but for the most part don't really know that many of them. This video is comprised of some older footage from the past year or so but it is pretty good. Check it out and then go ride your bike.

365 Days - Day 72

My bike has a new color scheme, raw. The only thing with color on my bike are the spokes and headset. Everything else is raw metal with 7 coats of flat clear coat. I'm pretty stoked on it.

365 Days - Day 71

Tonight I'm finally on the painting stage of my bike's new color scheme and like last night, I set the camera up to take photos while I was working. I like this one because the lighting was pretty cool. I hope to be completely done with my bike by tomorrow so expect tomorrow's photo to be me posing with my "new" bike.

Travis Pastrana is certifiable

Yesterday I found out that Red Bull is going to be hosting a New Year No Limits on ESPN like they have for the last two years and this time, Travis Pastrana is going to be the daredevil ringing in 2010. As you may remember, Robbie Madison jumped his dirtbike over 100 feet which isn't that amazing until you consider the fact that he did it straight up onto the top of a Las Vegas hotel structure.

Well in true Red Bull fashion, Travis Pastrana is going to push the limits by breaking the current world record for longest rally car jump of 171 feet. He plans on shattering that record by jumping his rally car 200 feet, breaking Ken Block's current record by nearly 30 feet. If that wasn't crazy enough, he's going to attempt to land the car on a ramp that is floating on a barge out in the Pacific ocean. Yes, you read that correctly. Travis is going to attempt to set the world record rally car jump at 200 feet, onto a boat. I defer back to the title of this post.

For more information, check out ESPN's Red Bull New Year No Limits homepage and don't forget to tune in on New Year's Eve to see how it all goes down. You can bet I'll be watching.

365 Days - Day 70

Since the weather is so cold, I decided it was time to change the color scheme on my BMX bike. I set the camera up to take photos automatically and got to work. This was one of the best ones.

Glenn Beck is a gold digga'

Have I ever mentioned before how much I love the Daily Show with Jon Stewart? That show is absolutely hilarious and eye-opening at the exact same time. I can honestly say, there isn't another show on this planet that can make you laugh and shutter in fear with one segment. Speaking of shuttering in fear, Glenn Beck and his "hour-long nightly fear-cast" have been called out again by Jon Stewart for Glenn's shill work for Goldline. Jon makes the point that gold sales go up when there is uncertainty and fear in the minds of the American people. That's good news for Glenn Beck since his entire program is about creating fear for his viewers. Well, don't take my word for it. Check out the video below from the Daily Show.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Beck - Not So Mellow Gold
www.thedailyshow.com
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