How to remove paint?

GoldenMotor.com

sniperxfire

New Member
Mar 6, 2013
29
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0
Canada
I have mountain bike and its aluminum with gray paint. I believe its spray paint. It has some stickers too that i want to get rid of. Can someone tell me how to remove the paint and stickers?

I live in Vancouver BC, so if someone could tell me where i can buy the things i need to remove them.

Thanks very much!
 

Toadmund

New Member
Jan 19, 2012
792
6
0
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Sometimes Canadian tire has Jobmate heat guns for about 10 bux when they are on sale, they will remove stickers and most paints.
But keep your heat gun away from your carburetor, it will melt plastic parts. (don't ask how I know that)

Or you can use corrosive paint stripper. (or not)

Or a propane blow torch.
 

DaveH

New Member
Mar 11, 2013
9
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0
Gig Harbor WA
Stickers can be removed with a heat gun - be careful you dont overheat adjacent plastic or rubber. If you dont have a heat gun a hair dryer on high will work, eventually.

Paint removal can also be done with a heat gun, disassemble your bike completely and heat up a spot of paint until it blisters/bubbles and scrape it off, then move onto the next spot. It'll take you a while.

A quicker way is to use stripper chemicals (you can get them at automotive stores or home improvement stores). Read the lables to make sure you wont also cause severe corrosion on your aluminum bike.

An even quicker way to remove paint is with a angle grinder with a flap disk but you're going to get sanding marks in the soft aluminum and it's real easy to dig down into the metal with power tools.
 

16v4nrbrgr

Active Member
Mar 17, 2012
1,728
4
38
North Bay
Aircraft stripper is safe for aluminum but not for people, nastiest burniest most corrosive to the skin carcinogenic horrible automotive chemical I've ever used. I'd pay for walnut shell blasting before using that stuff again in large quantities like on a frame or a set of car wheels. Blarf!
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
As mentioned above, stickers will let go if you heat them. A hairdryer will do it, just keep moving it in small tight circles to spread the heat more evenly, and the $15 heat gun would do it more quickly. I often have to strip labels off product at work, and the heat gun loosens almost any adhesive. Since you're stripping the paint too, you shouldn't need to worry about any remaining adhesive, but if you need to a bottle of Goo-Gone (also available at Canadian Tire) is cheap and a bit on a rag will wipe it off easily.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
if they're old crappy stickers that peel off in little chunks, you can use a razor blade to scrape them off and wd40 or carb cleaner will take care of the goo.

i use aircraft stripper on paint. pepboys sells it in a spraycan now, so it's less mess.

just wear gloves and don't get it in your eyes.