# clearcoating a raw aluminum frame



## duder (Feb 25, 2004)

Hi,
I am thinking about stripping the paint off of my Specialized Rockhopper M4 hardtail frame. I really want to go for a raw aluminum finish. So I think I can easily manage stripping the paint (I will probably use aircraft paint stripper stuff). I've been reading about painting raw aluminum though and it seems that there is some stuff you gotta do to make sure the paint will stick to the aluminum (i guess steel is easier to get paint to stick to). No matter what you're painting, i know that primer is needed, but do they have clear primers? Furthermore, do they have clear primers that are formulated to work well on aluminum? I want to just put a clearcoat over the raw aluminum after stripping all the paint off the frame, but am afraid that the clearcoat wont stay on the frame for very long, so I'm thinking if there is a clear primer that can help the clearcoat stick is the best route. Does anyone have experience with frame painting and want to give me some advice?

I know cannondale pulled it off on some of their frames(they called the color raw hi-bright) and they look sweet, you can see all the brushwork on the aluminum.

I know aluminum won't rust but it will corrode and oxidize over time which just ends up dulling the finish (but i've heard you can prevent this with occasional polishing-i'd rather not have to do that- i am trying to make this a commuter bike that still looks decent), so i'd much rather figure out how to do a good clearcoat job over raw aluminum so that it lasts for years.

Maybe I could find someone that powdercoats and see if they can do a clear powdercoat. (would this work?)


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Powdercoat FTW.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

I stripped an aluminum frame once, and left it bare. I don't see the problem of doing that. I never saw a change in the look of the frame. Part of the point of the bare aluminum is that you don't have to worry about scratching or damaging the finish. Even a clear finish is a finish, so why worry about it?
What I did was polish my frame using finer and finer grades of steel wool, and finally a liquid polish. You can get a mirror finish in this way. 
A polished metal is less suseptible to oxidation than a rough finish, because there are less nooks and crannies for moisture and oxygen attack. 
You can also consider car wax as an alternative to your clear coat. It provides smooth shiny protection but must be reapplied occasionally.


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## duder (Feb 25, 2004)

That is probably what I will do, but how often do you have to reapply liquid polish to keep it from getting more dull or corroded?


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

duder said:


> That is probably what I will do, but how often do you have to reapply liquid polish to keep it from getting more dull or corroded?


If you do a good job of shining it up with steel wool as I described, you really don't need to ever do anything else to it. that's the whole point of a bare frame. I really never noticed any dulling, but I guess it depends on how picky you are about the shine. If you are a real stickler, the best thing to do would be a quick wipe down with some superfine polishing steel wool or something like that, but you might not need that for a couple of years. By then, your bike is older anyway so you quit being so picky (if you are like me).


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

I have a 96 Gas Gas motorcycle and the hubs are polished from the factory. They are 13 years old and just have a slight haze to them that usually comes in about ever 6 months I just hit it with Mothers and it brightens up like chrome. They have no coating on them at all, bare alu!


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## pureslop (Jul 28, 2008)

The layer of oxidation that you can barely notice over time is a protective barrier. Its actually better to just leave it alone.


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## matsoki (Oct 14, 2009)

I had the rear triangle of my Turner shot blasted (fine), both strips the old paint off, and then gives a texture, then used and clear acrylic too seal it so far so good.


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