# painting crank arms, what kind of paint?



## eman (May 2, 2004)

I want to paint my crank arms black, which are currently silver. Any ideas on what type of paint that will stick? Maybe some kind of truck bed liner spray?
Thanks


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## Mattman (Feb 2, 2004)

*Bad Idea*

IMHO, don't paint cranks unless you will only admire the bike and not ride it. Paint is almost sure to scratch and/or wear off. Anodize them, or leave them alone. Other parts that don't get rubbed constantly by your shoes, brush, etc. are better candidates for paint.


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## eman (May 2, 2004)

Thats what I was thinking, the paint would get worn off by the inside of my shoe. Thats why I was thinking maybe something like a truck bed spray would hold up better.


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## Mattman (Feb 2, 2004)

*Thick and heavy*



eman said:


> something like a truck bed spray would hold up better.


I think you are correct that it may hold up better, it is some tough $hit. But it tends to go on real thick like 1/8" or more and would probably be heavy. Also if you were going to do it yourself you would probably use the parts store spray can kind that's likely not as good as the professionally sprayed bed liner material. If you know someone who has a sandblaster give it a try, if you dont like it, blast it off. Or, buy some used black cranks and sell yours.


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## eman (May 2, 2004)

My friend mentioned he could powdercoat them for 5 bucks. Do you think powdercoating will rub off?

Mattman, the point you brought up about it being very thick will probably deter me from using the bed liner.


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## bulC (Mar 12, 2004)

*no*



eman said:


> I want to paint my crank arms black, which are currently silver. Any ideas on what type of paint that will stick? Maybe some kind of truck bed liner spray?
> Thanks


Even anodizing wears off from shoe wear and ends up looking ugly as crap. No paint/powdercoat/etc known to man would hold up even a fraction as long as anodizing. Leave 'em silver lest you be disappointed.


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## eman (May 2, 2004)

alright thanks. I guess I will stick with silver, even though my bike looks downright disgusting with silver crank arms


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## jennasdad (Jan 12, 2004)

I used to paint motorcycle wheels and other parts with an epoxy paint sold at a local hobby store. The paint was for use on model airplanes, the kind you fly, so after it dried it wasn't bothered by gasoline, brake clean or just about anything you could throw at it. You could also use rubbing compound to get it super smooth and put some wax on it. It seemed to hold up better than anything an end user could apply themselves. It doesn't go on super thick but slightly thicker than normal enamel might. If you must paint them I would check a hobby store for some of this stuff and test it on something.


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## Quattro (Dec 26, 2003)

*Another option*



eman said:


> I want to paint my crank arms black, which are currently silver. Any ideas on what type of paint that will stick? Maybe some kind of truck bed liner spray?
> Thanks


Is to remove the rings and remove all of the anodizing with oven spray cleaner. I have some XTs that i did this to. I polished them up and they look great. I can polish out rub marks from my shoe. I touch them up once a month with some polish.


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## eman (May 2, 2004)

Quattro, thats actually a really good idea. DO you think I could also polish the chainrings or would that be bad for something.


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## Quattro (Dec 26, 2003)

*I don't know*



eman said:


> Quattro, thats actually a really good idea. DO you think I could also polish the chainrings or would that be bad for something.


I thought my large black ring looks good with the polished crank and my polished frame.


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## eman (May 2, 2004)

Well i have silver crank arms, and I dont even know what color my cranks are. They are like a dull gray color from all the crap on them. They might have started out as a nice dull silver, or a nice shiny silver, I dont remember.


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## IAmCosmo (Apr 11, 2004)

bulC said:


> Even anodizing wears off from shoe wear and ends up looking ugly as crap. No paint/powdercoat/etc known to man would hold up even a fraction as long as anodizing. Leave 'em silver lest you be disappointed.


Acutally, that is incorrect. Anodizing (which can only be done on aluminum and titanium) is a dye that impregnates the surface of the material. It is easily worn off. Powdercoating, on the other hand, is electonically fused and baked onto the material. It is the most durable of all finishes. I have a old BMX bike that I had the frame powdercoated. And it rode around in the back of a pickup truck bed for three months (don't ask...) and when I got it back, the powdercoat was dull (buffed out) but the bed of the truck had scratches from the frame.

Powdercoating will hold up to whatever kind of abuse you throw at it (if it is properly applied).


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## 11 Bravo (Mar 12, 2004)

Here is something that might be worth looking into. Brownells is a gunsmithing supply company that sells aerosol cans of special paints for finishing aluminum gun parts. It is not very hard to work with. You prep the parts, heat them in your oven, apply several light coats and then bake them for about 30 minutes to cure the paint. It is quite a bit tougher than regular paint, but it would no doubt still wear and scratch over time. It is not very hard to touch up though. They carry it in all kinds of colors.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

IAmCosmo said:


> Acutally, that is incorrect. Anodizing (which can only be done on aluminum and titanium) is a dye that impregnates the surface of the material. It is easily worn off. Powdercoating, on the other hand, is electonically fused and baked onto the material. It is the most durable of all finishes. I have a old BMX bike that I had the frame powdercoated. And it rode around in the back of a pickup truck bed for three months (don't ask...) and when I got it back, the powdercoat was dull (buffed out) but the bed of the truck had scratches from the frame.
> 
> Powdercoating will hold up to whatever kind of abuse you throw at it (if it is properly applied).


Powdercoat wears off. Have seen it happen. Heck, I wore through the chrome plating on my Profile cranks.


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