# Let's see your raw aluminium!



## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

I,m not sure on the best place to post this, so i'll try here. I need some convincing to strip my paint and go with the raw aluminium look. It's an old Gary Fisher Paragon and the 

finish is pretty beat-up. Looking to freshing it up on the cheap. I've done alot of searching and see quite a few of you have tried it. Just wanted to see how everyone's turned out.

Brushed, Polished, clear coated or not. Post them up!


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

Nobody wants to show off their baby? You put all that hard work into it, let everyone see why it was so worth it!


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## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

Here's a Yeti 575 polished to a mirror finish. Not my bike.

http://www.talonclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17166


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

*Wow!!*

Now that's shinny! Maybe alittle more polished than what I think I would be after, but it looks great. Any more?


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## wildkyle90 (Oct 8, 2009)

i dont like the looks of polished bikes at all


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## bidaci (Nov 7, 2005)

OK, I'll bite. Here's a pic of old GT bike that I wish I held on to. Ballburnished raw frame.









Shot at 2008-01-14

Here is a shot of my current beater. Brushed 7075 aluminum. An old 1997 Trek 8000zx









Shot at 2009-08-19

Love that high polished look. Might have to try it over the winter on another frame I have kicking around.


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## BH1 (Oct 1, 2006)

My old raw P.1 frame. I sold it a while ago.

Aircraft strip and a power washer did the trick.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

*Nice P. 1*

BH1, thats more of the look i'm after. What did you use to get that brushed look like that?

Thanks for the pictures everyone, I'd still like to see some more.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

You should do a search, there was a massive thread in the DH/FR section on how to strip your frame with heaps of pictures! :thumbsup:


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

here is my work in process....I stripped it down to give it a raw look now I'm polishing it up. This is just the first polishing, may do three or four more times. let me know what ya think.....







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this was before I tore it down







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## bidaci (Nov 7, 2005)

^^ Very nice. Post a picture once it is done. Can't wait to see it completed


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## BDSmith (Nov 16, 2009)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> BH1, thats more of the look i'm after. What did you use to get that brushed look like that?
> 
> Thanks for the pictures everyone, I'd still like to see some more.


I would think some sand paper would give you a nice brushed look. Just a light scuff is all that's necessary. That's my experience from working with aluminum, not bike frames though.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

yakuzafreerider said:


> here is my work in process....I stripped it down to give it a raw look now I'm polishing it up. This is just the first polishing, may do three or four more times. let me know what ya think.....
> 
> I think that it looks awsome just like that! What have you done to get to that point? Good luck with the finishing polishes, it should shine up great if your already there with just one polishing. I'd love to see the finished product.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

it just popped up so here you are, 2 pages of raw finish!

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=286711

Oh and to give that brushed look use coarse steel wool rather than sand paper!


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## bidaci (Nov 7, 2005)

Scotchbrite is what I use to keep my brushed aluminum looking like new


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

Here's my 2003 Epic


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

mmanuel09 said:


> Here's my 2003 Epic


Sweet looking Epic! What was your proceedure?


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> yakuzafreerider said:
> 
> 
> > here is my work in process....I stripped it down to give it a raw look now I'm polishing it up. This is just the first polishing, may do three or four more times. let me know what ya think.....
> ...


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks - A buddy of mind did everything. Jasco Paint Remover, lightly sanding, and mothers polish.


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

mmanuel09 said:


> Thanks - A buddy of mind did everything. Jasco Paint Remover, lightly sanding, and mothers polish.


Mother mag and aluminum polish is what I used....awesome stuff.


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

Yes Yes Awesome stuff - goes a long way...


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## BH1 (Oct 1, 2006)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> BH1, thats more of the look i'm after. What did you use to get that brushed look like that?
> 
> Thanks for the pictures everyone, I'd still like to see some more.


I used a pressure washer to literally blow the paint off the frame after it had bubbled up... So some of the swirls you see are from the pressure washer, but after that I used a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out the finish and give it a slightly scuffed/polished look. After about a month of riding and no cleaning it began to oxidize and darken around the welds similar to the raw Intense frames...


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

well here it is semi-back together. Thinking of stripping and polishing my front wheel and doing the rear in black. Its gonna look so pimpin when finished!







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## BunnV (Sep 7, 2005)

*Not a frame, but it is raw (and polished)*

custom I9's


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

BunnV said:


> custom I9's


Very nice...thats what I'm hoping to do...dig the orange spokes!


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## BunnV (Sep 7, 2005)

yakuzafreerider said:



> Very nice...thats what I'm hoping to do...dig the orange spokes!


Thanks!


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

Very Very Nice Guys. BunnV - I am totally digging the wheels. How do you like the windcutters? I've been researching those and just wonder how they will do with Saint M810's which is my current front caliper.


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## BunnV (Sep 7, 2005)

mmanuel09 said:


> Very Very Nice Guys. BunnV - I am totally digging the wheels. How do you like the windcutters? I've been researching those and just wonder how they will do with Saint M810's which is my current front caliper.


Thanks for the compliment on the wheels!

The Wind Cutters totally exceeded my expectations! I bought them based on their claimed weight of 92 grams. One weighed exactly 92 grams on my scale, the other 93 grams.

I have Hayes Stroker Gram calipers and was using the stock Hayes V6 (?) 160mm rotors. The stopping power of the Alligators vs. the V6's is no comparison! I have almost TOO much bite now with the Wind Cutters. They didn't howl, or screech but they do make a different kind of sound (kind of a metallic rub) than the more conventional rotors they replaced.

On my first ride with them I found myself over braking and skidding (bad!) especially on the rear, and I don't even use the rear hard. Luckily the Strokers have great modulation and I was able to get a better feel for them over the course of the ride.

They were only $15 each which is really inexpensive considering their weight and apparent quality. I love them!


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## nony (Oct 26, 2008)

Man, polished alum is one of the sexiest finishes, imho. I wish mfg would have more faith in the material and offer more polished frame options. Thanks everyone for posting your polished rides!


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## Bikin' Bric (Sep 7, 2003)

I've done a few strip and polish jobs myself on some of my GT frames. Used a whole lot of chemical stripper, steel wool, then many hours with a rag and jar of Mother aluminum polish.

Check these threads out, both bikes are mine.

2006 Avalanche 1.0 - http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=503257
2003 Avalanche 1.0 - http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=393245


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## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

Looks good guys. Reminds me of the chromoly BMX bikes from back in the day.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

Well, you guys convinced me. The paint is gone, and the sanding has begun.

I scotchbrited everything to get ride of all the paint. I was surprised to find quite a bit of scratches under the paint. So I've been sanding those out with 320 grit. Moved on to 600, 900, and will finish with 1200 grit. Then polish and shine.



RatchAttack said:


> I've done a few strip and polish jobs myself on some of my GT frames. Used a whole lot of chemical stripper, steel wool, then many hours with a rag and jar of Mother aluminum polish.
> 
> Check these threads out, both bikes are mine.
> 
> ...


RatchAttack, Your GT's look great. Any problem with your decals. Does anyone know where I can get some vintage Gary Fisher decals (1995-1997ish).

Thanks for all the photos and input everyone. I'll post some pic when it's done. Might be awile though.


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## Bikin' Bric (Sep 7, 2003)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> Well, you guys convinced me. The paint is gone, and the sanding has begun.
> 
> I scotchbrited everything to get ride of all the paint. I was surprised to find quite a bit of scratches under the paint. So I've been sanding those out with 320 grit. Moved on to 600, 900, and will finish with 1200 grit. Then polish and shine.
> 
> ...


No problems with the decals. Just polish the hell out of the frame then apply the decals, DO NOT clear coat the frame. The clear coat will eventually get scratched and look like hell.

I picked up the GT decals from eBay, maybe start your search there.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

*Finished product*

Well it's all done. I ended up going polished, just couldn't get a consistantly uniform brushed look. Over all I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

It's way better than the beat up paint that was there. Thanks for all the advice everyone, isn't this site great.


























I can't get the pics loaded. This computer stuff is new to me. can anyone walk me through it?


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

Congrats - Very Very Nice. Can't wait to see the whole bike when its done. It's like falling in love all over again....


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

still working on mine, I sanded and polished up the bars on it, now working on the wheelset (polishing) hopefully tomorrow I'll have most of the bike together with the exception of the wheels looking just plain raw. Will post pictures soon.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

*Finally!!!*

After too much time trying everything under the sun. Here they are.








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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

All of these polished bikes look great, and you
guys did a really good job. However after all that
hard work how can you stand to get something
that nice dirty?

Best, John


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## thecrackerasscracker (Jan 12, 2008)

*07 Kona Coiler*

No clear cote


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

What I do is later in the evening after the kids go to bed, I grab a couple of beers, a can of mothers, and a towell. Who needs tv. 

thecrackerasscracker - great looking Kona. I wish I had gone silver spokes on my wheels.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

mmanuel09 said:


> What I do is later in the evening after the kids go to bed, I grab a couple of beers, a can of mothers, and a towell. Who needs tv.
> 
> I hear ya there!!


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## yakuzafreerider (Jul 30, 2006)

this is what it used to look like







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This is what it looks like as of today, its ready to ride but not all upgrades I want are on it yet....







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## sausagedog (Aug 26, 2009)

hi all, well iam in the starting stage of stripping a cannondale ready for polishing.
whats the best way to get rid of the oxidization on the frame, as it doesnt look good and worried about the finish if i clear coat it after the decals are on.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

sausagedog said:


> hi all, well iam in the starting stage of stripping a cannondale ready for polishing.
> whats the best way to get rid of the oxidization on the frame, as it doesnt look good and worried about the finish if i clear coat it after the decals are on.


From what I gather, some steel wool, a little polish, and you should be back to bright and shinny!
Decals could complicate it.


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## cmanco (Oct 27, 2009)

I have an old carbon composite frame thats a mongoose iboc pro sx.
What would it look like if i stripped it, the painted part is chipping really bad where its purple.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

cmanco said:


> I have an old carbon composite frame thats a mongoose iboc pro sx.
> What would it look like if i stripped it, the painted part is chipping really bad where its purple.


I'm no expert, but I'm not sure paint stripper and carbon composite resin are real compatable!

You might want to do alittle research before you try it.


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## ineedanewbike (Oct 17, 2009)

*Stoooooop!*



ghughes.hesinc said:


> I'm no expert, but I'm not sure paint stripper and carbon composite resin are real compatable!
> 
> You might want to do alittle research before you try it.


paint stripper will immediatley dissolve any petroleum-based plastic it comes into contact with. thats how it dissolves paint. if the CF resin is petroleum based, it will be dissolved leaving you with a pile of worthless carbon fibers.


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## sausagedog (Aug 26, 2009)

well ive been doing one my self and here it is

__
https://flic.kr/p/4197009985

ive found that if you polish down the tubes it makes it dull but if u polish across then it make its shine more, all due to the grain when the tube is made.


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## sausagedog (Aug 26, 2009)

also if you want to powder coat it waste of time polishing it as they will only go and shot blast it to get a good key on the frame.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

That Cannondale sure looks nice! I love those crossing tubes.



sausagedog said:


> well ive been doing one my self and here it is
> 
> __
> https://flic.kr/p/4197009985
> ...


Just to clairify down=long way; across=short way?


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## vikingboy (Nov 5, 2008)

great work guys - love the silver look.


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## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

This is my SX Trail, stripped to raw metal and brush-polished.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

*Finally Done!*

Well I just thought everybody might like to see the finished product. I finally got in the last bits and pieces and finshed it up tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to get out for a ride tomorrow.


































Hope you all like it. Thanks for all the inspiration.


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## mmanuel09 (Nov 26, 2008)

WOW - Fantastic. All that hard work paid off. What did you think of the whole process and how it turned out? Have a great ride....


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## PG256 (Apr 21, 2009)

Some of these look pretty good.
Here's my 80's Polished Cannondale SS commuter:


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## GrampBredo (Dec 18, 2007)

Sorry about the photo quality, but here's my raw coiler.


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

The old Orange 222 I did didn't turn out that great, it dulled relatively quickly. My Giant STP stays looking pretty reasonable (nothing like the polished job some of you guys have done though!). I'd love to spend the time and polish her up better though.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

mmanuel09 said:


> What did you think of the whole process and how it turned out?


If you spread the sanding and polishing out over a week or two it's not too bad, almost enjoyed it. Over-all i'm very happy with how it came out.

I could have went a few grits higher with the paper, but I decided that a 1995 frame should remain to look like a 1995 frame. I didn't want to be able to shave in it.


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## JaLove (Dec 24, 2006)

Here's mine:










I posted a bit more about it in this thread:Generic Polished Silver. I stripped the powdercoat using Zipstrip and then I used the tried and true sand paper going up to 1000 grit before moving on to the Mother's polish.


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## Boogie Man´s Nightmare (Mar 4, 2008)

*RB Monster AM 07*

Here´s my Monster is color called "Brutal finish"
Hand made in Czech Republic - wicked bike:cornut: 

From Home riding

From Home riding


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## Fly XC (Oct 17, 2008)

Mine came ball burnished with decals and clearcoted.


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## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

*Then and Now*

I posted on this over in the Titus forum but the short of is that I spent the last month rebuilding/restoring my 7 year old Quasi-Moto.

I think she came out pretty nice. Long Live Raw Aluminum!


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## gbosbiker (Mar 10, 2009)

im thinking about doing this on my dj bike...how long does it usually take for the stripper to take the paint off? im not going to polish it. just want to ditch the paint...ive heard weeks (but with polishing) and as little as a 2-3 days...

ill be doing it with aircraft paint remover, so it should take it off fine. i just want to know how long im out of a bike...


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## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

gbosbiker said:


> how long does it usually take for the stripper to take the paint off? im not going to polish it. just want to ditch the paint...ive heard weeks (but with polishing) and as little as a 2-3 days...


A decent paint stripper will lift the paint in minutes, but getting the whole frame free of paint will take you an hour or so, not including prep. work (like stripping the frame of components and, if applicable, dismantling suspension components and masking bearings).

It really is a genuine "rainy day" project.


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## gbosbiker (Mar 10, 2009)

SteveUK said:


> A decent paint stripper will lift the paint in minutes, but getting the whole frame free of paint will take you an hour or so, not including prep. work (like stripping the frame of components and, if applicable, dismantling suspension components and masking bearings).
> 
> It really is a genuine "rainy day" project.


well i can strip the bike down in under 5 min. the headset is sealed, so is just bearings on the frame, and that slides out. that solves the front wheel. the back is qr. and the bb just threads out no problem. its a hardtail so i dont have to pull out bearings..

so 1 day of no riding to get it raw?

and how will the aluminum hold up to winter conditions? like road salt...


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

gbosbiker said:


> and how will the aluminum hold up to winter conditions? like road salt...


Salt and corrosion is a non issue with aluminium. And if your not going to polish it you won't even notice it oxidize!


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## gbosbiker (Mar 10, 2009)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> Salt and corrosion is a non issue with aluminium. And if your not going to polish it you won't even notice it oxidize!


thats what i thought...i just wanted to make sure..i usually wipe my bike down after winter rides anyways...

i cant wait to get to the autoshop and grab a can and get to work. im definatly going to wait for a rainy day though..


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## shibaman (Dec 28, 2009)

94 GT Zaskar


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## greengreer (Dec 4, 2007)

Raw bikes are where it is at. Show off that beautiful metal!

Here's my Sinister, I was gonna paint it but those welds are too sexy. Best thing about it is every once in a while take some scotch-brite to it and it looks good as new.



















Here's my latest project. The new (to me) DH frame. It's all steel so it's gonna be rawed/cleared swing arm with a "kermit green" front triangle


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## gbosbiker (Mar 10, 2009)

heres my baby. i just finished her up today. it took roughly 4 hours of buffing and waiting. all i did was use a little steel wool to give a little shine to it. but i will never use a bit of polish on it.


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## jgti (Mar 1, 2010)

1999 Trek 8000. finished it a week ago.


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## ineedanewbike (Oct 17, 2009)

so if u strip it, polish it, then laquer it, will it stay shiny without the constant polishing?


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## greengreer (Dec 4, 2007)

ineedanewbike said:


> so if u strip it, polish it, then laquer it, will it stay shiny without the constant polishing?


Lacquer? Can you even buy lacquer any more?

By polishing it you are reducing the size of the pores in the aluminum, helping to keep dirt and grime out and making it easier to clean. You will have to polish it everyonce and a while to keep it looking new. 
Your other option is clear-coat. I would go for some sore of enamel as it is tough and fairly resistant to chips and scuffs.


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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

You can also powder coat it clear. This will
probably be the most heavy duty finish.

Best, John


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## ineedanewbike (Oct 17, 2009)

*haha i dunno but theres some in my basement...*



greengreer said:


> Lacquer? Can you even buy lacquer any more?
> 
> By polishing it you are reducing the size of the pores in the aluminum, helping to keep dirt and grime out and making it easier to clean. You will have to polish it everyonce and a while to keep it looking new.
> Your other option is clear-coat. I would go for some sore of enamel as it is tough and fairly resistant to chips and scuffs.


 thought about clear coat. maybe i could chrome plate it ....


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## greengreer (Dec 4, 2007)

bling bling


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## dopaminer (Mar 21, 2009)

*Aluminum vs Magnesium*

Any difference with magnesium parts? I just stripped the ano off my `05 Dorado crowns, thinking it was aluminum, and then came across an article saying they`re magnesium. Looks like raw aluminum to me.... polishing up nicely. But worried I may have made a mistake, the whole thing will collapse under me, etc.

Any one know? I have no freakin idea...


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## BunnV (Sep 7, 2005)

dopaminer said:


> Any difference with magnesium parts? I just stripped the ano off my `05 Dorado crowns, thinking it was aluminum, and then came across an article saying they`re magnesium. *Looks like raw aluminum to me.... polishing up nicely.* But worried I may have made a mistake, the whole thing will collapse under me, etc.
> 
> Any one know? I have no freakin idea...


If it looks like raw aluminum and it is polishing up nicely it probably IS raw aluminum because you cannot produce a high shine on magnesium. You can clean and remove oxidization from magnesium, but you cannot polish it. My guess that your fork _lowers _are magnesium and your crown is in fact aluminum.


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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

You can not anodize aluminum. It must 
of been some other type of finish.

Best, John


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## dopaminer (Mar 21, 2009)

John Kuhl said:


> You can not anodize aluminum.
> Best, John


Wow. A whole new paradigm!

I`m guessing you mean, `You can`t anodize magnesium`, which is really useful information and I thank you. If you do mean that aluminum can`t be anodized, then all I can say is, Welcome to Earth! We do things a little different on our planet!


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## SteveUK (Apr 16, 2006)

John Kuhl said:


> You can not anodize aluminum. It must of been some other type of finish.





dopaminer said:


> Wow. A whole new paradigm!
> 
> I`m guessing you mean, `You can`t anodize magnesium`, which is really useful information and I thank you. If you do mean that aluminum can`t be anodized, then all I can say is, Welcome to Earth! We do things a little different on our planet!


Magnesium can be anodised, although I believe it is for paint priming or low-evel corrosion protection. Of course, you're correct about about aluminium - anyone who's ever thrown their leg over a modern mountain bike knows that aluminium can be anodised, and anodised into an array of lovely colours!!


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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

My bad, I did mean magnesium. I should know
better I worked in a shop and anodized parts for 
over 25 years. I've never heard of a type of anodize
for magnesium, but we use to use what is called
a sodium dichromate finish. It came out a dark
grey. Also you can polish magnesium, it just
doesn't come out real good. The term mag wheels
for cars is because they use to be made out
of magnesium. If you look at old photos of cars
some of the wheels are polished.

Best, John


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## yakmastermax (Jan 11, 2009)

Finaly got around to stripping my Haro Thread 8 Dirt jumper

Previous owner had rattle canned it without even taking the headset or the BB out.

I was a little tentative to take on the project but it went quite smooth. 1 week's worth of allowance (30 bucks) bought everything needed:

Jasco epoxy/paint remover
good gloves
paint tin
brushes
drop cloth
steel wool
plastic bristle brush

Like i said, things went really well (only 2 chemical burns, should have put on pants not shorts!)
the jasco stuff is powerfull! Don't hesitate! try this yourself!


































The jasco tin says 15 minutes but within 2 minutes i could hear the popping and crackling of the paint bubbling off:









that was one coat of jasco (quarter tin at most) but i had missed quite a few spots - washed it off with water and did another coat of jasco



















water and soap gets the goop off

all done! (polished with coarse then medium steel wool) (cat not part of the project)


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## jgti (Mar 1, 2010)

latest pictures of my Trek 99' 8000


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## newnuj (Jun 25, 2009)

nice bike. care to share how you went abt doing it?


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## jgti (Mar 1, 2010)

I stripped the frame with Aircraft stripper. Sanded with 220grt-1500grt wet sandpaper. Then buffed it out with Mother's mag polish, and a terri cloth.

After all the mud, that's how nice it comes out every time it's cleaned.

The frame is like a mirror, no scratch marks whatsoever.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> After too much time trying everything under the sun. Here they are.


Great looking frame. You have to post some pics of the complete bike. BTW what is it? Kind of Old School.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

CS2 said:


> Great looking frame. You have to post some pics of the complete bike. BTW what is it? Kind of Old School.


Yeah it's old school. It's a 1995 Gary Fisher Paragon. Now that GF is no more I kind of wish I left the paint on it. Oh well it still looks way better than it did.

Their are some pics on the first page of this thread. But here's one for ya.


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## alivio (May 31, 2010)

Those polished frames look so dope, I think I´m gonna do that when mine is too beat up too.

Don´t forget to clear coat it, aluminum don´t like water (hydolysis or something) try putting water in a raw aluminum pan for a week and you´ll see.

The best things to polish aluminum with is toothpaste and ketchup, Not at the same time. And thats no joke either. You get much better finish than the commercial pastes, and faster.


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## BunnV (Sep 7, 2005)

alivio said:


> The best things to polish aluminum with is toothpaste and ketchup, Not at the same time. And thats no joke either. You get much better finish than the commercial pastes, and faster.


Toothpaste is a mild abrasive so it makes sense that it would polish aluminum. Ketchup???? I don't get it....


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## alivio (May 31, 2010)

BunnV said:


> Toothpaste is a mild abrasive so it makes sense that it would polish aluminum. Ketchup???? I don't get it....


Me neither but the guys who polish nose cones of turboprop engines like it, and they do a lot of it so who am I to say its not true.


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## MrOldLude (May 10, 2010)

Super hot thread. Love this look. If/when I thrash the paint on mine, I'm going to do this.


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## BMeX (Jun 16, 2010)

Needed a place to post pix and not sure where it belongs (bike thinks it's a DJ, I think I freeride but both prolly AM  ).

KHS DJ50 POS, my first 26" but barely better than an entry level, it was yellow and a few nooks still are.  

Rims, cranks and a few other things have already been replaced, eventually, it all will be. :madman:


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## yakmastermax (Jan 11, 2009)

where did you get those silver cranks?


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## BMeX (Jun 16, 2010)

yakmastermax said:


> where did you get those silver cranks?


sanded truvativ


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## dopaminer (Mar 21, 2009)

BMeX said:


> sanded truvativ


All truvativs look better sanded


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## misuge (Apr 20, 2009)

Sand blasted Santa Cruz Heckler frame with a bit of a steel wool finishing:


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

Nothing like some of the shiny rigs I've seen in this thread, but I've changed some of the spec so here is my beauty again...


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## ak greeff (May 21, 2008)

iv always wanted to polish a bike frame. my son and i just finished this 12inch jamis 26inch wheeled bike. enjoy!


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## thunderzy (Jul 23, 2010)

Ok. I stripped my front triangle on my full susser with aircraft stripper. Took me 1.5 hrs to get it looking very clean. I want to strip the paint off my rear triangle but I do not want to damage the bearings. Can I strip the paint while keeping the bearings in place? Will the paint stripper damage the bearings? Or should I just leave it black?


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## jackspade (Jul 23, 2010)

I just wondering did you guys polish or clear coating after removing the paint? or maybe chrome it since it looks like chrome.


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## parkp81 (Oct 29, 2005)

thunderzy said:


> Ok. I stripped my front triangle on my full susser with aircraft stripper. Took me 1.5 hrs to get it looking very clean. I want to strip the paint off my rear triangle but I do not want to damage the bearings. Can I strip the paint while keeping the bearings in place? Will the paint stripper damage the bearings? Or should I just leave it black?


I was just thinking about this as well. I'm possibly considering doing this, but wondering about the bearings.


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## rayray74 (Sep 18, 2005)

Aircraft paint remover, steel wool, and then a scotchbrite pad....


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

This is what polished realy looks like!


















Here is another one, but not as polished:


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

ak greeff said:


> iv always wanted to polish a bike frame. my son and i just finished this 12inch jamis 26inch wheeled bike. enjoy!


That's really cool, he's one lucky little guy.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

BunnV said:


> Toothpaste is a mild abrasive so it makes sense that it would polish aluminum. Ketchup???? I don't get it....


Ketchup is pretty acidic.


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## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

how do i determine if my frame is painted, anodized, or powder coated?


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## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

Sorry to bring up an old thread. So basically, if I strip down the paint to raw, and not do any polishing on it, would it end up like the raw finish on Intense bikes?

And would aircraft paint remover get rid off paint, anodizing or powder coats?


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## rayray74 (Sep 18, 2005)

Aircraft Paint remover for paint. Easy-off oven cleaner for anodizing. Not sure about powder coating, or how to get the Intense finish.


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## dopaminer (Mar 21, 2009)

I used an easy-off type product, actually a plugged-drain-opening liquid, to strip the black ano off the triple clamps of my Dorado. After that I used steel wool to smooth out the surface, and they now match exactly the raw finish on my Intense frame.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

This is what it looks like built up. It needs a little touch up by Mothers.


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## theNomad (Dec 27, 2010)

Gotta break down the hardrock pro disc I just got so ill be doing this after seeing such good results. Will post pics shortly.


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## theNomad (Dec 27, 2010)

Stripped the frame. This'll look good when built back up. 
The bike is nothing special but it'll at least have a different look.
Thanks for the ideas!


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

Here is my Sette Ace. If I had known how much effort it was going to be to remove the powder coat from this frame I don't think I would have done it. Even the most powerful stipper from Home Depot barely softened the powder coat, so it required a lot of sanding to get it all off. But all the effort in stripping and polishing was worth it, as it looks nice. My final polish I used Meguiars Scratch X (which is for paint). It gives a better shine that metal polish. I tried coating with wax, but that dulls the shine a bit, so I just leave it unprotected and polish it every now and then.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

That looks very nice!! That's funny that this thread resurfaced. I was just looking at a place that does anodizing. I might pick up another early San Andreas. I'm thinking about getting it lightly bead blasted and getting it anodized dark black, for a nice matt black finish.


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## brentos (May 19, 2006)

*Flash*

USA made, maybe my favorite out of the bikes I've owned. Granted, I didn't do the burnishing or painting myself.


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## j_raquet (Nov 28, 2010)

Here is my raw windsor 29er. Took about 45 min to get it stripped down using a spray can of aircraft stripper from the auto parts store and and acid brush. Maintenance has been pretty easy, just hit it with a scotch bright pad every now and again.


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## livinlite (Apr 25, 2008)

Really nice. The biggest detractor to the Motobecane's/Windsor's are those god-awful graphics.


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## jeffte (Dec 19, 2010)

My Titus El Guapo. Stripped it down w/ a paint remover. I don't like it polished so i just used a scotch brite pad to even out the finish. Still waiting for the Decals for the final touch.


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## Steve77 (Feb 2, 2010)

Mine came raw from the factory but it's so nice I'm surprised more brands don't offer it


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## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

jeffte said:


> My Titus El Guapo. Stripped it down w/ a paint remover. I don't like it polished so i just used a scotch brite pad to even out the finish. Still waiting for the Decals for the final touch.


What paint remover did you use? Is the EG powder coated or anodized?


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## jeffte (Dec 19, 2010)

mikkosan said:


> What paint remover did you use? Is the EG powder coated or anodized?


It's a local paint remover here in the philippines. I forgot the brand. It was like a gel. My EG was powder coated.


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## jeffte (Dec 19, 2010)

Now with Decals..


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## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

jeffte said:


> Now with Decals..


How come you don't use that to tie down the rear DR cable?


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## jeffte (Dec 19, 2010)

I did b4, but when i crash the cable breaks


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## resclusa (Mar 8, 2010)

i have a q:
I bought a jamis parker 1 from a friend, it wasnt abused, but he did leave it in a garage without any type of care, so i took the bike as a project. The frame has a loooooot of scratches (luckily just the paint was damaged) so i was thinking of removing the paint and leaving it raw... I already read the thread and I am fairly aware of how to do it. So here comes the question, can I also do this with the fork? and if i can how is it done?


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## Deerhill (Dec 21, 2009)

jeffte said:


> My Titus El Guapo. Stripped it down w/ a paint remover.
> 
> mysterious bike.. stands on it's own!


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## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

Does paint stripper work on anodized alu frames?


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

mikkosan said:


> Does paint stripper work on anodized alu frames?


No, but 0000 steelwool does.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Use water and wear gloves.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Bump. Let's see some more!


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## Dehdman (Mar 29, 2011)

Trek Fuel EX8 - Got a great deal because the paint was trashed. Stripped it down, polished it up. Lots of new parts.

You can see more here: https://s600.photobucket.com/albums/tt82/dhight1/Trek/


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

That is nice, nice, nice!!


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> That is nice, nice, nice!!


I've never been a fan of aluminum framed anything. With that said the vintage Al frame bikes look so nice I've actually been looking for an older Stumpy to strip and ride.

You're right these are nice bikes.


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

mikkosan said:


> Does paint stripper work on anodized alu frames?


Oven cleaner does, but you have to be careful not to leave it on too long, it eats aluminum.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Dehdman said:


> Trek Fuel EX8 - Got a great deal because the paint was trashed. Stripped it down, polished it up. Lots of new parts.


That might be the nicest aluminum polish job I've ever seen! Very nice. How did you do it?


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Here's mine. I bought it recently looking kind of shabby, and even though it still looks a bit rough, I have removed a lot of the oxidation. I don't know how much polishing I want to do, but seeing some of these other mirror finishes is tempting me to go for something similar. 
I'm also going to add some red bits, and maybe a new sticker kit (saw one that had gray letters with a red outline that looked pretty nice). So, we'll call this the "before" picture.


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## Dehdman (Mar 29, 2011)

smilinsteve said:


> That might be the nicest aluminum polish job I've ever seen! Very nice. How did you do it?


Aaahhh... thanks!

Ok... so this one took some effort. The Fuel is 7000 series aluminum (harder and less ductile compared to 6000), has non-oval tubes, and the forming process left the raw aluminum junked up.

I started with 120 grit automotive sandpaper (yes... I really had to start that course). Onced over the frame with 120 (which is actually 2 passes at 90 degrees). Then came the wetsanding with 220, 320, 400, 600 and 800. Repeat another 5 times. Then went to 1000, 1500, and 2000 and repeated 2-3 times.

Bought a cheap, 1/2in High speed drill from Harbor Freight to use as a polisher (drill's more handy in the long run). Started with black compound and then brown tripoli and finished with some Mothers.

Threw on some Rock Demon (http://www.rockdemon.com/) invisible frame protectors, fresh grease for the bearings, rebuilt fork and shock, added new headset, cranks, cassette, chain, cables, wheels, rotors, and seat, bled the brakes and tubelessed the tires. Looks good, rides great.

I have found it's best to keep her dirty. When clean, looking at her in direct sunlight may cause retina burns.


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## Dehdman (Mar 29, 2011)

And I gotta say thanks to all the previous posters - seeing how good these bikes looked, you all inspired me. I started this project in May and only just got the bike back together 2 weeks ago. Fist bumps all around.


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

Frame was yellow, stripped it wanted to polish it but decided to much work and left it like that.


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## Creeper (Feb 22, 2009)

2011 Blur LT2.1


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Dehdman said:


> I started with 120 grit automotive sandpaper (yes... I really had to start that course). Onced over the frame with 120 (which is actually 2 passes at 90 degrees). Then came the wetsanding with 220, 320, 400, 600 and 800. Repeat another 5 times. Then went to 1000, 1500, and 2000 and repeated 2-3 times.
> 
> Bought a cheap, 1/2in High speed drill from Harbor Freight to use as a polisher (drill's more handy in the long run). Started with black compound and then brown tripoli and finished with some Mothers.


Your hard work shows. That frame is freakin gorgeous... :thumbsup:


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Here's mine with a few new red tidbits.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Here is another one, but not as polished:


What year is that Moho? I remember when they came out (and it seems like a very very long time ago), I lusted over that bike. I thought it was the coolest frame ever. And now, after all these years, its still beautiful.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

smilinsteve said:


> What year is that Moho? I remember when they came out (and it seems like a very very long time ago), I lusted over that bike. I thought it was the coolest frame ever. And now, after all these years, its still beautiful.


I couldn't even tell you what year it is. It's an early one, because it doesn't have a disc brake tab on it, I wish it did. I bought it at one of the MC garage sales, before they moved to Portland. That was back when, unfortunetly, Mr. Clark was running the show. I paid $50 cash for it in a raw condition, then I polished it myself. The Cook Bros. cranks were also purchased at the same trip for $15, new with no rings. It's a great riding frame. You can really feel the rear end absorb bumps, but it is laterally stiff and accelerates hard. It has a roomy cockpit, which I like, In fact the stem that is on it is too long. It really should have an 80 or 90mm stem and I'm about 5'9.5" tall. The only thing I changed from that picture is I made it a 1x9, changed to a carbon post and changed the bars to a Titec Hellbent bar.


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## NR 750 (Jul 2, 2011)

Could there be any frame built form kevlar?


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

resclusa said:


> i have a q:
> I bought a jamis parker 1 from a friend, it wasnt abused, but he did leave it in a garage without any type of care, so i took the bike as a project. The frame has a loooooot of scratches (luckily just the paint was damaged) so i was thinking of removing the paint and leaving it raw... I already read the thread and I am fairly aware of how to do it. So here comes the question, can I also do this with the fork? and if i can how is it done?


You cannot do this to the fork. Fork lowers are magnesium and will corrode very badly if not painted. It also will not polish up well like aluminum.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

ljsmith said:


> You cannot do this to the fork. Fork lowers are magnesium and will corrode very badly if not painted. It also will not polish up well like aluminum.


The type of magnesium that is used for forks and car parts can be polished as good as aluminum. You just have to know how to polish it. Mg dust is very flammable, so you have to be careful. The problem is that clear coating Mg is difficult, it's hard to get anything to stick to it.

http://www.magnesium.com/w3/data-bank/index.php?mgw=182

http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/magnesium-polishing-service-1.html


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

NR 750 said:


> Could there be any frame built form kevlar?


Yes

http://www.formigli.com/eng/kevlar.asp

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/delta-7-arantix-carbon-kevlar-bike.php


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

My polished aluminum GT Aggressor...

It's seen a few months of use since I originally polished it up. So, it's not quite as shiny as when it was first put into service. Still looks nice, though.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Has anyone ever used car wax on their raw aluminum? Would it make a brushed finish look more polished? I suppose it would protect from oxidation as well.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Your answer is no.


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

smilinsteve said:


> Has anyone ever used car wax on their raw aluminum? Would it make a brushed finish look more polished? I suppose it would protect from oxidation as well.


I have. It will immediately take the shine away from polished aluminum, so its not going to make brushed aluminum look polished. It will help with oxidation though.


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## Dehdman (Mar 29, 2011)

I used wax. Once. It just dirtied the bike up quicker and made it harder to clean.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

More red


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

ljsmith said:


> I have. It will immediately take the shine away from polished aluminum, so its not going to make brushed aluminum look polished. It will help with oxidation though.


It won't take the shine away from polished Al if you use it like you do on a car. Whip it on, let if dry a little and buff it off with micro fiber. I use an auto detailer to help protect my bikes, just not on the brake discs or pads.


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## Eville140 (Nov 26, 2010)

Got tired of my Leader frame having leader wrote on it in 9 different locations.
The powder coat was thick and hard to get off, if I was to do it again I'd take it to have it stripped somewhere. But good old regular aircraft stripper got the job done.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

Good work! Looks great.


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## Fooshnicken (Jan 16, 2011)

This is my six year old Kona. It too way too long to remove the paint. I used some Nitromors to get down to the primer, and then a mixture of coarse sandpaper, steel wool and wire brushes to remove the rest. While I was at it, I also replaced the stem and handlebars.

A couple of weeks ago, I converted it to a 1x9, put a new 36T chainring up front and added an N-Gear jump stop to the seat post as well.

This is my commuter bike


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## block_xc (Jul 15, 2011)

even though it makes it smell a bit funny and feel oily, WD-40 makes anything shine


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

block_xc said:


> even though it makes it smell a bit funny and feel oily, WD-40 makes anything shine


Someone told me they put vegetable oil on their titanium frame for the same reason, and also on their stainless refrigerator to prevent fingerprints.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

smilinsteve said:


> Someone told me they put vegetable oil on their titanium frame for the same reason, and also on their stainless refrigerator to prevent fingerprints.


When my polished aluminum gets a wipe down (which is rare), I'll shoot some silicone spray into a cotton shop rag and wipe it down. Shines up nicely and mud just falls off later.


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## herb1234 (Sep 7, 2011)

aways wanted a polished GT, something like a Zaskar or RTS. but as they are a bit dated my short travel force will have to do.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

^^^ Fantastic job on the polishing!


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## subyrally (Apr 19, 2010)

here is my polished idrive.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Photos of my updated 2005 GT Aggressor. Still loving the raw aluminum. Absolutely no regrets about stripping off the paint.


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Guys, I love the look and think I will do this to my 2010 Trek 4300, as I hate its current green color. One concern I have is oxidation and maintenance. How quickly does the raw aluminium start to look bad? When it does, I assume you just use a Scotchbrite pad on it? I guess I should think hard about adding any decals as that probably would make that more difficult. I will probably do it with a more brushed look instead of highly polished.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Brushed will look good longer. Use Mothers.


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

How long does it stay nice? How often do you do yours?


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> How long does it stay nice? How often do you do yours?


The last time I polished mine was last spring (2011). Recent photos a couple of posts above. I don't even wipe the dirt/dust off of it anymore. I'll knock off chunks of mud, though.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Mine are polished and once every 6 months will keep it looking like new. That's whats cool about a raw finish, it's easy to make it look like new again.


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## subyrally (Apr 19, 2010)

i dont think i have polished mine since i put it all together a couple years ago, lol. still looks good, granted, it probably is covered in dust right now since it has been sitting since fall.


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

subyrally said:


> i dont think i have polished mine since i put it all together a couple years ago, lol. still looks good, granted, it probably is covered in dust right now since it has been sitting since fall.


Wow, that looks awesome for not polishing for a couple of years. Are the pictures recent or taken right after you did it?


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

marpilli said:


> The last time I polished mine was last spring (2011). Recent photos a couple of posts above. I don't even wipe the dirt/dust off of it anymore. I'll knock off chunks of mud, though.


Did you polish yours with Mothers or only do steel wool?


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Sorry to be a thread hog guys, but I'm really interested in doing this. Anyway, where did you guys find decals/stickers? I did an Ebay search for Trek decals and found nothing. Although it probably is a bit of a pain to polish in the future with stickers, it does look nicer with something on the frame. I am also encouraged by the fact that many folks seem to being going for quite some time before the frame needs subsequent polishing because of oxidation.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> Did you polish yours with Mothers or only do steel wool?


I polished with Mother's after giving it a fine brushed look. I can't say enough good things about the raw aluminum. You'll never worry about scratching the paint again. :thumbsup:

The original frame:










Stripped and brushed:










Polished up:










Regarding the stickers... You'll want to search for vinyl decals. Like this:
*Trek Bicycles Decal Vinyl Bumper Window Sticker | eBay*


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## subyrally (Apr 19, 2010)

njdj said:


> Wow, that looks awesome for not polishing for a couple of years. Are the pictures recent or taken right after you did it?


judging by some of the parts that are still on the bike in those pics, id say that was within a couple weeks of polishing since i changed a few parts shortly after. i have better brakes and a lighter stem on it now.


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## Doughnut Spaghetti (Jul 21, 2011)

If you really wanna make is shine, wet sand it with some fine grit wet sand paper, then hit it with mothers, and finally clear coat it to prevent oxidation of the bare aluminum. 

I love the look of raw aluminum frames.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Clear coating can really make a mess. And it doesn't adhere well to highly polished Al.


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## Doughnut Spaghetti (Jul 21, 2011)

Sorry, I think I meant powder coat. I can't remember if you can do clear powder coat, but i think you can. It cost more, but your frame would be bullet proof. 

Your right though, It took me a couple of times to figure out clear coating with paint. You have to use good paint, be patient, and wet sand (I hate this step), and wet sand (I hate this step) and wet sand (I hate this step)the clear coat after its cured. I have had good results though. But it is a pain. I feel that on raw aluminum it wouldn't show the imperfections as much. Black is really a pain. Took me hours to get that right.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Doughnut Spaghetti said:


> Sorry, I think I meant powder coat. I can't remember if you can do clear powder coat, but i think you can. It cost more, but your frame would be bullet proof.
> 
> Your right though, It took me a couple of times to figure out clear coating with paint. You have to use good paint, be patient, and wet sand (I hate this step), and wet sand (I hate this step) and wet sand (I hate this step)the clear coat after its cured. I have had good results though. But it is a pain. I feel that on raw aluminum it wouldn't show the imperfections as much. Black is really a pain. Took me hours to get that right.


I love wet sanding, no dust.


----------



## Doughnut Spaghetti (Jul 21, 2011)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> I love wet sanding, no dust.


This is true :thumbsup:


----------



## adnoh1924 (Jan 24, 2010)

That is awesome .... how do I do that?


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

*Went with a raw look*

I didnt want to deal with having to polish the thing all the time or have to clear coat it. I was able to save 87 grams off the frame weight in paint.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

craigstr said:


> I didnt want to deal with having to polish the thing all the time or have to clear coat it. I was able to save 87 grams off the frame weight in paint.


That's nice! Let see it built up.


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Would love to but I'm waiting on a new headset.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

adnoh1924 said:


> That is awesome .... how do I do that?


Use some type of paint stripper (read and follow the directions carefully) to remove the paint from the bike frame. "Aircraft Stripper" in a spray can seems to get the best results.

Sand and/or use steel wool in finer grades until you have a nice "brushed" look and all of the paint has been removed.

Buy a small jar of "Mother's Aluminum Polish" and scrap cotton cloths (old t-shirts) and polish the frame.

All done!


----------



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

craigstr said:


> I didnt want to deal with having to polish the thing all the time or have to clear coat it. I was able to save 87 grams off the frame weight in paint.


Very nice job! I think I like the brushed look more than I do the polished look. Next one I do I'll leave brushed, also...


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

craigstr said:


> I didnt want to deal with having to polish the thing all the time or have to clear coat it. I was able to save 87 grams off the frame weight in paint.


This looks perfect to me and is exactly what I want. :thumbsup: I also prefer it to the highly polished look and you don't have as much "maintenance" hassle. Can you tell me exactly what your process was? What grades of steal wool did you use, etc.?


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

marpilli said:


> Use some type of paint stripper (read and follow the directions carefully) to remove the paint from the bike frame. "Aircraft Stripper" in a spray can seems to get the best results.
> 
> Sand and/or use steel wool in finer grades until you have a nice "brushed" look and all of the paint has been removed.
> 
> ...


To get it polished, you won't be able to go from steel wool brushed straight to Mothers. You can rub till it catches on fire with mothers at that point before it polishes up. After going over with 0000 steel wool, you'll need to wet sand with paper. Soak the paper in water over night. Start at 500 grit and work your way up to 2000 grit. Wear gloves and don't get the Al on your skin. Then polish with Mothers. Then you'll have this:


----------



## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

*Here is what I did.*



njdj said:


> This looks perfect to me and is exactly what I want. :thumbsup: I also prefer it to the highly polished look and you don't have as much "maintenance" hassle. Can you tell me exactly what your process was? What grades of steal wool did you use, etc.?


I started with a can of Klean gel stripper that I got at Home Depot. Brushed it on and let is sit until the paint started to peal up. Then I pressure washed it and recoated it with more stripper. It took several applications to get all the paint off. Some areas came right off, others required some elbow grease. I ended up using the entire can. I then used a wire wheel brush on my drill to get spots on the welds and cracks and crevices that the stripper wouldnt remove. I then buffed the whole thing with scotchbrite pads and finished it with fine steel wool.


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

...


----------



## RaptorTC (Jan 22, 2012)

njdj said:


> Sorry to be a thread hog guys, but I'm really interested in doing this. Anyway, where did you guys find decals/stickers?


A while back when I used to race bmx my dad re-finished a set of forks and handlebars for me. I was a little upset that I lost the decals so I sent an email to the company that made the parts. They ended up sending me a bunch of new stickers for free.


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

RaptorTC said:


> A while back when I used to race bmx my dad re-finished a set of forks and handlebars for me. I was a little upset that I lost the decals so I sent an email to the company that made the parts. They ended up sending me a bunch of new stickers for free.


Trek says right on their website that they don't have decals avialible. I did find some on Ebay, but now I'm thinking about just keeping it bare. Stickers would probably look great if they are applied right. If you do a bad job applying them, it would mess up the whole look.


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

Vinyl Lettering | Custom Vinyl Lettering - These guys do custom lettering at a good price. But after all that work, why give someone else free advertisement?


----------



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> Stickers would probably look great if they are applied right. If you do a bad job applying them, it would mess up the whole look.


I worried about the same thing until I found out how you could make your own vinyl application fluid out of dish soap and water. It worked like a champ.

I was able to gently move the decals around until I had them lined up just how I wanted them. Once everything dried I pulled off the backing and the decals have stayed on without issue.

If you're interested, details and pics here...


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

marpilli said:


> I worried about the same thing until I found out how you could make your own vinyl application fluid out of dish soap and water. It worked like a champ.
> 
> I was able to gently move the decals around until I had them lined up just how I wanted them. Once everything dried I pulled off the backing and the decals have stayed on without issue.
> 
> If you're interested, details and pics here...


Marpilli,

That does look pretty cool. You did a good job. BTW, is that a Lizard Skin carbon chainstay protector on there? I was think about adding one of those. Do you like it?


----------



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> Marpilli,
> 
> That does look pretty cool. You did a good job. BTW, is that a Lizard Skin carbon chainstay protector on there? I was think about adding one of those. Do you like it?


Thank you. It's just some generic carbon chain stay protector. Once I realized it didn't have much coverage I just wrapped the chain stay with gorilla tape instead. Looks good to me and it was cheap. :thumbsup:


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

njdj said:


> Trek says right on their website that they don't have decals avialible. I did find some on Ebay, but now I'm thinking about just keeping it bare. Stickers would probably look great if they are applied right. If you do a bad job applying them, it would mess up the whole look.


Go to your local sign shop. They will be able to make stickers for you. My guy makes stuff for me all the time and it's cheap.


----------



## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> To get it polished, you won't be able to go from steel wool brushed straight to Mothers. You can rub till it catches on fire with mothers at that point before it polishes up. After going over with 0000 steel wool, you'll need to wet sand with paper. Soak the paper in water over night. Start at 500 grit and work your way up to 2000 grit. Wear gloves and don't get the Al on your skin. Then polish with Mothers.


Oh my that is nice.:thumbsup:


----------



## Eville140 (Nov 26, 2010)

If you have a healthy polisher you can get away with stopping at 1000grit on easier to reach spots. I have this http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-grinder-buffer/8-inch-buffer-40668.html And with some good compound it'll take paper marks out pretty quick. 
I wouldn't shoot for mirror finish if you plan on getting it dirty, even wiping dust off the frame will dull the finish.


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

Hey, so I'm a complete newb to this field of information and have some questions that highly reflect my knowledge of the matter. So, I pulled out an old Specialized Hardrock Sport, and I mean an old one. It's a tad smaller than I'd like, but this bike is going to Burning Man and so long as it is functional, I'll take it. It will remain rather squalid in comparison to much of the metal work there, but I'd like to touch it up all the same. It's a Chromoly frame and I have heard it is possible to polish it nicely. Anyone have a guide handy?


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

Eville140 said:


> If you have a healthy polisher you can get away with stopping at 1000grit on easier to reach spots. I have this 8" Benchtop Buffer And with some good compound it'll take paper marks out pretty quick.
> I wouldn't shoot for mirror finish if you plan on getting it dirty, even wiping dust off the frame will dull the finish.


10-4 on that. I stopped at 1200 grit wet, then automotive rubbing compound, then polishing compound, then, of course, Mothers.

ehigh - I have no experience with steel in this context. I ended up painting the rigid chrom/moly steel fork with Duplicolor chrome at 800 grit. Work OK but will try something different in a couple of months. Did not clear coat the aluminum (and have no intention to do so) but would need to do something like that with steel.


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah I had read mention of it on a different forum, but there were not any definitive answers.


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

ehigh said:


> Yeah I had read mention of it on a different forum, but there were not any definitive answers.


If it's going to Burning Man, you might consider some neon spray paint & flower stickers. Maybe for the bike too. Then figure out the best method of polishing/coating afterward. Also, be sure to take a gross of prophylactics with you! What a party that event is...

I'm a gun guy, so I'm thinking of blueing the fork. That would look good in contrast to a polished frame. Probably not practical for a complete frame.


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

Eville140 said:


> If you have a healthy polisher you can get away with stopping at 1000grit on easier to reach spots. I have this 8" Benchtop Buffer And with some good compound it'll take paper marks out pretty quick.
> I wouldn't shoot for mirror finish if you plan on getting it dirty, even wiping dust off the frame will dull the finish.


No doubt there are a number of ways to get to the final product. I found that knowing when enough, was enough, was my biggest problem. 2000 grit is serious dedication. And some of it depends on if you have a 6061 or 7075 alloy frame, as far as brush marks & crash ding penetrations are concerned. I like the brushed look but wonder if those events make that inevitability more visible?

Do you mind a brush marked 4X4, or do you want a perpetually polished Porsche? We all have different expectations, I think, and need to proceed based on those considerations. Whatever the choice, RAW bike frames are unique & a personalized statement.of dedication


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

Desertguns said:


> If it's going to Burning Man, you might consider some neon spray paint & flower stickers. Maybe for the bike too. Then figure out the best method of polishing/coating afterward. Also, be sure to take a gross of prophylactics with you! What a party that event is...
> 
> I'm a gun guy, so I'm thinking of blueing the fork. That would look good in contrast to a polished frame. Probably not practical for a complete frame.


It may end up getting some paint on it once it is there, but I think I can get it shiny. I found this old thread 
BMXmuseum.com Forums / POLISHED, NOT PLATED!

Sounds like a lot of work, and I might not get it that clean looking. I still think I'll give it a shot though.

And I definitely plan on being prepared, regardless of how dazed I may end up becoming.


----------



## Desertguns (Nov 5, 2010)

ehigh said:


> It may end up getting some paint on it once it is there, but I think I can get it shiny. I found this old thread
> BMXmuseum.com Forums / POLISHED, NOT PLATED!
> 
> Sounds like a lot of work, and I might not get it that clean looking. I still think I'll give it a shot though.
> ...


Great link! Amazing photos & saw the process as I scrolled down. Again, that is dedication. BTW - At Burning Man, if you have 2.4" tires of wider, mount them, & run at 35psi or so. Hardpack turns to silt dirt/sand in a few feet. Well, it did when I was there - '92, 96, '02, etc


----------



## judyklien (Nov 29, 2009)

craigstr said:


> I didnt want to deal with having to polish the thing all the time or have to clear coat it. I was able to save 87 grams off the frame weight in paint.


Hi Craigstr,

I have an EG too and have been contemplating converting her to raw aluminium (with clear coat). While there are many bit and pieces of instructions here, i wonder if you can help by advsiing me whether the process that I have put together below is correct (for stripping my frame down to bare aluminium):

Note: My front triangle is current powdercoat, while my rear trianle is anodized...

1) Strip bike bare of all parts, inclu bearings, shox etc..

2) Front triangle: spray on paint remover and leave it on for at least 15min to remove paint. (1) immerse (2) scrub (3) wash off (4) repeat (1)-(3) until all paints are off

3) Rear triangle: immerse in oven cleaner for at least 15min to remove paint. (1) immerse (2) scrub (3) wash off (4) repeat (1)-(3) until all paints are off

4) For both triangle: (1) wipe dry (2) sand down with normal sand paper to create a "brushed" look (3) Clean and wipe dry

5) Clear coat: (1) spray a clear coat over the frame (2) thorough dry the coat (3) repeat 8-9 coats

6) Final touch: (1) wet sand with 1500 grid sand paper (2) wet sand with 2000 grid sand paper

7) Viola, nice new RAW frame with clear coat.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

judyklien said:


> Hi Craigstr,
> 
> I have an EG too and have been contemplating converting her to raw aluminium (with clear coat). While there are many bit and pieces of instructions here, i wonder if you can help by advsiing me whether the process that I have put together below is correct (for stripping my frame down to bare aluminium):
> 
> ...


Oven cleaner will eat Al. I would wet sand the ano off. Front triangle will have a nice bead blasted finish under the powder. I would leave it that way, the clear will stick to that better then anything. Clean the frame at least 6 times before clearing.


----------



## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Mine was painted, Im not sure if powdercoat will come off as easy as paint. If you have trouble you might have a painter or powdercoater chemically strip it? Let us know how it
goes.


----------



## judyklien (Nov 29, 2009)

Thks Shawn.... Do u know if e off-e-shelf rattle can clear coat will do e trick protecting e raw alu underneath? Or should I bring it to a pro for clear cost ano after I stripped e paint?


----------



## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

judyklien said:


> Thks Shawn.... Do u know if e off-e-shelf rattle can clear coat will do e trick protecting e raw alu underneath? Or should I bring it to a pro for clear cost ano after I stripped e paint?


Your keyboard missing some keys?


----------



## judyklien (Nov 29, 2009)

Didn't realize e massive typos...... Was using my iPhone hahahaha.....


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

judyklien said:


> Thks Shawn.... Do u know if e off-e-shelf rattle can clear coat will do e trick protecting e raw alu underneath? Or should I bring it to a pro for clear cost ano after I stripped e paint?


Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn't spend the money and time to clear coat Al. Al doesn't corrode like steel, and bare Al can be easily cleaned up to look like new.

I think there is clear powder coat. I would consider that, done by a professional, if it was suitable for a bike frame.


----------



## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

*FInished it up!*

Whole story is here:
http://forums.mtbr.com/titus/project-el-guapo-lite-742530-5.html#post8952093


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

It looks great!


----------



## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

I kind of want to tear down my new Stumpy and polish up the frame...but idkkkk about that :lol:


----------



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

craigstr, your bike looks awesome. Great job!


----------



## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful. Congratulations, very well done.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sasquatch rides a SS said:


> I kind of want to tear down my new Stumpy and polish up the frame...but idkkkk about that :lol:


Are you stuttering again?


----------



## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

nope  long time buddy!


I just don't know if I want to ruin a perfectly good finish to make it look like a mirror. My reasoning is this..
1. I only have 1 season on it, and it was a short season since Ohio has been so wet this past year
2. A mirror/polished finish would not be ideal for me. I do not ride with pants, so looking down at the frame while riding I would see the bottom of my beanbag in the reflection

I just don't know about that yet..maybe after this season


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sasquatch rides a SS said:


> nope  long time buddy!
> 
> I just don't know if I want to ruin a perfectly good finish to make it look like a mirror. My reasoning is this..
> 1. I only have 1 season on it, and it was a short season since Ohio has been so wet this past year
> ...


So, after this season, it will be ok to look down and see the bottom of your beanbag?


----------



## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

No, I'm never going to be able to get around that, but if I wait another season it will help me justify it for reason 1. I do like the stock paintjob...and once it's mirrored I can't go back


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Your beanbag might get a sunburn!


----------



## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm not worried about that. From riding pantsless for as long as I have, any skin down there is basically layers upon layers of dead skin/calluses (hench why I'm not too fond of seeing the underside reflected) and I don't believe the sun's weaksauce rays can hurt it


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Dude, you must have balls of steel!


----------



## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

polished aluminum :thumbsup: (gotta get this thread back on topic...but no pictures)


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sasquatch rides a SS said:


> polished aluminum :thumbsup: (gotta get this thread back on topic...but no pictures)


lol! here's a pic! It needs to be touched up with Mothers.


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

That bike is now mine, send it to me. Along with that bag of beef jerky! bahaha


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sasquatch rides a SS said:


> That bike is now mine, send it to me. Along with that bag of beef jerky! bahaha


Yeeeessss maaassssttttter.


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Okay. I started things and...you guys didn't tell me this was going to be this much work! I got everything off the bike, stripped it with chemical stripper, and power washed it. All the paint is gone but it looks to me like the chemical stripper left behind the primer coat. Could that be or is this normal? It definitely took all of the paint. I hit it with a Scotch Bright pad but that wasn't enough to go through the gray stuff. Then I used a little 220 grit sand paper and that did the job just fine in my test spot. Beautiful metal! So, is what I'm experiencing normal or was the chemical stripper supposed to pretty much do the whole job? If I need to sand the whole thing, this will be pretty labor intensive. I'm going to have to really love this bike now. :thumbsup:


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

njdj said:


> Okay. I started things and...you guys didn't tell me this was going to be this much work! I got everything off the bike, stripped it with chemical stripper, and power washed it. All the paint is gone but it looks to me like the chemical stripper left behind the primer coat. Could that be or is this normal? It definitely took all of the paint. I hit it with a Scotch Bright pad but that wasn't enough to go through the gray stuff. Then I used a little 220 grit sand paper and that did the job just fine in my test spot. Beautiful metal! So, is what I'm experiencing normal or was the chemical stripper supposed to pretty much do the whole job? If I need to sand the whole thing, this will be pretty labor intensive. I'm going to have to really love this bike now. :thumbsup:


I think what you are seeing is like a bead blasted finish. It's a matte finish that paint or powder will stick to. It's kinda hard to describe, but the finish is like fine sand paper. And it should be a little darker then the spot that you sanded. It's darker because the light doesn't reflect off of it. The stripper should have taken any primer off along with the paint. 0000 steel wool should smooth that finish over pretty easy. and it will be easier to use then paper. Always wet sand when using paper or steel wool, and don't get the Al on you skin.


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> I think what you are seeing is like a bead blasted finish. It's a matte finish that paint or powder will stick to. It's kinda hard to describe, but the finish is like fine sand paper. And it should be a little darker then the spot that you sanded. It's darker because the light doesn't reflect off of it. The stripper should have taken any primer off along with the paint. 0000 steel wool should smooth that finish over pretty easy. and it will be easier to use then paper. Always wet sand when using paper or steel wool, and don't get the Al on you skin.


Wet sand. Okay. Also, why not get the Al on skin? Is it a health hazard?


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Any suggestions for a drill attachment that would speed the sanding process? How about a wire brush attachment?


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> Any suggestions for a drill attachment that would speed the sanding process? How about a wire brush attachment?


I did it by hand with steel wool. For the nooks and crannies I used two very small wire brushes. One steel and one brass. The small steel wire brush will take off the aluminum if you're not gentle with it.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

njdj said:


> Wet sand. Okay. Also, why not get the Al on skin? Is it a health hazard?


Wet sanding with water is safer, no dust, and it will give you a more consistant finish. And yes, to much Al is not good for you. There is some speculation that it may have something to do with Alzheimers disease.


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

njdj said:


> Any suggestions for a drill attachment that would speed the sanding process? How about a wire brush attachment?


For those who do this in the future, I used a dremel with a brass brush for the brazons and small parts. Worked well, just be careful.


----------



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj said:


> For those who do this in the future, I used a dremel with a brass brush for the brazons and small parts. Worked well, just be careful.


Where are the pictures? We like bike porn... :thumbsup:


----------



## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

marpilli said:


> Where are the pictures? We like bike porn... :thumbsup:


Lots of it!!!


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## mountainpics (Dec 15, 2011)

yakuzafreerider said:


> Very nice...thats what I'm hoping to do...dig the orange spokes!


Orange spokes look great!!!


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

marpilli said:


> Where are the pictures? We like bike porn... :thumbsup:


i

I will once it is back together.


----------



## RaindogT (Oct 2, 2005)

*Preston*

Here is my trail bike-- 05 Transition Preston. Just rawed it out on New Years. This frame was an absolute nightmare to strip. I had a FR bike that I recently got rid of that I rawed 5 or 6 years ago that was a breeze to strip. Wish I had a pic of the other bike as well.....









Preston in it's native habitat








Chainstay Koi








Butta'


----------



## Eville140 (Nov 26, 2010)

Some shiny, along with a ride ending broken pedal.


----------



## Marshall Willanholly (Jan 27, 2004)

My old Intense M6. Started life with a raw finish and I polished it prior to building it up.



















My Uzzi VP I never got around to polishing.









And my current ride. 2011 Turner 5 Spot. Also not polished. Love the raw finish. Easy to maintain and I like the industrial look.


----------



## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Marshall Willanholly said:


> My old Intense M6. Started life with a raw finish and I polished it prior to building it up.


When it comes to polished frames, your M6 has got to be my absolute favorite of them all.:thumbsup:


----------



## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

Deleted


----------



## RaindogT (Oct 2, 2005)

'Twasn't me, John---- Although, I am considering adding to it since you apparently felt compelled to cry about it in a public setting.... To me and my group of friends, Airing something that nobody knows/knew about is just asking for it to perpetuate-- but we are jolly pranksters like that.


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Rep thing is stupid anyway, dont worry about it.


----------



## client_9 (Apr 28, 2009)




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## boboxx (Nov 15, 2011)

Here is my 09 Anthem


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## client_9 (Apr 28, 2009)

boboxx said:


> Here is my 09 Anthem


What shock you gonna put in there?


----------



## boboxx (Nov 15, 2011)

I will be using the stock rp2 and the SID in the front


----------



## N00bbiker (Feb 9, 2012)

those bikes all look awesome i think i like the aluminum look more than the stock paint job


----------



## Stuartfleming (Dec 8, 2010)

Here are some pics of my old Giant AC:


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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

Very nice Giant Stuartfleming.

Best, John


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

*Bike Porn!*

Okay, here is mine all finished up. Thanks everyone for the inspiration. I really hated the green color on my bike and, with the help of this thread, I did something about it. Anyway, she started life as a Trek 4300 Disc, but is now something completely different. In addition to stripping the finish, I replaced every single part on the bike. I haven't had much time to ride it yet, but I think I'm going to love it. I have long term thoughts of possibly transferring all my new components to a different frame, may a hardtail Ti. Anyway, here she is:

Frame: Trek 4300
Fork: Rock Shock Tora 302 U Turn w/remote
Drive Train: Complete Sram X7 2x10
Brakes: Avid Juicy 7
Wheelset: Mavic Crosstrail Disc
Headset: Crane Creek
Seatpost, Stem, Handle Bars: Race Face Turbine


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## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

*One more thing...*

One more thing about my bike above. I was thinking about putting stickers on it, but part of me wants to keep it plain. I thought about putting one of the cool stickers from Dean Bikes on it, as my name is Dean. Do you think that's too cheesy? Maybe I should put Trek or nothing? It does sort of look "industrial" without anything on it...kind of cool for a mountain bike.


----------



## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

No stickers...it looks great as is. Nice job with the strip. What size tires are those, they look huge!


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

njdj, your bike looks fantastic. I think it looks great without the stickers. You can always ride it for awhile and add the stickers later.


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

Thanks for the compliments guys. I have you folks that are a part of this thread to thank for giving me the "courage" to make it happen. :thumbsup:



ghughes.hesinc said:


> No stickers...it looks great as is. Nice job with the strip. What size tires are those, they look huge!


The tires are pretty big. The rear is a Bonty XR2 2.1 and the front is a Bonty XR4 2.2. Very grippy and I highly recommend them. I have been riding that combo for about a year now. However, before the "makeover", they had tubes. Now running them tubeless since part of the upgrade was the Mavics and they are UST. BTW, if someone is looking for a wheelset to go with a rawed out frame, I think these match really well. In between the spokes there is an area that has been left raw with the sides of the rim being black (see photo above). I got them from Huck n Roll for about $250. They also had some pretty outrageous decals on the rim sidewalls, but I removed them and just left the small Mavic stickers on the rim. I thought simpler looked better. I think the combo looks pretty neat, kinda like it was made for each other.


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## boboxx (Nov 15, 2011)

I decided to make a new sticker set  (if anyone wants a copy send me a PM)


----------



## kandik (Mar 16, 2012)

Being a big fan of raw finishes, I think I have to post my kids:
Liteville 301 mk8 - raw aluminium, factory finish ( local bikeshop where they built the bike say it is most likely clear anodized)
Duratec C9 - originally powdercoated, used paint remover and sandpapers 250-600
now building Cannondale Furio - originally painted ( does Cannondale use powdercoat?), paint removed in painting shop ( head shok with paint remover inhouse) + brush on a drill, sandpaper 400 + 600 + 1000, polished with an polishing tool with paste on a drill. Since the original brush scratches from Cannondale factory were quite heavy and I didnt have a patience to get them out with sandpaper the result is sort of "scratchandpolish" but looks quite cool imo.


----------



## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

Got mine stripped. Now to polish


----------



## RoxMDO (Nov 12, 2011)

AC/BC said:


> Got mine stripped. Now to polish


Looks great. How did you strip it?


----------



## vbwstripes (Apr 11, 2012)

These all look so sick, I love those mavic wheels too!


----------



## bob7 (Apr 18, 2012)

these are awesome. :drool


----------



## raven1911 (Jul 14, 2011)

boboxx said:


> Here is my 09 Anthem


Thats good lookin!:thumbsup:


----------



## Lotte.2000 (Dec 18, 2010)

My Scott Scale 29" - 8,9 kg


----------



## xbombtrackx (Sep 29, 2011)

A work in progress.


----------



## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

Here's my new passion - been on it for about 5 months now and gets more fun every day. Polishing it by hand made me appreciate it even more once it was built.


----------



## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

We don't have any Aircraft grade paint stripper available here in the Philippines, I was wondering if anyone has rawed a Turner frame? Would a standard paint stripper work on it?


----------



## Kimv (May 19, 2012)

Picture is also posted elsewhere but this is mine. It's not a DIY job since it came stock in the raw aluminum look. Cannondale Rush 35th Anniversary Edition.


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

trojans1993 said:


> Here's my new passion - been on it for about 5 months now and gets more fun every day. Polishing it by hand made me appreciate it even more once it was built.


That Tracer looks great. Better than the works finish IMO (which is what I have on my Spider 29). Did you get a new sticker kit or just polish around the stickers?


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## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

smilinsteve said:


> Did you get a new sticker kit or just polish around the stickers?


It would be pretty tough to do it around the existing decals so I stripped it clean. If you want to send me a PM with your regular email, I will forward you a brief write up with a couple other pics during the process.


----------



## skiing9689 (Jun 21, 2006)

Not totally sold on the raw aluminum look but I can't deny its functionality.


----------



## xl_cheese (Jan 6, 2004)

My previous Ventana El Patron 29er.


----------



## xl_cheese (Jan 6, 2004)

Here it is all built up.










And being ridden.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Good bye


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

xl_cheese said:


> Here it is all built up.


Nice! It looks kinda short though.


----------



## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

76 years of oxidation can be harder to get off than paint.


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Isn't that going to rust?


----------



## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

smilinsteve said:


> Isn't that going to rust?


No, it's aluminum. Yes they had aluminum bikes in 1936. I will oxidize if you don't polish it once in a while.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sandmangts said:


> 76 years of oxidation can be harder to get off than paint.


That is sweet!


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

sandmangts said:


> No, it's aluminum. Yes they had aluminum bikes in 1936. I will oxidize if you don't polish it once in a while.


It's going to rust. That's why it was so hard to polish.


----------



## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> It's going to rust. That's why it was so hard to polish.


Really? The first photo was taken 3 years after I built the bike. I didn't notice any rust. I know bare aluminum will oxidize if not properly cared for but I use a polish followed by an automotive polymer that creates a barrier from moisture called liquid glass. I have not had to polish it for quite a while.


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

sandmangts said:


> No, it's aluminum. Yes they had aluminum bikes in 1936. I will oxidize if you don't polish it once in a while.


That's amazing those thin tubes are aluminum, from 1936!!
That frame must be worth something. 
Great job polishing it.

my 2 cents: aluminum doesn't rust unless you call oxidation rust, but rust normally refers to iron oxidation, not oxidation in general.


----------



## casjr808 (Aug 2, 2012)

no mo pics yet


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

smilinsteve said:


> That's amazing those thin tubes are aluminum, from 1936!!
> That frame must be worth something.
> Great job polishing it.
> 
> my 2 cents: aluminum doesn't rust unless you call oxidation rust, but rust normally refers to iron oxidation, not oxidation in general.


How about some pictures of the dog in your avatar? I love bull breeds.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

sandmangts said:


> 76 years of oxidation can be harder to get off than paint.


Very nice bike. How about some history or the build specs?


----------



## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> It's going to rust. That's why it was so hard to polish.


Aluminum can oxidize, but only iron can rust.


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

CS2 said:


> Very nice bike. How about some history or the build specs?


I'd like to know how that thing is held together. There are no welds visible around those lugs!


----------



## Beerglass (Aug 29, 2012)

Very nice


----------



## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

smilinsteve said:


> I'd like to know how that thing is held together. There are no welds visible around those lugs!


The tubes are press fit into the forged pieces. It is a 1936 Wards Hawthorne Silver King. I got the frame for $100 bucks and the steerer tube was separated from the fork. This was a common issue. I milled another from a modern 1 inch steerer tube. The seat post was another challenge. It works just like a quill stem with a bolt and an expander to keep it in place. Finding an original is impossible so I made one out of a piece of aluminum rod by boring out the center and using an old quill stem wedge and bolt.

It took lots of wet sanding down to 2000 grit to get a good base for hand polishing. The rims are vintage Araya 7x that I also polished. The front drum hub is an old Sachs and the rear coaster brake is a Morrow hub from the 40's. The cranks, truss rods, rear hub all came from an old Elgin. The stem is a Suntour, the saddle is a Brooks.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Nice work! How many hours sanding & polishing to get it (just the frame) to that stage?


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## FMCurto (Oct 18, 2011)

This thread got me dialled in stripping the paint of my (modest) bike.

My first attempt at doing something like this,most of the work done using chemical paint stripper and steel wool except for the dropout area where had to use a drill with steel brush.

Have one question thought: I tried to use the woven cleaner trick to strip the anodized from an aluminium seatpost and it works reasonably well but the laser etched logos and lettering remain on bare aluminium, although not so much visible cant seem to brush them off. How deep can this laser etched things remain on aluminium?


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

FMCurto, your bike looks great!

I don't have the experience to answer your question about removing the laser etching, though.


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## Mostly Broken (Sep 25, 2012)

sandman, that is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. I really have to have one!


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## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

Mostly Broken said:


> sandman, that is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. I really have to have one!


They come up on ebay and craigslist every now and then. Frames usually go for about $100-$200 bucks. My total investment on that bike was only $700 dollars. I have had offers on it up to $2000.


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## morosito (Nov 8, 2012)

good aluminium frames


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Naughty aluminum frames!


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)




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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

^^^ Nice.


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

This thread just keeps going....glad to see all the "naked beauty"!


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## nigelb (Nov 21, 2012)

My Mongoose Amplifier as I first built it and as it is now.

I couldn't resist the Noleen fork even though the bike has lost its 'purity'


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

nigelb said:


> My Mongoose Amplifier as I first built it and as it is now.
> 
> I couldn't resist the Noleen fork even though the bike has lost its 'purity'


The Noleen linkage fork is beautiful. You'll never need an excuse to put one on a fun XC bike. :thumbsup:


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## Unkown (Dec 25, 2012)

sandmangts said:


> 76 years of oxidation can be harder to get off than paint.


Amazing.


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## amrjon (Feb 23, 2006)

*2 polished giants*

Here's 2 of mine. A STP frame and a built up XTC.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

amrjon said:


> Here's 2 of mine. A STP frame and a built up XTC.


Wow, you did a pretty nice job both polishing and taking pictures. My compliments to you!:thumbsup:


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## Ltdan12a (Jun 15, 2012)

Not a bike, but the hood on a first generation Miata is aluminum.... Took a few hours, but ended up with this:


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## bengxe (Oct 11, 2009)

Heres my giant AC:


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## Donmac70 (Dec 30, 2012)

*Aluminum*

1984 Cannondale SM-500


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Donmac70 said:


> 1984 Cannondale SM-500


Am I missing something like a picture?


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## Donmac70 (Dec 30, 2012)

Not allowed pic until I've had enough posts


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

CS2 said:


> Am I missing something like a picture?





Donmac70 said:


> Not allowed pic until I've had enough posts


So he is basically posting nothing in order to get his post count up.


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## Donmac70 (Dec 30, 2012)

Wanted to post pic, wasn't allowed so I still posted what I have. Thanks for the snide remark!!!!!!!!!!


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Oh, don't mention it! Anytime you're willing to waste my time with a post about nothing, I'm willing to give out, "snide" comments. Now I'm going to give negative rep.


----------



## Iwan (Jul 18, 2007)

Taken in Stellenbosch, South Africa


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Ltdan12a said:


> Not a bike, but the hood on a first generation Miata is aluminum.... Took a few hours, but ended up with this:


No, not a bike but pretty darn awesome anyway. Thanks for posting!:thumbsup:


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## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

Iwan said:


> Taken in Stellenbosch, South Africa


Did you get the frame raw or did you strip it? Been wanting to strip my Spot.


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

this thread makes me want to strip the paint on my Norco Range. You guys are doing good. 
I've got a new rear triangle my ride that is anodized though and I'm considering whether or not I polish that, or part of it, and the anodized swing arm. I'll see. where do you guys go for frame decals?


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## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

After drooling over all the beautiful raw and polished rides on this thread I finally took the plunge to strip my 06 Fisher Tassajara. Lets just say it didnt go very well. Apparently my frame is powder coated or something because after 2 can of stripper and 5hrs of application my frame is still coated with a gray primer like coating that the stripper cant seem to remove. Suggestions? I was thinking of wet sanding it off however Im not sure of what to do in the more intricate areas such as the drop outs and cable guides. What grit paper should I start and end with if I go that route? Or should I just take it to a media blast company? I just wanna get my bike back together. Any help is greatly appreciated!


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## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

CyclesnIPAs said:


> After drooling over all the beautiful raw and polished rides on this thread I finally took the plunge to strip my 06 Fisher Tassajara. Lets just say it didnt go very well. Apparently my frame is powder coated or something because after 2 can of stripper and 5hrs of application my frame is still coated with a gray primer like coating that the stripper cant seem to remove. Suggestions? I was thinking of wet sanding it off however Im not sure of what to do in the more intricate areas such as the drop outs and cable guides. What grit paper should I start and end with if I go that route? Or should I just take it to a media blast company? I just wanna get my bike back together. Any help is greatly appreciated!


I hate to be a buzz kill but I would say "abort mission" on trying to do it yourself at this point. If you have already put a few hours using some good nasty paint remover and you're not seeing raw aluminum then you are going to have a hell of time when you get into the small dropout and BB areas.

I would find a local metal polishing house and let them have a look at it and have them do the blasting/stripping for you at least. You can still do the fine polishing yourself to give it a personal touch, but believe me it can be a royal PITA to get into some spots even if you have a frame that is cooperating. Just my $.02 Good luck.


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## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks for the input. Im leaning more towards getting the frame media blasted the more I stare at the gray mess. I actually attempted to use some wet fine grit sand paper on the down tube, the effort required to remove the coating was ridiculous and way more taxing than I care to deal with. Guess Im gonna be searching for a media blaster on Monday.


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## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

Good decision if you want to get your rig back on the trail sooner rather than later. Do a quick search and you might be surprised how many metal blasting places around.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

CyclesnIPAs said:


> Thanks for the input. Im leaning more towards getting the frame media blasted the more I stare at the gray mess. I actually attempted to use some wet fine grit sand paper on the down tube, the effort required to remove the coating was ridiculous and way more taxing than I care to deal with. Guess Im gonna be searching for a media blaster on Monday.


Find one that is familiar with working with Al frames. Is easy to ruin a frame if they do it wrong.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

amrjon said:


> Here's 2 of mine. A STP frame and a built up XTC.


Very nice, waiting to see the STP built up.


----------



## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

I did a Google search for powder coating removers/strippers. Turned up a few options. Has anyone here used a powder coat specific stripper? Im still considering media blasting the frame however Im assuming this route is expensive. The powder coat specific strippers can be had for around $20.


----------



## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

Never did try powder coat specific but was lucky to have frames that stripped down nicely. You can try it, but I don't think it would cost more than $50 or so just to have it blasted then polish it yourself.


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## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

After going to a couple of paint stores (one of which the clerk had no idea what powder coating was and thought I was referring to a paint color lol) I wound up at an Automotive Speed/Race shop where I picked up a can of stripper called POR-strip by POR 15. This stuff works! I finished stripping and polishing my frame in about 2 1/2 hrs. Assembly will ensue tomorrow hopefully I can post a pic when im done.


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## trojans1993 (May 8, 2011)

Awesome, glad you found the right stuff to do the job. You might want to do a couple coats with a mag wheel type of wax that will help slow the oxidation process and will resist stains that raw AL is susceptible to. Let's see it when she's done.


----------



## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

My neighbor who works for Freight Liner gave me a bottle of aluminum polish that they use on all the big rigs. Worked great. Didnt wanna go to shiny on the finish so I stopped at a nice brushed finish. Its not perfect but hay its a mountain bike. Pretty happy with it though, gonna assemble it tonight.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

CyclesnIPAs said:


> My neighbor who works for Freight Liner gave me a bottle of aluminum polish that they use on all the big rigs. Worked great. Didnt wanna go to shiny on the finish so I stopped at a nice brushed finish. Its not perfect but hay its a mountain bike. Pretty happy with it though, gonna assemble it tonight.


For some unexplainable reason, I'm not seeing the picture, that I know you posted.


----------



## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> For some unexplainable reason, I'm not seeing the picture, that I know you posted.


Yeah no pic yet. As sad as it is I actually dont know how to post a pic. Will do asap when I figure out how.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

CyclesnIPAs said:


> Yeah no pic yet. As sad as it is I actually dont know how to post a pic. Will do asap when I figure out how.


It's pretty easy. Open free account at Photobucket, store your pics there. Copy the IMG link from there and Paste it here.


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## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> It's pretty easy. Open free account at Photobucket, store your pics there. Copy the IMG link from there and Paste it here.


Cool I'll get a pic up as soon as I can thanks.:thumbsup:


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## sp00j (Sep 29, 2008)

Ok, I'll play...............1993 Diamondback Vertex, full XT, Post Modern suspension seatpost, Rockshox fork, gray fire XC pros, Gray Ourys, silver Easton monkey bar, XT dual control shifter/lever combo, gray cabling, Azonic stem......


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## CyclesnIPAs (Jan 22, 2012)

sp00j said:


> Ok, I'll play...............1993 Diamondback Vertex, full XT, Post Modern suspension seatpost, Rockshox fork, gray fire XC pros, Gray Ourys, silver Easton monkey bar, XT dual control shifter/lever combo, gray cabling, Azonic stem......


Nice. Kinda resembles an old school titanium 'goose frame I saw at a bike shop recently.:thumbsup:


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## VintageRocks (Jan 27, 2013)

Ok, so here is a "raw" bike that was a mystery until a few weeks ago (see "Mystery Frame" thread in the Vintage forum).

Its a Ziegler-Lam made in Kent WA. Probably a 1998 model and this model came "raw".

I've got the bug now and want more bare aluminum bikes!!!

I had a 1992 Cannondale Delta V-2000. It was painted of course and I remember in the manual for it they said not to strip the paint as the process could damage or weaken the frame. I always thought that was odd. I also always wondered why 'dale did not offer a bare frame choice. My guess is it costs more to brush or polish a frame than to paint it? 

It a crime to cover up aluminum.

I'll be back to put the pic up after I get to 10 posts


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## theNomad (Dec 27, 2010)

current build up of Spec Hardrock "Nuttin' Special"


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

VintageRocks said:


> I also always wondered why 'dale did not offer a bare frame choice. My guess is it costs more to brush or polish a frame than to paint it?


Cannondale had polished frames available most years.


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## FMCurto (Oct 18, 2011)

It was the look of a Cannondale of forum user (brentos) in this thread that got me dialled in stripping mine to raw, kind of a classical race car look and closest thing to bike porn I have ever seen:









A milestone in this thread.

Sry to double post it here but cant post links yet and dont know how to link to message #116


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## RaptorTC (Jan 22, 2012)

She's not a mountain bike, but she's still raw aluminum.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

RaptorTC said:


> She's not a mountain bike, but she's still raw aluminuml


And she still looks nice. Something to be said for the elegance of keeping it simple.


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## theNomad (Dec 27, 2010)

decals help make it look legit


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## Crank Monkey (Jan 14, 2013)

Specialized 2001 Rockhopper

Her name is Sasha. =)

My favorite thing about stripping her raw is how the frame matches the alu crankset.


----------



## MTBWV96 (Mar 29, 2013)




----------



## Venturewest (Jul 13, 2007)

*Raw Giant Trance*

2009 Giant Trance X1

Original Brushed Aluminum finish after removing paint. I used Mother's Aluminum polish to brighten and protect it a litt


















le bit.


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## teamdicky (Jan 12, 2004)

Powder removed, Mother's applied.


----------



## rickpaulos (Feb 5, 2007)

my Trek CNC Rail.
clear coat over aluminum. Perhaps a clear Powder coat.


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## rickpaulos (Feb 5, 2007)

A Vertical PK7 I converted to coaster brake.
Painted a riigid steel fork and the steel rear stays "aluminum paint" to match.


----------



## Lupob6 (Apr 21, 2012)

My new Gary Fisher Rig

I had more luck with fine steel wool and mothers polish, than sandpaper but I'm going to hit it with 2000 grit next


----------



## Bluebeat007 (Mar 17, 2004)

Misfit Dissent...yesterday it was flat black.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

You did that in 1 day? How?


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## Bluebeat007 (Mar 17, 2004)

Two days really. Stripped it on Tuesday and started polishing with steel wool. I finished it yesterday. I wasn't going for a mirror shine so it didn't take too long. I had a ride planned this morning so I had a little incentive.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

Bumping this thread because I underwent paint stripping project this past weekend. I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile and it was fairly simple. I removed the rear triangle off my Yeti 303 RDH and went to town on it. Here's the finished product.










It only cost me about $20 in materials from Home Depot:

Kleen Strip spray paint stripper
rubber gloves
Brasso metal polish
Gorilla tape
very fine steel wool
Rustoleum clear spray paint
Wire brush attachment for Dremel/drill

I read up a lot about this process and wanted to do it much simpler.

Step 1: clean/hose down rear triangle, tape over bearings with Gorilla tape.

Step 2: place the triangle on a piece of cardboard and spray away with the paint stripper. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 3: the paint should be falling off by now. With rubber gloves on (and preferably long sleeves/pants; even a drop will burn your skin) start scrubbing the paint off the with steel wool. About 80% of the paint came off the first spray.

Step 4: Once you've scrubbed most the paint off, hose off the stripped paint. Spray the whole thing again with the stripper to get the remaining paint off. Let sit for another 15 minutes.

Step 5: Keep scrubbing with the steel wool, hose it off again. Now is the tedious part. I used a wire brush Dremel attachment to grind off the stubborn paint. This may take awhile but its worth it to get it 100% paint free.

Step 6: Use the Brasso and a wet piece of steel wool to begin polishing. The more you polish, the shinier it gets.

Step 7: Keep using the Brasso but polish with a dry terry cloth. Polish more for a shiny look or less for a raw look.

Step 8: Apply 2-3 coats of clear spray paint, let it dry, reinstall.

I may do the whole frame, but that would be a substantial project. I definitely recommend this as an inexpensive way to spruce up a bike that may have some beat up paint.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

^ Nice job. Are you going to polish it?


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

He clear coated it, so too late to polish it. I would have skipped the clearcoat.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

smilinsteve said:


> He clear coated it, so too late to polish it. I would have skipped the clearcoat.


Yeah, and I read that part to. In one eye and out the other, I guess.

I would have also left it uncleared. And I definitely wouldn't use a can clear. But, I guess if it starts to flake off, he can drown it in paint stripper again to get it off. I'd mirror polish it and leave it at that. Then, hit it with Mothers ever 6 months or so.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

I did polish it a bit. I didn't want to the shiny mirror look, I like the raw aluminum finish.


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

*Raw chainstay*

Decided to remove the chipped and scratched paint from my chainstay...


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

You Know, Lizard Skins makes a protector for that.


----------



## Iwan (Jul 18, 2007)

mikkosan said:


> Did you get the frame raw or did you strip it? Been wanting to strip my Spot.


Was bought raw


----------



## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

raw Rumble, 69'ed.


----------



## Spetsnaz (May 30, 2013)

*Trek 4300*

Ok guys, this is still work in progress, but thank you very much for inspiration and encouragement to take this on. My main inspiration was another owner of 4300 a few pages back.

This was a 2001 Trek 4300. Despite everyone advise not to upgrade this bike, I did it anyway. So far I am very happy. Could have I gotten a better bike on craigslist with total cost? Maybe. But I could not say I built it. This bike was purchased on caigslist for $150.

So far here is what Ive upgraded:

Rockshox XC30 tk
Avid BB7 front disk brake
Avid Single digit 7 rear V brake w/Kool Stop pads
Avenir Joytec/Weinmann front wheel
ROCKBROS Bike Pedals
Shimano Deore rear derailleur RD-M591
K-Force XC Riser Bar (carbon)
Kalloy UNO stem
All new Jagwire blue cables

I'am still waiting for some of the stuff to arrive. For the most part bike should be complete in a week.


----------



## guamjim (Jun 3, 2013)

*2006 xtc*

Sanded down to 400 grit wet/dry and polished with Mother's.









More pictures of build here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/giant/post-your-hardtail-giants-207067-30.html


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

What's the name of the paint stripper stuff you used, and what's the best tool for getting welds and cable guides.
Also I've been able to chip away the paint with a putty knife... It literally just flakes away with little effort, and there also is a white primer layer. I So basically what I'm wondering is if I will need the same stripper because I doubt powder coating flakes like mine has.


----------



## Spetsnaz (May 30, 2013)

WillT19 said:


> What's the name of the paint stripper stuff you used, and what's the best tool for getting welds and cable guides.
> Also I've been able to chip away the paint with a putty knife... It literally just flakes away with little effort, and there also is a white primer layer. I So basically what I'm wondering is if I will need the same stripper because I doubt powder coating flakes like mine has.


Use Aircraft Paint Remover. Can be found at local autopart store, goes for around $10 per can. I used 2 cans but could of gotten away with one. Then you can use a wire brush or they sell a drill bit that has a metal brush on the end at local hardware store for around $6-10. I used sandpaper 150,300,600 to get the buff I wanted. Every one here seems to be using Mothers polish but I found something else thats a bit more expensive but works a lot faster and easier. Its called White Diamond Metal Polish and Sealant. That was $15 at Advance Auto Parts store. After polishing it I used some WD40 and wiped it all over with a rug to give it dirty metal look.


----------



## Pedro Rios (Oct 27, 2009)

I'm done stripping my Blur LT frame but I found that there is a lot of difference between the front triangle vs rear triangle, the aluminum looks way different, more dull and with more texture.

how can I get a nice finish on both? I don't wanna go to shiny
already remove all the paint, and did a little bit of steel wool. do I need to use sandpaper?


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Steel wool should work. Get different grades. I think coarse steel wool all in one direction will give it more of a brushed look. Then go finer if you want it shinier.


----------



## TheeSuperUberV (Jun 10, 2013)

jeffw-13 said:


> Here's a Yeti 575 polished to a mirror finish. Not my bike. Yeti 575 Frame Polished to a Mirror Finish...Photos Inside


WOW! That's the best polished aluminum i ever saw. Looks like Hutch BMX chromoly steel, or better! I know not yours, but do you know the cost for that?


----------



## RDMTB-rider (Sep 7, 2013)

TheeSuperUberV said:


> WOW! That's the best polished aluminum i ever saw. Looks like Hutch BMX chromoly steel, or better! I know not yours, but do you know the cost for that?


That does look nice. Wouldn't mind that on my Camber with white writing on it.


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

So this is the most recent pic of my bike... I'm going to strip the paint, and I'm going to buy a set of Raleigh stickers. What I want help deciding is the color.
Let me know what you think.
14 Set Raleigh Decals Stickers Frames Bicycles Bikes 11" Colors Available A59M | eBay


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

WillT19 said:


> So this is the most recent pic of my bike... I'm going to strip the paint, and I'm going to buy a set of Raleigh stickers. What I want help deciding is the color.
> Let me know what you think.
> 14 Set Raleigh Decals Stickers Frames Bicycles Bikes 11" Colors Available A59M | eBay


I think it would look best with no Raleigh stickers.


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

smilinsteve said:


> I think it would look best with no Raleigh stickers.


Should I put some On One or maybe Santa Cruz stickers on it instead haha....


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

WillT19 said:


> Should I put some On One or maybe Santa Cruz stickers on it instead haha....


I like to keep it simple. Maybe just one small sticker on the seat tube by the bottom bracket "Hand Built by Richard Cunningham"


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

*Raw Raleigh*

Almost Done, just waiting for stickers ^


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Looks good just like that


----------



## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

It does but I want something like this.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

WillT19 said:


> It does but I want something like this.


If you want that, why are you hanging out here?


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> To get it polished, you won't be able to go from steel wool brushed straight to Mothers. You can rub till it catches on fire with mothers at that point before it polishes up. After going over with 0000 steel wool, you'll need to wet sand with paper. Soak the paper in water over night. Start at 500 grit and work your way up to 2000 grit. Wear gloves and don't get the Al on your skin. Then polish with Mothers. Then you'll have this:


i-i cap. over and uot.(oops...I mean out)


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> It's pretty easy. Open free account at Photobucket, store your pics there. Copy the IMG link from there and Paste it here.


thanks


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Glad I found this thread.
I got some silver P35 rims to go along with my silver '08 Performance Access frame. The rims and frame are not actually "silver" so to speak...more like gray. I got some silver stems (Giant) from blueskycycling.com for 7 bucks a pop...but missed the Cromag polished h-bars on sale on Amazon for 39. I have some Syncros 7075 white riser bars...so I thought maybe I could strip them to raw. So I googled for help,and wound up here. I got a silver seatpost and silver hubs...so it's game-on.
...Just shows again. It's all on MTBR. I'm gonna name the all-silver bike..."Quiksilver"
I even found some Quiksilver stickers on ebay...while searching out Trek stickers mentioned in this thread. So here we go.....


----------



## mikkosan (Jun 26, 2009)

Well it took me 4 days to do it, but finally it's finished!

Before








After


----------



## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

this thread inspired me to strip my 2009 specialized fsr xc. i couldnt be happier with the results.


----------



## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

*Me too!*

Various projects from last year to last week (2009 Heckler, 2009 Steel SE DJ Flyer, 2011 Turner DHR). Okay, the Heckler was chromed instead but it's still shiny! Lol!


----------



## Pedro Rios (Oct 27, 2009)

Just finish working on my frame
2011 Giant XTC1 29er


----------



## bcbailey25 (Jul 17, 2013)

My 2005 Giant Team DH. Took about a week to do everything but I love the way it came out.

Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk


----------



## El Cheap0 (Mar 23, 2013)

That must be Terminator's bike^^^^^


----------



## bmbass (Apr 20, 2009)

*You guys suck*

Couldn't resist after going through this thread. Jasco - :madman: sucked so bad, then had a local abrasives guy do a light glass bead blast for a uniform look and to get the nooks and crannies. Came out with a nice satin macbook-esce finish. Seems to be pretty high maintenance though, so I'll probably hit it with some Mother's at some point.

Super pumped about it though. Rode today and my bike definitely rides lighter, faster, feels more bottomless and tracks like never before 

Also definitely need a kashima rear shock.


----------



## penser (Jan 10, 2008)

Bluebeat007 - that looks like a no-nonsense machine. Nice work! The raw, less polished industrial look is what appeals to me. Scratch? What scratch?


----------



## penser (Jan 10, 2008)

That bike's the HEAT without the decals. Nice job on the strip and brush!


----------



## habibieater (Jun 13, 2014)

Walnut shell blasted my cannondale road frame, wasn't too much more expensive than supplies to chemically strip so I figured I'd save myself the risk of burns.

So if i wanted a more brushed look, I would just take some 3m scotchbrite or sandpaper and scrub it?


----------



## Bluebeat007 (Mar 17, 2004)

penser said:


> Bluebeat007 - that looks like a no-nonsense machine. Nice work! The raw, less polished industrial look is what appeals to me. Scratch? What scratch?


Ha!!! Exactly!!! Updated pic.


----------



## Shinkers (Feb 5, 2014)

Damn, some nice looking frames in this thread. 

I have a question though. I'm getting a frame that will have a raw Al finish on it and I'd like to shoot for the super high polish that I see on some frames here to match my Rolling Darryl rim. However I'm also getting some custom decals made for it as well. I know the frame will look fantastic for a few months after being polished, but how would you go about 'touching up' the finish when you notice oxidizing? I have no problem re-polishing with Mothers or something like that, but I'm concerned about getting around the decals. I want it to look good, but I also don't want to tear up the decals. 

How do you guys do it? 

Also, does polishing the Al make it more susceptible to water and salt?

Oh, and one more thing, is it possible to get into all of the tights spots without having to resort to powertools? The frame is only raw aluminum, so I don't have to strip anything. I should just be able to wet sand and polish with Mothers no? Wet sanding with water is okay? Or should you use mineral spirits or somthing like that?

Thanks!


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

I stripped my frame down with stripper, sanded it and steel wooled it. I had some trouble with the welds and tight spots though. I also hope someone chimes in. If it's too much trouble, I'm just gonna paint it and call it a day.LOL 
I'm thinking maybe a drill and a disc might help though.It looks pretty nice so far with the Mother's Mag polish though. I also stripped my Recon fork lowers too...but then I heard the magnesium lowers will corrode quickly and paint doesn't stick well to magnesium.I guess it will turn out OK if I keep the maintenance up though.


----------



## Shinkers (Feb 5, 2014)

The welds are probably what I'm most concerned with. Getting around cable guides and stuff like that could be tricky too. 

I'd rather stick to just hand sanding if I can.


----------



## tuffguy (Feb 13, 2010)

So this thread helped me decide to commit to strip/polish my bike. Rather than repost all the pics and descriptions, I'll link to the post I put in the Turner forum. There's lots of pics and some descriptions of what I went through.

Finally dug into polishing my frame! PIC HEAVY!!!


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## Gasket-Jeff (May 28, 2014)

Steve77 said:


> Mine came raw from the factory but it's so nice I'm surprised more brands don't offer it
> 
> View attachment 611479


Dude this bike made me cream a lil bit. Im so jelly. NICE WHIP


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## ifouiripilay (Nov 11, 2005)

Love raw
5 spot and highline in the raw


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## tuffguy (Feb 13, 2010)

to answer the questions about polishing after the fact- I just use occasional swipes of Blue Magic to get the shine back up. All of the black oxidation just wipes off of the bike and can be easily cleaned off with a rag, and it's not abrasive enough to harm decals. 

Polishing around welds and cable guides is easy, for me, the hardest part was stripping those areas. I ended up using a wire brush (brass) and even more paint stripper to get them clean, then wet sanded/polished them. Lots of details in the thread I linked to a few posts up.


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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

Here's my raw Uzzi and Nomad.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Nice seat cover


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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

Lol, thanks. It's actually not a cover. I added the tassels around the base of the seat.:thumbsup:


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2014)

WOW, some serious iron out there! Here is mine, by far the best mod I have done yet, now I can grow a beard to compensate for the weight loss, lol.


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## rapsac (Sep 26, 2004)




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## Zac808 (Apr 1, 2010)

Intense Spider


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## kragu (Jun 14, 2011)




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## rapsac (Sep 26, 2004)

*Giant XTC 29 raw*

































9090 gram as pictured with Notubes latex in tires
(= 20.04 lbs = 20 lbs + .64 oz)


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## scar4me (May 16, 2010)

*Lets see your RAW aluminium!*

EazeBikes Dude AM Prototype frame
(not being taken to production, as they moved to 27.5 wheels and called the new one "Mr Funky V")
WWW.EAZEBIKES.COM

Well it started life like this:








Then I re-anodised the small parts red, drilled out stealth routing and built her up:






















Then decided that she was looking a bit too tired in full raw, so got her anodized black and new red graphics from Eaze:








All in ~28lb, not bad for a 170mm travel F&R Alu bike 

Scar


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## toolunch (Oct 19, 2014)

*Cluad Butler*

This is my cluad butler unfortunatly i have no before pictures, but believe me it was in a sad place before the uplift, its been stripped re-greased then frame polished, It was a labour of love i really enjoyed it, unfortunately its being sold on ebay now as i need the room. I purchased a bike off ebay so i could do it all again , what a sucker Pictures to follow


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## toolunch (Oct 19, 2014)

*GT Before and after*

Here goes guys before and after pictures

Bloody hard work this was but well worth it


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a question that is related to the raw-aluminum and polished-aluminum look.

*Has anyone tried buffing a frame to an almost chrome shine, and then applied a "blackened chrome" clear finish on top of it?*

I have seen that on some car wheels and I just absolutely love that look.


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## cjordancain (May 31, 2013)

Just got it reassembled tonight!


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## alicerr (Dec 11, 2014)

Personne ne veut montrer leur bébé? Vous mettez tout ce dur labeur dedans, laissez chacun voir pourquoi il était si en vaut la peine!

--------------------------
accessoires mobile
etui iPad mini 3


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

alicerr said:


> Personne ne veut montrer leur bébé? Vous mettez tout ce dur labeur dedans, laissez chacun voir pourquoi il était si en vaut la peine!
> 
> --------------------------


**Google translation**
Nobody wants to show their baby? You put all that hard work in, let everyone see why it was so worth it !


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## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

*Latest Update*

Latest changes: polished bar, polished seat post, new rims, new seat, new grips.


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## beerdrinker (May 21, 2014)

before









after









imgur gallery of the process


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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

Good job man, looks great!


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Got a couple that came raw, I'd never have the patience to strip them myself. Or polish them for that matter. Hell, I can't even remember the last time I cleaned them. 

Sinister DNA by Frank the Welder










Sinister Shenanigan (Devinci Hectik faiap)


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## jackspade (Jul 23, 2010)

Polygon Xtrada 2012 XCM forks.

At first I plan to repaint while both my patience and paint job sucks, so when I stripped the paint I kinda like it so I paint it raw.

Not exactly raw since I paint it white pearl for coating to prevent oxidation stuffs since that's the only spray paint I got - I want to coat it clear metallic though.

Need more cutting sticker now


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## Fparra (Dec 22, 2010)

*Chameleon MKIV*

Never Build it up... loving raw finish... clear gloss coating...


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## saddle pimp (Apr 29, 2010)

Fparra said:


> Never Build it up... loving raw finish... clear gloss coating...
> 
> View attachment 959505
> 
> ...


cool...how many coats for the clear coat?


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## Fparra (Dec 22, 2010)

This has 2 Coats... I think that more is better... think 4 coats is perfection!!!


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## Gasket-Jeff (May 28, 2014)

*Yolo n+1*

Done. This was an '07 Santa Cruz VP-Free. Now its my main ride


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Clear-coated aluminum:


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

GRAVELBIKE said:


> Clear-coated aluminum:


OMG! That is absolutely gorgeous!


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

blundar said:


> OMG! That is absolutely gorgeous!


 Thanjks. It's been neglected lately due to the unpredictable weather here in Colorado.


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## DBR (Apr 11, 2005)

Hey all, about to polish a raw aluminum frame, but I was wondering if its okay to put vinyl decals on afterwards? Or should I go ahead and apply the decals? Thanks!


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

Sure you can. Why not?


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## tuffguy (Feb 13, 2010)

*An update on my polished frame*

I posted a link to the Turner forum a while ago about the polishing job I did on my Turner 5 Spot, and have since further blinged it out a little bit. I wanted something unique and completely out of place in mountain biking, so obviously I went with polished and gold accents! every few weeks I'll polish up the top tube, gusset, and handlebar, and when motivated I'll go ahead and touch up the downtube, headtube, and rear triangle. In the future, I'll add a gold stem and eventually a gold reverb dropper cable or finally get rid of it for cable actuated, who knows.









Magnificent 7 in Moab


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## kragu (Jun 14, 2011)

Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail


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## rapsac (Sep 26, 2004)




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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

kragu said:


> Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail
> 
> View attachment 997769


Sweet ride bro! How do u like it? I thought about getting one, but my Uzzy is still too good and too new. I would need a DM derailleur though since I roll a 2x.


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## kragu (Jun 14, 2011)

Shredman69 said:


> Sweet ride bro! How do u like it? I thought about getting one, but my Uzzy is still too good and too new. I would need a DM derailleur though since I roll a 2x.


More and more every ride as I get it dialed in. It rides really light, but I'm also discovering it's more forgiving than initial rides. The new school geo is pretty sweet...2" longer TT than my previous bike, yet somehow it fits like a glove.


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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

Nice! Yea, I read up on it and the geo sounds really good. Looks like it can be built up pretty light too. How much does it weigh? My Uzzi frame is burly, but kinda heavy at 8.3 lbs, but I was still able to get it down to 28 lbs without losing any durability. Nothing like Murican made aluminum!:cornut:


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## kragu (Jun 14, 2011)

I haven't weighed it yet, but it's lighter than my Lenz which was at 30.5. I'd say a shade under 30, with the chain guide/bash guard, alu cranks, and wheels being heavy-ish items that I wouldn't necessarily trade in for weight purposes. Those weights are with pedals - CB Mallet 3. Frame weight is 7.1 before shock, so kinda heavy I guess. As I stated before, it rides so much lighter than that.


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## Josh_W (Aug 30, 2010)

Picked up a blue replacement frame for my cracked yellow one, and the combination was a little too close to Michigan colors, so off to the soda blaster it went...

















Update: All done!!''


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## cberry (Jul 18, 2015)

nothing close to money spent by you guys, but my ride that turns heads.


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## Endurobro (Mar 22, 2014)

the welds on my Megatrail are a work of art. best bike i have ever owned


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## pcmark (Jul 10, 2010)

Ball Burnished Raw


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## Clippers729 (Oct 15, 2015)

*50mm stem*

Need advice. Do I have to get new handle bars if I get a new stem or will my stock giant talon 690mm be okay?


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

Clippers729 said:


> Need advice. Do I have to get new handle bars if I get a new stem or will my stock giant talon 690mm be okay?


FYI, this post is in the wrong thread. This thread is for raw aluminum frames. As to your question, it is impossible for me to know what you need as far as handlebars. Stem length and handlebar width are chosen to make you fit the bike and be comfortable. So you need to find a width handlebar that you are comfortable with and then get the correct length stem to put you in the correct position on the bike. You shouldn't just go and buy a 50mm stem because short stems are trendy now.


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## Ducman (Feb 29, 2004)




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## snowwcold55 (Jun 6, 2014)

Hey boys and girls...

I picked up a stripped aluminum frame from a dude I work with - he claims its an old Santa Cruz, but i'm not sold. The only thing I know is it's got a Fox Vanilla X Spring fork in it. Pics Below:

























If anyone has any ideas - let me know. I want to build her back up to a beautiful lass, but I need to figure out her dimensions.

Thanks!!!


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

Santa Cruz Heckler circa 1997-8


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## DBR (Apr 11, 2005)

Is that a vinyl decal on top of polished aluminum? If so, does it stick on well?


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## ALUMINUMFALCON (Dec 8, 2015)

My Frankenstein project in 3/4 raw. A play on the factory paint scheme. The original was clear-coated over bare aluminum and decals and it looked horrible all scratched and dinged.


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## tomcat551 (Jan 1, 2011)

Here is a pic of my latest project inspired by this thread. The frame is my first real mountain bike that i purchased back in 2001. The frame is a Avanti Pro Aggressor. I retired it back in 2009 as the chain stays had cracks in them. I couldn't come to terms of throwing the frame and it has lived in my roof until about 6 months ago when i gave it to a mate to repair the chain stays. I was not convinced with the colours as it looked ok in the photos but up close the paint work was ordinary due to years of riding and wear and tear. I found this thread and was set from there on to strip it back to the raw elements. Pretty happy with the result. Thanks everyone for the pics.:thumbsup:

Tom


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## vohiep (Apr 7, 2016)

sandman, that is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. I really have to have one!


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## JHouston (Apr 18, 2016)

I know this thread says "raw aluminum", but ive saw a few posted here that were polished up real nice. Now im considering goin that route, but id like to have some red in there and some white to balance out the white on my forks... My question is has anyone else done this? 

Asking bc it seems like the surface will be too slick to bond w the paint and clearcoat. Ive painted many cars, but anytime ive had to paint aluminum, an entire wheel, etc. it was completely sanded w sealer underneath first... Jus curious bc id like to break out the airbrush, but not even gna try if i cant protect it... Thx in advance!


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## RSM (Dec 4, 2015)

Almost finished - brakes and chainring should arrive anyday now.


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## pressed001 (Jan 16, 2014)

'95 GT Tempest bought for probably too much at 80 bucks then stripped, polished and rebuit. I used Sapim CX ray spokes and White Industry polished hubs to add a bit more bling. The original fork was chromed and is installed. The bike weights in at about 9.3kg.







I really wouldn't mind a clear coat to protect the shine. I don't beat the bike up and the clear coat would save some hassle. I use aluminum polish (general metal polish) every few months to bring the shine back and add a layer of protection.


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## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

pressed001 said:


> '95 GT Tempest bought for probably too much at 80 bucks then stripped, polished and rebuit. I used Sapim CX ray spokes and White Industry polished hubs to add a bit more bling. The original fork was chromed and is installed. The bike weights in at about 9.3kg.


Wow... that just looks AMAZING!

From my experience (and several I've read), clearcoating that thing would be virtually impossible... but good luck!


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## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

*Here's an update to mine*

My new chromed out Turner and my hand polished Transition:








My Turner in park mode:









Here's a link to a better picture:

in Alameda, California, United States - photo by microfiz - Pinkbike


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## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

Trail Mode:


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## Shredman69 (Apr 1, 2007)

Sick builds bro!:cornut:


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

A silly question I suppose -- I'm tempted to start my project of stripping down the clear coat and polishing it raw, but what about the stickers? Mine is a 1999 Marin and I can't fine stickers/decals anywhere on the net.

TIA


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## powerranger262 (Oct 19, 2016)

This is a great thread! I can't wait to get through my noob/probationary stage, so that I can post a bike that I just picked up today. It's a caloi, that's raw aluminum, and now I think I am going to polish it after seeing all this work you guys did.


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

Made a start



Thats about 2-3 hours in. Paint stripper first, then used coarse wire wool but in soapy water. Few little areas to get paint off then will give it a bit of a polish up.


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

Stick a fork in me!

with flash


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

Looks amazing! I assume the frame is not aluminum? 

Mine is, I started polishing it today and I'm about 2 hours in but it doesn't look no where near as shiny as yours.


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

Its defo alloy. Didn't mention the final steps on those last two pictures. After the wool I wet sanded with what I had to hand which was 1200, 1500 and 2500. I'd do this even if your going for the raw look as it makes it look a lot smoother. Tried 800 but it was putting more scratches in than taking out. After that I did the final polish with Autosol aluminium polish which is when you see the biggest change.

Here you can see the closer chainstay polished with Autosol, lower is just wet sanded


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

I guess the Autosol makes all the difference, now I understand why our European friends are so crazy about it 

This is what I have so far, and it's pretty raw:









In this one you can see the upper arm done (90%) and the lower is the original:








Same thing, with closeup on the upper:









I really love the raw look, but it's so vulnerable - I hold the frame with my somewhat sweaty hands and it leaves prints that I need to scrub for 2 minutes each to get rid of them! Is that the same after Autosol?

npn


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

You can still leave marks with sweaty palms, but should wipe away in less than 2 min.

My bike is basically back together now, just need some stickers and gear tuning.


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

Where do you get your stickers? I ended up making my own... very slow process


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

You can get some from ebay but they are not super accurate. Apparently some guy called Gil is the man to speak to for GT stickers.


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## bikestudio (Feb 15, 2017)

Great It Looks Nice... Very good effort ...


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## bikestudio (Feb 15, 2017)

Wow It Looks Great.... Very Nice...


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

PabloGT - do you have a picture of the final bike?


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## pressed001 (Jan 16, 2014)

jgti said:


> latest pictures of my Trek 99' 8000


Gorgeous. Need more pics.


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## PabloGT (Jun 22, 2014)

npn said:


> PabloGT - do you have a picture of the final bike?


20170126_133703 by The Pablo13, on Flickr


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## SkolinIN (Feb 16, 2017)

http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1143154&d=1498165468&thumb=1&stc=1

Cannondale SM1000


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## kragu (Jun 14, 2011)

Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

kragu said:


> Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail


That's Awesome!


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## Richardwyngaard (Dec 6, 2007)

*Brushed Aluxx*

This was a long term weight weenie project that eventually led to stripping the frame. Going for brushed ALuxx right now, but may polish it up later.. not sure which I prefer LOL


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## JuXo (Nov 7, 2011)

Cannondale Rush 35th Anniversary LTD 2


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## ceberle (Feb 20, 2016)

*Turner Burner Polished*

Polished Aluminum


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## chimpanzee00 (Dec 16, 2006)

1994 GT Zaskar, $75 off Craigslist. Upgraded with Rockshox Judy fork


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## shopcat_cycles (Dec 28, 2007)

Stripped the paint off my Yelli.


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## Bob Scott (Jan 26, 2017)

*Unknow 90's frame, HELP please.*

This is a bike frame that I picked up at a yard sale. I have been told it is from the 90"s but I do not know the brand or the model name. If you can correctly Identify the brand I will gladly send $20 to your Paypal account or your mail box If I can verify your guess. I would like to know the model name and the year if you know them. The S# is F95060380. Will I really send you money? Yes I will. My eBay screen name is Schwinnhed and I have 100% positive feedback Thank you for looking and good luck.


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

The best chance that you have to figure this one out is to look at the derailleur hanger.

1. Go to a place like derailleurhanger.com or wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hangers.html

2. Find the right shaped and number holed hangers.

3. Pick the bikes listed on those hangers.

4. Look up what those bikes look like on the internet.


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

Take the derailleur hanger off and see if there are any markings on the inside part.

To me it looks like it could be an Iron Horse catskill... 







https://www.pushys.com.au/dropout-derailleur-hanger-for-gt-iron-horse-khs-kona-nishiki.html


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## blundar (Jan 18, 2013)

After looking at the frame in more detail it looks exactly like an older Raleigh M30 except for the unusual square chainstays.









It has the same triple cable guides on top of the top tube, the same reinforcement near the upper part of the downtube, and the same rear cable pull cable guide.

https://www.amazon.com/Raleigh-Nishiki-Derailleur-Hanger-Silver/dp/B002WZY71E


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## Bob Scott (Jan 26, 2017)

Very good information ! You are the front runner for the reward.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but the frame in question runs all cables along the top of the toptube, while the M30 runs the FD cable along the downtube, doesn't appear to be intended for a 1" threaded steerer, seat tube looks to be a larger diameter, and of course the square stays remain as the elephant in the room. 

Frame does look similar to a Supergo Access frame I had in the mid-90s, but if my memory serves me, it had square seatstays as well as chainstays.


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## OwenM (Oct 17, 2012)

ncfisherman said:


> Stripped the paint off my Yelli.


That is really sweet.

I wasn't sure I'd care for the raw, but already had a black Yelli.
Turns out I'm really liking the raw(and the green accents)...

SS is actually great where I ride most often, but the gears come in handy where I put in the most miles. Between that and my fitness level taking wild swings due to periods of downtime, lately, I'm constantly torn.
Anyway, here's a raw Riot in both modes:


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## ghughes.hesinc (Jun 10, 2009)

OwenM said:


> That is really sweet.
> 
> I wasn't sure I'd care for the raw, but already had a black Yelli.
> Turns out I'm really liking the raw(and the green accents)...
> ...


Super nice!!!


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## shopcat_cycles (Dec 28, 2007)

OwenM said:


> That is really sweet.
> 
> I wasn't sure I'd care for the raw, but already had a black Yelli.
> Turns out I'm really liking the raw(and the green accents)...
> ...


Looking good, Owen.

After getting tired of the original lime green paint, I'm diggin the raw look on my Yelli. Recently upgraded the front end to one of the DVO Diamond forks in lime green, so I'll probably start adding some green bits to that bike as well.

Hows that DVO shock working out for ya? I'm eyeing one of those for the FS.


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## OwenM (Oct 17, 2012)

ghughes.hesinc said:


> Super nice!!!


Thanks!



ncfisherman said:


> Hows that DVO shock working out for ya? I'm eyeing one of those for the FS.


So far so good. It's been simple to work with, and all the settings(pressure, spacers, rebound) have had the expected effect when changed, which is all I can ask. This is my first FS, and I know zip about different shocks and rear suspensions, so can't tell you how good or bad it is compared to anything else.
Seems pretty great to me, though. My Pike has a rebellious streak, and forces me to compromise one characteristic for another(small bump+full travel=brake dive, and vice versa), but the Topaz just does what it's told.


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## PHeller (Dec 28, 2012)

Hey gents, a few questions: 

I've had a raw frame before, so that's nothing new. That frame did however fail prematurely (overly slack STA and coming down on the dropper too hard, blew up dropper and cracked seat tube, and then cracked a chainstay yoke weld), but I also rode the hell out of it, and I've been assured that leaving a frame raw does not affect heat treatment. 

Aside from slow slow oxidation, is there really any damage done by leaving a frame raw? 

So, for example, you could technically raw/polish a handlebar or a stem, without impacting it's structural integrity?


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## npn (Sep 19, 2016)

Any one with Klein Mantra raw aluminum? I'm about to start a new project and I'm thinking raw...


----------



## Phoenix864 (Oct 14, 2017)

Got some photos of my raw Canfield Riot after a post-ride cleanup.


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## Fkuashum (Dec 1, 2008)

There you go


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## richierich1966 (Aug 13, 2019)

*Here's what I'll be starting with...(before pic)*

Just sealed the deal on this '06 Cannondale Judge Freeride/DH frame with a Elka Stage 5 coil over shock and slack geo. I love how polished bikes look ever since having a polished American M16 back in like'90. Don't want the maintenance a polished frame would require on my every day bike but this one will only be used likely a couple times a year for bike park trips. I'm going to go ahead and do a full polish on it and the fork (either a Boxxer or 888) and will post progress and results.


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## Stuartfleming (Dec 8, 2010)

I recently rawed and polished my Trek Roscoe. I am so stoked with how this turned out.

Before:









After:


----------



## Stuartfleming (Dec 8, 2010)

One more pic from the trail.









Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

Stuartfleming said:


> I recently rawed and polished my Trek Roscoe. I am so stoked with how this turned out.
> 
> Before:
> View attachment 1911546
> ...


Looks good.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk


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## victorm (Jun 23, 2020)

the before and after. Found at metal recycling and decided to put a bit of work into it.


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## Street missile (Jul 28, 2021)

My demonic Nashbar; aka SMASHBAR


----------



## Street missile (Jul 28, 2021)

2005 Raleigh M80. All polishing materials purchased at the local Harbor














Freight. Well, except the Mother's.


----------



## njdj (Jan 9, 2012)

I love the raw look.


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

I tried taking my frame down to raw aluminum. I got half way there and realized it’s carbon, doh! 
Anybody got a quick fix idea?


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

No real hard work involved...

Other than working for the moolaa to pay for it.

Banshee Phantom V3, size L, raw 









Sent from my Asus Rog 3


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## pressed001 (Jan 16, 2014)

Street missile said:


> 2005 Raleigh M80. All polishing materials purchased at the local Harbor
> View attachment 1942292
> View attachment 1942294
> Freight. Well, except the Mother's.


Hey my man, where'd you get a straight 1 1/8" ahead aluminum rigid fork like that? I've looked everywhere and could only find very limited carbon or steel options.


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## Street missile (Jul 28, 2021)

pressed001 said:


> Hey my man, where'd you get a straight 1 1/8" ahead aluminum rigid fork like that? I've looked everywhere and could only find very limited carbon or steel options.


The forks are MOSSO Brand. I bought them brand new years ago on eBay for under $70. They've vanished from eBay for awhile until just recently. Also saw them on AliExpress. Seem just as light carbon and they're pretty tough cuz I abuse the hell out of bike.


----------



## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Wasn't sure if this thread was for stripped alumn frames only or just raw alumn in general. So I'll post regardless.


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## asilker (5 mo ago)

kragu said:


> Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail


sorry for resurrecting a dead thread but holy moly this looks great. I want my bike to look like this.


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

asilker said:


> sorry for resurrecting a dead thread but holy moly this looks great. I want my bike to look like this.


I don't mind - needed some ideas for building up my new raw frame.


----------

