You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Managed to pick up a bargain Sonder frame from Alpkit that I want to strip and repaint as a winter project.
What's the best product to strip the paint off. Is nitromors still the go to stuff & will it do anything weird to the alu?
Any advice greatly received
Bump
Ask around folks if one of the frame painters would strip it for you, Plastic media blast is pretty good for this, saves you messing about with and disposing of horrible chemicals. Shouldn't be expensive.
Nitromors is crap now as the active ingredient was taken out. Trade places can still get good stuff so if you have someone local they might sell you a tin of it.
I’d find my local powder coaters and ask if they can chemical dip / strip the frame for you. They’ll have the facilities to handle serious chemicals and it’s easier on a thin walled aluminium frame than sand blasting it.
I used starchem synstryp - bought it on ebay. It's industrial and still has the magic ingredient in it that nitromoors removed. Use at your own risk and if you do use gloves and glasses.
TBH if the old paint's sound (and not known for being super-chippy) I'd just rub it back and paint over it. Saves a ton of hassle on stripping, and old paint's generally a good substrate while getting really good adhesion on bare alu is a bit harder.
Depends a bit on what paint you're using etc though, what your experience and expectations are.
The magic ingredient in old school nitromors was dichloromethane / methylene chloride / MeCL2. It's a carcinogen and generally banned nowadays although still available in knock off paint strippers.
'masks' / respirator's are no use with MeCL2 - it has to be air fed.
I'm great fun at dinner parties as well !!!!