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So I'm about to get a battered bike for my girl and the colour is wrong so it needs a strip and repaint. However I was just thinking maybe it would look good in raw alu... is it sensible to just strip the bike and leave it raw (assuming she wants that look), or are there reasons why raw alu frames are quite rare?
Because it oxidises and looks scruffy? you'd have to finish it with something, maybe some sort of clear coat.
Ah yes, alu oxide is white isn't it. Well I imagine whoever I get to strip can clearcoat if they can paint, so that might be an option still.
You will need it powder coated, not painted. Clear 'paint' needs a primer first which isnt clear. Most powder coaters would want to bead blast the frame first which won't look great with a clear coat.
Cheapest/easiest way is to chemically strip it (Google starchem) then brush it with scotchbrite. You will need to redo it every 6 months or so to keep it looking fresh.
Alternatively, if you get it finely bead blasted, and find a friendly anodiser, they could do it in a colour, or natural, but you might have a job finding one. I have a alu frame beaded then blue ano and it looks lovely, before that it was raw but after a year it looked pretty tatty.
To be honest I would recommend forgetting all of the above, and just getting it powder coated in a colour. Will cost you around £60 including stripping and be hard-wearing. Everything else is a pain in the arse.
Yeah I think you're right duner. Kid's frame so don't want to spend a lot and had a moment of madness thinking that raw could be easier. Local company down the road will strip and powder coat for £60.
My Turner is raw and it looks scruffy - I think that is the point! But then again I like rat rods too... 🙂
Also mine was raw from the start - I suspect 'rawing' a frame by hand would be a real pain!
A good coat of wax polish does the job, but it needs reapplying reasonably regularly.
I reckon polished alloy looks better than anodised.
That's how we kept our motorbike engines looking good in the old days - they were raw.
My friends orange five was raw for years. It looked great. Every now and then he would get the brasso out and done wire wool and go over it.
I'd happily have mine like that. No matter how much helitape you always scuff it with foot strikes and where mud guards attach etc.
Get it rawed and forget about it.
You might even save 100g in paint and tape?
I have a Dartmoor shine that was rawed about a year ago, it hasn't started oxidising yet.
When it does I will get it painted a colour as a mate does it for next to nothing.
Mrs stu's raw Geometron when it was new.
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4437/36111524533_6ba3ce655c_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4437/36111524533_6ba3ce655c_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/X2418X ]Amanda's Geometron Almost Done.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Looks about the same 9 months later.
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1721/41854619915_fa8fac3a26_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1721/41854619915_fa8fac3a26_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/26LxSiR ]Looking over to the golfie[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
It did go a bit furry after being on the back of the car when the roads were gritted then left in the garage for a week.
Nothing a quick scuff with a scotch brite pad couldn't sort out though.
Isn’t linseed oil after stripping/scuffing/polishing meant to do the trick?