Rawing

[x]

Hey,

I'm thinking of either rawing my forks and bars or painting them black. I have seen the how-to on bmx-forum, but I was wondering if there is an easier/cheaper/simpler way of doing it (rawing that is).

1. Could some of you please give me some input of various methods you have used for rawing and then clearcoating.

2. All I really have now is some clear topcoat spray from my local autostore, what else will I need?

3. Why can't I just sand them down and then spray on clearcoat?

4. And last of all do I raw the handlebar's knurling (where the stem clamps on)?

Some of these questions might sound a bit stupid :rolleyes: but sorry I don't have much an idea about rawing.

Thanks in advance.

[sawtell]

by rawing you mean takin all the paint of to make it bare metal??? then spraying clear coat over it to stop rust???


just use paint stripper... and some 00 grade steel wool.. to get the majority of paint of.. i did my frame in 30 minutes, so its not hard.

then some fine wet and dry with metho to clean the frame and to help polish it abit.. (after you paint strip it will be a reall dark dull grey in most cases.) but with some 600 ish wet and dry, you can get some pretty cool lookin highlights around the welds etc etc.


let it dry, and spray clear coat on it.. do a couple coats.. the automotive gear is better then the general 6 buck can from a hardware store..

then kick back and enjoy the benifits of being in the latest craze!!!

ill answer yoru question in point form..

1. Could some of you please give me some input of various methods you have used for rawing and then clearcoating.
paint sripper steel wool and wet and dry.... wet and dry by it self takes ages.. spray on clear coat.. pretty self explanitory

2. All I really have now is some clear topcoat spray from my local autostore, what else will I need?
Steel wool, better clear coat, time, paint stripper, wet and dry.

3. Why can't I just sand them down and then spray on clearcoat?
You can.... but it takes a while to sand back a frame .. you could put a primer on to help the clear stick.. but that wouldl be stupid as it wouldnt be raw any more would it???


4. And last of all do I raw the handlebar's knurling (where the stem clamps on)?

mars well. . . probaly dont sand that area.

[/\/\3qq3/\/\]

just use paint stripper... and some 00 grade steel wool.. to get the majority of paint of.. i did my frame in 30 minutes, so its not hard.

When you say paint stripper. What type are you talking about. As I used it on my frame, nothing happened for 20mins and realized that it doesn't go through power coat. Yes I am an idiot for not realizing.

[sawtell]

im pretty sure most paint stripper will take off powder coated paints... maybe you should have giving the area a light sand over first to break the surface.


so the stripper can act inside the paint not on top, and keep the stripper moving so fresh stripper is always on the area.. ive never had something that selleys kwik-strip can not take off..!!

[/\/\3qq3/\/\]

Thanks for that might give that a try. Also you stated that he should use some 00 grade steel wool. Would this give his raw frame a scratched look?

[poopoohead]

I sanded my frame and it turned out really buffed and polished. I dont like it much and it took a good 4-5 hours.

[sawtell]

still wool coems in a couple grades, probaly a 00 or a 000 would be good, as there not to abrasive, and just help take the paint of that hasnt compeltly been dislodged... anythign below a 00 is getthin super rough and may scratch the frame.. anythign over a 000 is used for buffing bee's wax etc etc in to timber..

on second thoughts, maybe use a 000 grade instead of the 00 as if you were to work the 00 hard, you could scratch the frame... ive always used 000, but when the stripper hasnt attacked an area much, it takes a bit more work to get the paint off...

[hubbie]

keep the green!

[x]

White is just what i want. not accusing you, but people keep trying to make up others minds with colours etc. Like it's not important. I'd like white bars 8" high and atleast 26 wide. that's all that matters. I've seen raw with white parts and it looked fantastic. Repainting my frame is inevitable, i'm sick of surface rust cropping up regardless of the degreasing and clear-coating i did.

:p (from 8" rise bars thread)

But seriously, I'm not too sure, I haven't made a firm decision on it yet. It's either staying green, going raw, or going black.

[hubbie]

:p (from 8" rise bars thread)

But seriously, I'm not too sure, I haven't made a firm decision on it yet. It's either staying green, going raw, or going black.

yeah but green looks oh so good on yours!

[i like dirt]

Could you get a frame sandblasted then clear coat it ?

[Ham]

I sanded my frame and it turned out really buffed and polished. I dont like it much and it took a good 4-5 hours.

well i hoped you learned your lesson

[bmx>mtb]

hey i know this is a huge dig but....

i want to raw my frame but im not completely decided if i will, so if anybody can tell me why not to and what to be careful of please do so.

[WeThePeople188]

bmx>mtb, heres a thread what helped me...

This first bit of the post in this thread helped me out alot, when i rawed my old frame


*Go to the #2 Post Explains Things More Thoroughly..*

http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=62163

P.S. Paint Stripper Burns Skin! hahaha :(


Cheers

[bmx>mtb]

thanks mate,

ive heard of raw frames getting surface rust under the clearcoat, does this happen or is it just more clearcoat needed?

also when the frame is stripped will there be weld burns on the metal or will they scrub off?

[WeThePeople188]

thanks mate,

ive heard of raw frames getting surface rust under the clearcoat, does this happen or is it just more clearcoat needed?

also when the frame is stripped will there be weld burns on the metal or will they scrub off?


umm normally, when you strip it, you can see the where the welds go through different shades of colours, looks good...


umm about the rust...?

umm i put about 7 coats of clear coat on it, and after a month or so, i got some sights of rust...


hubbie had his frame raw for bit, and he mentioned rust.... pm him and ask him about it or sumthing..


cheers.

[bmx>mtb]

would sand blasting give it to much of a polished look? because i have one at my disposal.

[WeThePeople188]

would sand blasting give it to much of a polished look? because i have one at my disposal.


i've had some of my old parts of my bike sprayed by the local smash repairer, good bloke, does it cheap, comes up so amazing, looks like new.

[bmx>mtb]

yeh me aswell but i was wondering if it could be sand blasted insted of using paint stripper and steel wool to get the old paint off.

[WeThePeople188]

yeh me aswell but i was wondering if it could be sand blasted insted of using paint stripper and steel wool to get the old paint off.

umm, personally, i dont know anyone who has sandblasted a bmx frame and good it came up..


but still come to get rust even with clear coats.....

[Sleep266]

if you keep your bike away form salt water and keep it good you shouldn't have to sand blast it.... or you could paint over it....;)

[rhysrhysbaby]

Raw and with some surface rust is sick.

I had thought of doing iit until a guy a ride with beat me to it

[hubbie]

sand blasting gives it a non shiny matte finish i'm pretty sure.