Any leads for media blasting a frame on North Shore or nearby?

The paintwork on my bike is getting tatty so I want to knock it back to a raw aluminium and possibly add a clearcoat over new decals.

Can anyone recommend any outfits on the North Shore (or within 50km) that do media blasting  (and maybe a clearcoating service too) ?

Or I could use a paint stripper/wire wool/200 - 800 grit combo- in that case what would anyone recommend as I'm not familiar with North American chemicals.

I'll probably have to redo the crowns on my pike anyways, so chemical recommendations would be helpful

cheers in advance

shitty paint guy

You could go to Lordco, they a major retailer/distributor of auto parts and auto body supplies. They’d have everything you need.

Aircraft stripper , does not affect the raw material finish. Blasting will change the surface and the finish. Walnut shell blasting might work. Is it paint or powdercoat?? That makes a difference on removal method. Powdercoat is best stripped with chemicals. That was the method we used in a shop I worked at.

After paying $100 for media blasting and powder coating a road bike I’ll never do it myself again. Cost savings aren’t worth the time and hassle. 

Don’t have any recommendations for the lower mainland but do in the interior.

How about Toxik Harald? He does strip and repaint, so he'll probably do you just a strip. And at least he knows what's up with a bike, rather than some automotive place unaware of potential risks with media vs Alloy. A friend of mine once sent a fork off to be stripped, expecting walnut shells. They used an acid bath and he got back a pair of severely corroded fork lowers, as they weren't expecting magnesium.

I’d get Toxic Harold to repaint if going that route. 

Use a chemical stripping method for the frame. 

FYI I sandblasted truck parts and a NSR4 in a blasting cabinet at work. Likely would’ve have been easier to just pay.

Posted by: DanL

knock it back to a raw aluminium and possibly add a clearcoat over new decals.

Can anyone recommend any outfits on the North Shore (or within 50km) that do media blasting (and maybe a clearcoating service too) ?

Not sure how appling decals over a media blasted surface is gonna' work out.

After paying $100 for media blasting and powder coating a road bike I’ll never do it myself again. Cost savings aren’t worth the time and hassle.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I'd take that advice

If I were you

looks like Mr Harald would be just the ticket. Thanks for the insights everyone!

Good call. My next restoration project that I want a nice wet paint job I intend to bring it to the LM to get toxic Harold to do it. The work I’ve seen is good.

I got a fast, considered reply with a good price and a great timeframe for a raw stripdown. I would *love* a Toxik paint job but I generally klutz everything I own after a while so it would be depressing to see it scratch up.

I guess the only other question is possible resale - how many people would pass up because it's a raw frame?

I would think you would find a lot of people who dig a raw frame.

Go with your original gut and raw your frame. As long as it’s done right and doesn’t cause your frame to oxidize, I don’t think it would cause people to pass on your bike in the buy’n’sell.