How To Remove Spray Paint From A Bike Frame

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy

[@mf_dom08]

off topic question: im looking at tiagra as my groupset choice (1x10 build, mimicking your video about it) and was wondering if i can put a goatlink as well so it can support up to 46t..may i know your thoughts on this? thanks sir!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

@@mf_dom08 They say it supports up to 42T. Ask them.

[@jason2legs]

Great advice here. Would love to see a video on how to respray a bike. Cheers for the videos.

[@ArnoHelmchen]

Check old shovel’s or ETOE’s channels they’ll teach you big time

[@DCTaylor281]

Hey bro, here’s a good how to paint a bike vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6icqIWbjqqSbJo ✌️

[@danielesavi1969]

@@ArnoHelmchen both great channels. Speaking of bike painting, Martin of Etoe is a real artist.

[@jdv943]

biggest spray tips: patience and warm weather

[@Dakiller1243]

I wouldnt recommend doing a diy. Imho, those are stuff you leave to professionals because your frame is the most important part of your bike

[@davidvanhorsen2733]

I tried this today and amazed! It does take elbow grease but it comes off all right. Finish with a clean dry microfiber cloth and it looks awesome!

[@AndrewidkOfficial]

I just tried to go buy Elbow grease 😂

[@williammills7778]

Wow, that was absolutely amazing. I had no idea there was a product like that available 😲. Thanks for posting 😊👍

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

“How to remove Diet Pepsi Stains from a garage floor” RJ The Bike Guy Nice video here!!

[@geoffpoole483]

Hi RJ, Thanks to this I'm not so deterred when I come across a frame which has a similar paint job.

[@mikegalacino9228]

Painted over graphics are the hallmark of stolen bikes.

[@H3110NU]

I’ve done it on my more expensive but not too expensive bikes to make them less attractive for thief’s. A worn out seat and trashed hand grips to complete the look.

[@nobleartofcycling9748]

@@H3110NU Same here, and some duct tape around the saddle..

[@aaronbehindbars]

@B R Not always true. In my area, there are people getting their bikes stolen from locked/secured storage. Bike thieves are ruthless dirtbags and go to great lengths to be ruthless dirtbags.

[@dowestern6729]

Nope

[@GordoGambler]

And cheap tools are most likely stolen as well, if it's not an estate sale.

[@Bikeops2021]

Makes one wonder why someone would want to spray over a really nice pint job & decals on that frame, unless of course it was stolen at some point! good video... 👍

[@deniahmetaj]

I was about to say it’s good to know, so if you ever buy a used one that has been spray painted you can remove it and check if any similar looking bikes have been stolen in your area

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I checked.

[@mikeosinski50]

Learned something new, thanks 👍

[@stuckinthepast5537]

How long did it take to do it by hand?

[@jonestizmo1872]

Happy new year RJ. Wishin you all my best. Always enjoy your uploads.

[@dreochoa2739]

Great job....thank u. My motorcycle was stolen n they sprayed it black

[@LorenChandler]

Dang, I could have used this last week! I ended up successfully getting most of the old white spray paint off the top bar of a 93 Gary Fisher using Goof Off Pro Strength, it was a lot of work! I still have some paint in the angles at the head tube so maybe I'll try carnuba wax there. It would be interesting to see a side-by comparison.

[@dougsscalemodels]

Try some Acrysol. Works like carb or brake cleaner but won't harm a quality paint job that used hardener. It's also safe on most plastics.

[@markanthonyaguilera1668]

Great tutorial Soo far..you are the best among the rest!!

[@evanswinford7165]

If you put something on a rag like that, fold it and dab it together to imbed it in the rag and it won’t fall off as it did. When I have a bare frame I wipe it down with gas and a paper towel to get the grease and grime off that the water and detergent missed. Factory paint is a harder finish than the crap on it so it’s pretty safe just don’t over do it. After that I use spray in tire shine and that also removes grime and make the paint shine really nice.

[@Laura.Monster17]

Very helpful, love your videos! Are you going to do anymore bike conversions/full builds? Your 1x gravel bike video is one of favorites, I've probably watched it more than 20 times. Hard to find videos that really show the whole process.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

At some point.

[@nickbowser5810]

Can only afford used bicycles so very helpful thanks

[@Jahnavinimmalaphotography]

hey rj can u pls reply can i use turpentine oil for removing the pant

[@GordoGambler]

My 1973 CCM was painted over sometime. I have been slowly wrecking it by using tape to hold cables and stuff. The paint peels right off. Especially masking tape that binds more the longer it sits. I'm thinking of stripping the whole bike now, but the yellow is beautiful and the original burgundy sucks. I also found out Tide detergent is good for dissolving paints. I was cleaning my mum's old Alu frying pans. The paint came off way better than the baked grease. LOL. Soon after that I did the same with my DIY CF parts I had just painted, then changed my mind. That was both car paint and latex house paint I tried. Some of the house paint I left on actually and it's pretty tough lasting. LOL.

[@ryanwilson3126]

Good advice and honest. It's not going to be easy! Thanks

[@jessiemoat8328]

will this work on the pegs too?

[@JamesBond-hy4kv]

Might try this after repairing a bike from 1988 that has had home wall paint spilt on it from 1990.

[@garyrayos1189]

Happy new year ! All are informative videos!

[@RIO_Suave]

Will it work for spray painted rims ?

[@Nando51o]

Do you know if this will work on a se bike

[@EricBishard]

Do you think it would help to let it sit for a while? I like the idea of trying it on one area to see how it works. Great video. My son's bike was stolen and painted and we'd like to restore it to it's original paint

[@Nareham]

And now my bike will be cool cause the painting has been removed thank you so much for the video 😊😊😊😄😁

[@miahsbrokengarage]

This is amazing, and will help make those bikes I find in the trash way nicer =)

[@johngreene6783]

Would it have helped to apply a semi thick film of the wax and let it sit for a while prior to rubbing??? If it is more of a chemical reaction between the paint and carnuba wax, that may have been another approach. Just curious

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

No. It only effects the surface.

[@TwilightStorm]

My friend picked a bike out of the trash the day I asked to borrow his daughter's. It's covered in droplets from his neighbor painting something. I will try this out. 👍

[@pbarr1935]

Had no idea that would work, thanks

[@GameplayerSolCley]

You almost made me cry, I now paint my bike at home whit spray :) It is looking brutal, I will like to know how to really protect that normal spray paint for it not to fall off please.

[@unclerick8224]

Acetone has worked for me in the past. However, you have to be very careful that you don't rub too hard and go down to the bare metal. One drawback of using acetone is that it tends to dull the clear coat. In that case, I spray clear over the affected area.

[@nzo_6543]

Actually don't sometimes use Acetone, could also remove the original paint..

[@IvansBikesBmws]

Nicely explained. Love the videos.

[@cudak888]

I'd go for Meguiars #7 before using anything as slow as carnauba wax. Polisher can land you in trouble too, rather than #7 by hand. #7 is also safe for both clearcoat paint and older pre-1980's singlestage (and shines old paint up pretty well too).

[@AeNPe101]

Thanks for yet another great and helpful video! 👍 Since we're talking paint here: Do you know any way to identify the correct colour tone of a bike? I'd like to attempt to touch up a few kinks on my vintage roadie, however without ruining the looks...

[@YERUBILEEtheBand]

Locate an auto paint mixing shop, and talk to them about their paint color matching service. It might work. However, car paint is easier for them to do because of the paint code numbers printed on the car sticker. Let us know how it goes for you. :-)

[@geoffpoole483]

A friend of mine has got a 1950's racer and decided against touching up the paint. Instead he gave the frame a thorough clean. The bike looks good and one can tell that the bike has been used.

[@YERUBILEEtheBand]

@@geoffpoole483 Cool! Also a good look. Still the thing to do there is to remove rust and then use some clear paint to keep oxygen from reaching any bare metal.

[@jonahnichols2158]

Thanks RJ! Love your videos.

[@Clyde2016]

If it has a good clear coat on the original paint lacquer thinner takes it right off a lot easier

[@Ideal1980]

That is a great result!

[@Crishuddy]

Carnaúba wax is from Brazil, kkkk hi RJ congrats from Rio de Janeiro.

[@kkevinBP168]

You can also try nail remover. It should work as well as this

[@ericpatterson8596]

great job on the bike !!

[@danl5632]

Awesome Mr. RJ. Are these available in autoparts store?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Yes.

[@jgurtz]

I wonder if it makes sense to try applying a good coating of the wax and then wrapping it up with plastic film? Similar to the peel-a-way method of stripping furniture. Maybe would allow the chemical action time to soften through the spray paint and then less manual labor. Worth a try!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

No.

[@piercewasmund2042]

I was curious about this. Thanks

[@J8den]

Sweet thank you, I got my bike stolen by a homeless, he spray painted it not even 2 hours later managed to find it on the street. Retrieved it. Now im going to depaint it

[@1badasshmongloid204]

Thank you! But where can I buy a carnauba paint remover(same as yours) at?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Carnuba wax. Auto parts store.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Does it work on powder coat finishes?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Probably.

[@asifayub5811]

Great video.

[@JoshPhoenix11]

Do you know if this might remove old clear coat off from chromoly?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Probably not if it was factory applied.

[@JoshPhoenix11]

@@RJTheBikeGuy Thanks yeah I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case.. it’s not gonna be fun having to do it all by hand the hard way..

[@garyrayos1189]

what's the spray paint remover? thanks!

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Watch the video. I explain it in the video.

[@Flakey_sky]

And is it possible to do it if my bike is colored with 2 layers of different types of paint when the theifs stole it from me before

[@tacticalceo685]

Nice video RJ that stuff works pretty well now do you have to apply a wax or a sealant to protect the paint ?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

No. This IS wax!

[@NextKnown]

Any advice on removing small rust drops ? Got a Marin Eldridge grade that’s been sitting for a while but for some reason it has dots of small and thin rust spots , looks like acid rain touched it , looks like a poke dot on black matte paint , not too bad only visible if you get close but prominent all over the frame

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Evapo Rust soaked paper towels on the spots.

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

I use acetone which works well, but this seems a good product.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Then why don't car shops use it?

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

@@RJTheBikeGuy I don't know RJ, hey I wasn't criticising you, simply saying what I have found useful. Give it a try & see what you think of it. You may find it too harsh. I had a mongoose bmx frame which cleaned up great & a Raceline road bike which came up well too. Didn't damage the original paint or the decals. I watch your channel to see new ways to do things & have learned much from them. All the best.

[@leocorry_]

Hi RJ, great video. Do you think this would work on a carbon fibre road bike, which had a bad spray paint job done on top of the original paint.... without removing the original paint underneath? or have you any ideas how to remove it? thanks for the help. Leo.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Probably.

[@dmitriymorozov3725]

did you ever find out? i'm wondering the same thing

[@marcr9541]

Will it work on house paint? I have at least 2 historic bikes, one from the early 30s and another from the early 40s which were painted over in the 70s to early 2000s.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I doubt it.

[@marcr9541]

No one has heard of this product in Australia

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

@@marcr9541 Carnuba Wax? Go to an auto parts store.

[@MarcoR6]

I had a painter come to my house to paint it and he spilled white acrylic paint all over my red bike. Would this method work to remove it? The bike is brand new, not even a scratch, it really saddened me...

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Not sure if will work for house paint.

[@jasonlong7840]

Denatured alcohol will remove water based latex paint but may damage the bike's original finish.

[@CORYJOHNM]

Put wax on painters face and rub effected area on bike.

[@thedude8046]

Very good tip, i never knew about.

[@josemoure520]

Good job.

[@christo930]

Doesn't paint thinner work pretty well? Also, aren't most bikes powder coated these days?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Paint thinner will damage the paint. And no they aren't.

[@genroku7]

what if you apply it and leave it for some time and scrub?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

It doesn't soak in like that.

[@genroku7]

@@RJTheBikeGuy It may not but the chemical will break down the spray paint. Worth trying.

[@JogBird]

because its a wax it doesnt have much penetrating ability, so, you have to constantly work it into the painted area to expose the unaffected paint to the wax... vs a solvent base stripper can just be left on

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

genroku7 I did try it. It doesn't soak in!

[@arjedferrer2402]

Hey RJ I've been thinking about this alot is it possible that you can make your own 2x conversion? what i mean is: Drilling A 4 holes in the 1x chainring and add another chainring so it can be 2x right?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Just buy a double crankset and appropriate bottom bracket). A 1x chain ring (wide/narrow) is specifically made NOT to derail.

[@arjedferrer2402]

Thank you RJ! you are the Best bike guy ever!

[@amandaburger3312]

What can I use to get spray paint off biycle wheels.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Same thing. Maybe something stronger since you don't have to worry about damaging the paint on the wheels.

[@Desi365]

What about applying the cream on the bike and let it sit for a while and dissolve the spray paint a bit. And make it easier to remove . Does it work ?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

It only effects the surface. So no it wouldn't.

[@davidleal7133]

Hey RJ can you do a a2z rear disc adapter install on a 1993 response elite. Or a rebuild of a manitou markhor love you man glad you’re doing well.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m566aIBjj6ljhtk But my suggestion is buy a bike that has disc brakes. Or go without.

[@samedkat2148]

Thank you bro!

[@BulletmanDoom]

Lots of car polishes work so don't go for an expensive one. I find a drop of Methylated Spirit on the hard to reach spots works too and shouldn't damage factory paint as long as you don't soak it with the stuff. That finished frame looks so good I have to wonder why they painted it in the first place? I find living on the coast, in a climate usually means I'm having to add paint to them not remove it. 😁

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Carnuba wax isn't a polish.

[@christo930]

Spray paint haphazardly applied like that will usually come right off. But if the surface were well cleaned and they used primer, it ain't coming off. That bike has "I'm stolen" written all over it. That is really the only reason someone would do such a ridiculous hack-job paint where only the labels are covered.

[@endoplasreh]

Genius! Thanks

[@yorkoxmaul66]

Awesome bro, ty

[@tmayberry7559]

You are the man

[@johnpossum556]

Nice. Can you do one on safely removing the factory stickers & decals? Lately I was thinking some of my bikes would look better with a clean, uncluttered look.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

No, because they are IN the paint UNDER the clear coat!

[@johnpossum556]

@@RJTheBikeGuy Good to know that before I tried!

[@cledisonsilva9815]

great job!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheRealD4]

The pricey wax was put to a noble use indeed. Was this to polish a classic specimen or work of art? No, we learnt Jamis was an explorer.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

It was an example to use to make this video to show how to do it.

[@gabriel.trainer]

Amazing!

[@damntuff62]

Never heard or seen that,acetone works as well but you need to be careful

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Acetone can damage the original paint.

[@davidleal7133]

That bike looks hot;)

[@aaronbehindbars]

If you use more aggressive abrasives like polishing compound or cutting compound, don't use a power polisher. I would do that by hand and still be careful. Also go back after using those and apply a coat of wax or polish to smooth out the surface of the paint.

[@jameswyllie9608]

Thanks

[@desertlogic222]

I have the EXACT same frame with black spray paint on it. Strange.

[@q.jack_xc]

Cara yang keren 👍🏽

[@gza4704]

Make videos on modern components! overhaul headset, crankset, wheels and so on

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

I have.

[@gza4704]

@@RJTheBikeGuy not so much. improve man!

[@arjedferrer2402]

how about a Repainting bike frame RJ?

[@cudak888]

The way this one has been painted, it has every hallmark of having been spraybombed to obscure what it is - otherwise known as a stolen bike. Here's hoping it came from a police auction.

[@sgaws]

How to remove paint from crank cogs ?

[@lonzosmith7618]

How to remove a loosethread nut from the rd hanger

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Remove it.

[@jontaylor4511]

i took some small paint scrapes off just using a lanolin based lubricant and a lot of elbow grease. most bike paints are probably baked on and a solvent should dissolve home made jobs.

[@Goldenproductionsemc]

Cellulose paint thinners will do the same thing only better, cheaper and faster. Can be bought in any Auto parts shop

[@happycamper5900]

Mineral Spirits work also with less elbow grease.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Solvents can damage the original paint.

[@happycamper5900]

@@RJTheBikeGuy RJ, mineral spirits won't damage the paint. Lacquer thinner on the other hand, is a solvent and may damage the paint if used to remove spray paint.

[@pentiuman]

It's a stolen bike - so RJ should RUN!

[@donalfitzpatrick7324]

thanks rj wonder would this work on tar? I rode through a freshly laid patch of resurfaced road at night didn't realise til daylight frame and components covered! I've cleaned an scraped as much as I can buy still looking crusty

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

www.californiaautobodytracy.com/post/remove-tar-paint

[@josephterrones948]

You know what I would use? But it can only be done by hand. Acetone. Quick! But needs to be easy with the band movement.

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

And it will damage the original paint. Don't think so? Go rub some on your car.

[@justw4lkbesideme]

Thx sir

[@allencrider]

How about removing decals?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

They are under the clear coat on most bikes. So you would pretty much need to destroy the paint.

[@mo-cityautodetailing2170]

Non acetone nail polish removal takes it right off too

[@garygushue4273]

I used steel wool & came off with some lubricant, less work but now i know another way just in case

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

Steel wool probably not good for original paint.

[@glenmorrow1255]

Just curious what you do with all of the bikes you buy and fix up. Sell on craigs list? Donate to charity? Have a huge garage full of bikes? I would guess selling, if so, what profit do you shoot for your time and efforts?

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

www.rjthebikeguy.com/faq/

[@7Just20Mike3]

Good to know , thanks yea I just used coca cola and green scouring pad type , on a mongoose ko bmx bike , worked well , didn't notice any abrasion to factory paint , but I'm sure I did , some... ,much safer this way with carnuba wax, very cool 😎🖒

[@RJTheBikeGuy]

You didn't see it, but the abrasion was most likely there.