Patching up paint work

[Nickster]

My bike wasn't tied securely onto my bike rack over the weekend and in the process of coming loose, had a big chunk of paint removed from it as a result of hitting one of the other bikes on the rack.

 

It's an butted 6061 allaminium frame with a sort of matt finish (not glossed)

 

I want to know how to treat this?

 

I'd preferably like e to pack it up but I need to know if there are any risks of rust or possible weakness and also whether I can do this myself or is it better to get someone else to do it?

 

Thanks

[SamL1220]

Post a pic

[mikeonthetown]

Nail varnish is good. My mate has a matt black bike and uses exactly that, just match the colour. ps make sure its the matt varnish and not gloss.

Edited November 18, 2013 by mikeonthetown

[shaper]

Nail varnish is good. My mate has a matt black bike and uses exactly that, just match the colour. ps make sure its the matt varnish and not gloss.

+1 on nail varnish for small scratches

[Nickster]

It's not too big but knowing it's there is the painful part

[mikeonthetown]

It's not too big but knowing it's there is the painful part

Yup it sucks but rather cover it up. You would be surprised on how well it works. Also aluminium doesn't rust but it does oxidise in a fairly short time.

[Nickster]

This may be a stupid question but isn't oxidisation = rust

[Helpmytrap]

This may be a stupid question but isn't oxidisation = rust

Correct, but Al doesn't turn orange/brown. It forms a white oxidation layer.

[RichieT]

Different colour!

Rust is red oxide, ali oxide is whitish!

Just cover it up.

[shaper]

Aluminium oxidizes as many have said, it does not rust, many have stripped bikes back to bear Aluminium, I have done it for my SS and has been like that for a year or more, is still as good as the day I stripped the paint of it.

 

If is a small scratch you can use nail varnish, either clear or try to match the colour, if bigger consider putting a sticker over it, else will cost a bit to get it repainted

[Skylark]

Any decent panel beater paint supply store can perfectly match your bikes paint colour in 2k for the touch up . About R150 for 500ml, they probably won't mix less though.

[Nickster]

Thanks guys, will get it done

[Eugene]

I bought an airbrush from Makro for R120 and a small adaptor that allows you to connect it to a car tyre. I use that enamel hobby paint to spray over the scratches. It Does a brilliant job.

[RichieT]

I bought an airbrush from Makro for R120 and a small adaptor that allows you to connect it to a car tyre. I use that enamel hobby paint to spray over the scratches. It Does a brilliant job.

Brilliant! What will they think of next! Connect an airbrush to a car tyre.. Ha Ha, and I guess it can work!

[Eugene]

Brilliant! What will they think of next! Connect an airbrush to a car tyre.. Ha Ha, and I guess it can work!

 

It's much cheaper than buying a compressor or those little tins of compressed air. The airbrush stops working when the pressure drops below 1.5 bar. Gets a bit tough, because I use my floor pump to pump the tyre up again.

[V12man]

It's much cheaper than buying a compressor or those little tins of compressed air. The airbrush stops working when the pressure drops below 1.5 bar. Gets a bit tough, because I use my floor pump to pump the tyre up again.

 

Definitely worth having a compressor if you run tubeless........

 

There are plenty of mobile car paint repair guys who can fix chips and scratches pretty well - might be worth looking at - there is a guy in Jhb who does bike chip touchup for shops - but he is not close to the OP.