Painting Trike Alu pipes ?!

[JACO]

Hi all

I've seen a couple of trikes were the alu pipes have been painted the same colour as the rest. Looks real cool and different.

Any advice on this ? Will normal 2k do the job ? Any special preperation necessary ?

[Tumbleweed]

I've sprayed lots of alluminium using Plascon Acryline? A bit pricy but good stuff.

Uses an etching primer with good results. Get from a decent panelbeater who can mix for you or buy from Marouns. They have an excellent clear lacquer for a wet look.

[bobthebuilder]

Wouldn't anodizing be a better option?

[JACO]

I had a lot of 2k paint mixed (special colour) a while back, Thus having a lot of this left, and I want to match the colour of the fairing.

Wonder if I can apply a "special" primer, and use the 2k ?

Surely anodizing will be better ? But colour wount match.

[Sukkelaar]

Can be done and I have tried it. If on the undercarriage, remember stones on the runways chip the paint and it only looks good for a
short while

Powder-coating lasts a bit longer but in the end also chips away.

Wheel spats might help to keep stones from coming up but front wheel on a trike only has a little mud-guard which is not
very effective.

regards

[KFA]

Once painted you can not easily go back to the alliminium look again. Sand the tubes with 600 or 800 grit sand paper to roughen the surface, clean with a good pre-cleaner, then use stotinium chromate as your primer for rust prevention (it is also an epoxy primer so it stick like s#&%t on a wool blanket) then paint normally with your 2 K mix. Do not use base coat 2k, you will need clear coat and it likes to chip. Use a Top coat 2K paint.

[bobthebuilder]

Imho ... Leave it as it came from the factory. Long term, it will look much better. One day when you decide to sell it, it won't look like you were trying to hide accident damage. My 2c