My Firestone Build

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Silent H

Silent H

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Dec 2, 2007
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Alright I posted this originally in the fresh finds section but now that I have it all apart and am rebuilding it I will post it here too.

Picked this firestone bike up a few weeks ago and am currently stripping the paint down to bare metal to repaint it. I haven't decided on a color yet, leaning towards an orange but not sure.

The rear hub is shot and it has many bent and missing spokes. My plan is to get some new spokes from Memery Lane and take the rear coaster hub from my ruined huffy build and mix the two. Its a 24" bike which is cool as its a little different.
The paint was rough which is too bad as it had a real cool color change effect to it when in the direct sunlight. There were parts that had been repainted poorly and a lot of scratches and rust so it wasn't worth saving.

firestonerat001.jpg

firestonerat003.jpg

firestonerat002.jpg
 
xddorox said:
Just my opinion dude, but that paint job looks decent enough to save. I would lightly wet sand it and clear coat it, rust, scratches and all. But it's your bike, nice find. :D
Click to expand...

LOL yeaaaah I just got done getting the whole frame down to bare metal :lol: I probably could have saved it but I want something to repaint oh well, I need to find some firestone stickers to put back on there.
 
LIttle update. The frame is completely stripped of paint and in my basement waiting for winter to end so I can paint it outside. Brazing looks so cool on a frame! For now im taking the rest of the parts and bearings and cleaning them up as they were packed with junk/dirt etc.
Im doing a little expirementing with spray paint right now to try and get a real metalfake look. I tested a piece of scrap metal I had and painted it a metalic red and then shot craft store spray glitter over it, then cleared it. It looks FREEKIN awesome. I think im going to add somemore clear to "bury" the metalflake. If all goes well I will probably test the concept on a junk bike fork I have to see how it would look on a bike. More to come... 8)
 
I've been want to try that glitter effect. You'll have to post some pictures of our test sample.

Check with necessaryevil on the decals. He had some vinyl ones he put on his ex-huffy Camaro bike that looks great.
 
LOL October similar frame? How about the same frame! Firestone and Rollfast must have had the same manuf. for their bikes. Man it seams like im copying you or something, I just read through your whole build and its awesome. Great color choice BTW. I wish this bike still had the chaingaurd and tank but they are long gone, oh well. I removed the tab that the tank was held to but saved it incase I ever find a tank for it.

October, after reading your thread and being that I used a similar paint technique let me say this:
I painted an extra fork I had to test my metalflake idea and it works pretty good. I layed primer, then the color(a metalic blue spray) and then the spray glitter, I just layed a coat of clear on and plan on doing quite a few coats of the clear.

Just a tip in case anyone wants to do the spray glitter metalflake: I applyed the glitter spray shortly after the color coat was sprayed, this assured that the glitter would stick and settle well. After the paint and whatever-is-in-the-glitter spray dried well enough I took a used drier sheet(thats right) and rubbed it across the fork. This removes the smell... j/k it removes any impurities that got stuck to the paint, ie fuzzies, half stuck glitter, etc. Made it all smooth and nice and ready for clear coat. I only have the one coat on right now and am trying to figure out how to get the best pic to show you guys. It looks awesome, still a little nervous about how well I can paint the WHOLE bike though.
 
you can buy a tack rag at your local automotive paint store for like a dollar(the dryer sheets have a wax in them and may cause fisheyes) be aware when you burry things the mil(paint) thickness increases as does the chance of chips(from thick paint)....
sorry not trying to scare you away from the metal flake(its the nature of the beast with flake) but DONT use dryer sheet!!!!
 
Thanks. I personally have never had a problem with using dryer sheets. Maybe since I use used ones that the wax is gone from the heat of the dryer??? Anyways thanks for the tips regardless. I am waiting for a nice sunny day(this weekend according to the weather report) to take a pic outside so you guys can see the metalflake fork. 8)
 
Heres an update on the firestone and my metalflake expirement.
The firestone frame is down to baremetal and waiting for the weather to get warm for paint.
Firestonebuild009.jpg


Here is the mostly finished metalflake fork with wheel/tire attached for more visual effect :D I think it turned out pretty good for what i have into it. I may add some more clear to deepen the flake a little bit but otherwise its pretty nice.
Firestonebuild007.jpg

Firestonebuild006.jpg
 
Twinkle..twinkle, little RAT. How I wonder if you're a BRAT.....Up above the sky so dark, scaring SPANDEX bikers in the park! :shock:

THAT is going to look great!
 
Not to bad removing the paint. I hand sanded most if that gives anything away as to how easy it was. I had to use a wire brush wheel for some areas as I couldn't get the sandpaper in that area very well.

Thanks for the comps. on the paint everyone, im pretty pumped about it, hoping to maybe do a gold metalic metalflake job on the actual frame? any input?
 
H,

looks really good!

i did my glitter coat under my color coat... (primer, silver base, glitter, candy color, clear) and i gotta wonder if the
glitter spray is incompatible, cause now the paint is starting to flake off...?

here is an idea, if someone wants to try it... i saw a bag or a tub of BIG glitter flakes at the home depot, for spraying onto a textured ceiling... :wink:

oct.
 
karfer67 said:
wow love the paint how did you do it?
Click to expand...

basic automotive primer, I then bought some metallic blue duplicolor paint, layed that down and then while it was still wet, shot it with craft store spray glitter in an aerosol can. Let that dry overnight. The next day I took a used dryer sheet and wiped it down to remove the half stuck glitter flakes so it would be more smooth. Then shot the heck out of it with some cheap rattle can clear coat. 8)
 

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