Topic: Bare metal or paint overtop of old paint?

[rk]

I'm repainting my bike in the next while as the current paint is scratched in numerous places.

I have the option of blasting my tank, fender and seat pan with glass or sand. The result would obviously be bare metal... is there any drawback to starting from here?

[Powderman]

Blast it with sand, not glass bead, prime and paint. It is always better to start your paint job with vcirgin meatl instead of old paint or anything else. Remember the finished product is totally dependent on the initial prep.

[rk]

Any reason for sand vs. glass?

I'm planning on using a 2 part primer and 2 part clear, with as much elbow grease as I can muster in between.

[Bankerdanny]

Glass isn't as hard as sand, so not as abrasive and thus takes more material and time to get paint off.

Glass is safer than sand when removing paint from soft aluminum because it isn't as abrasive, but for taking paint off of sheet metal sand will be much faster and any marks left can be covered with a good primer.

[Powderman]

Glass beads are just that, beads or little balls of glass. They don't have the cutting action sand does that is sharp and jagged. Glass Bead will peen the surface and and make it smooth and shiny where the sand will leave it with tooth for the paint to stick to. Sand also leaves the surface more porous and flat than glass bead. Now there is crushed glass media that is not to be confused with glass bead and is more like sand in the cutting action.

[rk]

Cool - thanks guys! I'll use sand.

Standby for pictures... the saga continues.