The paint on my cruiser has seen better days and I can't help but wonder what natural would look like. I have seen aluminum that has been stripped with aircraft stripper, but never one media blasted. I think it may look pretty cool? Anyone done it and have a pic?

Sorry, no pics, but it will look like an aluminum intake manifold, just shaped different.

That could be interesting!!!

Whoa there, boss.

It will look like a medium grey. Flat. It will look like you sprayed it with gray primer. That's it. I can't say if it would make it harder to polish, but I suspect it would. depends on what you like, but I don't think you will like it.

Otherwise, I have a whole set up in my driveway this very minute. I am about to blast a 2005 Diamondback Reactor. It will be getting paint, or powder.

You can always Scotchbrite or Steel Wool the bare aluminum for ball burnished effect. Raw stripped media state will be a dark gray color.

use Jasco paint stripper. then have it blasted with walnut shells and it will be smooth.
glass bead or sand will leave it rough and will be hard to clean. it will also look like lemon peel if you try to paint it.

Why strip it if you are going to have it blasted? Walnut won't cut the paint?

Thanks for the replies. For some reason, I thought media blasting would be easier on the metal than sand. I like the idea of it looking dark gray, but am not interested in the surface being rough. And from the sounds of things, it could be very rough (intake manifold, wow!).

I'd like to to basically be bare with no paint/poweder (to see if I like the look), but still smooth aluminum surface. THat way, if I did decide to powder, I could.

Thanks,

Chris

When is the leftist liberal media going to stop blasting conservative candidates!?!? Huh?

[This is a joke, please do not respond.]

i know for a fact that crupi's are rough when blasted or stripped.

I think you need to take a trip to your local stripper (the sand/media blasting kind) and check out some samples so you have a better idea of what everyone is talking about. Sand and media blasting only prepares the surface for paint/powder-it's not used to texture the surface. It is used to scuff the surface like sandpaper so the paint/powder gets a better "bite" on the metal. If your bike has orange peel to it after it's painted it is the fault of the painter, not the sanblasting/surface prep. Media blasting is easier on the metal than sandblasting, but sandblasting will give you a better surface for the paint/powder to adhere too, and most blasting places are professional enough to recommend to you what you really need done. Many powdercoaters automatically blast the part before they coat it to insure that it is prepped correctly.

If you ever plan on polishing the frame, you should not blast it with anything. Chemical stripping is the only way to go in that case.

Dang, I just blasted a chainring I'm gonna polish. Dang.

http://truebmx.com/pa/012508RadIn-903si/tbmxpi21.html

Go to that link at look at some of the pics toward the top. The kid on the Nat'l 162 plate with the blue Fly Trophy helmet and white Fly leathers is Mitch Ropelato. That bike has all of the aluminum components polished, including the Podium frame, DXR cranks, brakes, rims, bars, etc.

I shudder to think what was spent on that bike.