Greetings!
I have a Nimbus Trials Unicycle, the frame and seatpost is coated in Aluminium, making it shiny silver.
Does anyone know what to use to paint on aluminium which won’t chip off? Is there any paint for aluminuim? Am I doomed to reflect the sun off my unicycle forever?
Any help appreciated.
-Andy
Powder coat it…or just spray paint on alot of layers and make sure you cover it plentifully in polyuerathane if spray painting!!!
Powder coating is about the only thing you’ll get to stick with any durability. My son has a custom paint job on his bicycle, it was stripped to bare metal, prepped and painted by an autobody shop. It was beautiful when it was first done, but it’s still very fragile and that’s good paint with several layers of clear coat.
put a good layer of primer on your frame then put alot of layers of paint then add a clear coat.
or you could do what i did to my old uni…did’nt wanna bother with painting so i just wrapped paint all over the whole thing. http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=158179 and put stickers all over it
i sprayed my old torker when i got my kh and i sprayed a clear coat after it dried. it was red and black camo it was swick. so yea jsut use clear coat after and itll work fine
That’s chrome, not aluminium. Best bet is to remove it and then spray the steel underneath with car paint.
Computer Error!!!
Sorry all but apparently the Nimbus II frame has a Chrome finish!!!
chosen- Will using a clear cost after spraying still work on Chrome? Do you know?
unicyclerpunk- Good idea but I have big things in mind for my cycle!
Racenut and unicyclerpunk- To power coat my frame (coated in chrome) will i have to remove the chrome? Is polyuerathane the same as a clear coat?
What is a clear coat?
Any replies greatly appreciated 
-Andy
PS
-kington99- My dad suggested exactly the same thing (removing the finish). Good idea! Might removing the finish make the steel rust or weaken the frame a little?
-Andy
I’ve been having a look at the other threads about painting unicycles and they all seem to come up with the same solution:
Sand blast the chrome off then spray then use a clear coat.
This seems like the most logical solution but I’m apprehensive about doing this. Won’t removing the chrome make the frame vunerable to rusting? Or weakening the frame completely?!
Has anyone done this without any problems.
Any opinions or comments appreciated
-Andy
Yes, you do need to remove the chrome (you can sand it off, but it’ll require patience) to make the paint durable. It would make the frame rust if you didn’t then paint it, but the paint protects the steel in the same way that the chrome does. Don’t leave it too long between removing the chrome and applying the first coat, and try not to get the frame wet when it’s not painted or chromed. You can paint over the chrome, but it’ll chip a lot easier. It won’t weaken the frame.
Use lots of coats of primer, then lots of coats of colour, then lots of coats of clear coat / laquer. Leave it as long as possible before riding - longer than the paint tin says to leave it. It’ll be dry after that, but I’m sure it hardens further with time.
John
Great! Thanks John! I’ll do that and post some pictures when it’s finished.
-Andy
Andy, removing the chrome will make the frame rust eventually unless you re-coat it with something else, like paint, powder coat etc. It will not in any way affect the strength of your frame, the chrome is there purely to make it shiney.
I’ve painted my left bearing shield black, with car-varnish.
I’m reaily pleased with it… 
“Powder-Coating Service”
Yeh I understand alright now. The chrome protects the steel from rusting and makes it look nice
Guess what I found!
www.unicycle.uk.com does a “Powder-Coating Service”, where they can paint the frame of unicycles when you buy one.
http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=574
I emailed Roger asking if I could send him my frame then him sending it back.
He’s just replied saying it’s not problem, buuut, it costs £35.00!!! Pretty steep!
Has anyone else done this? Is all the hassle worth £35 AND postage and packaging?
Regards
-Andy
What cool designs have people done on their unicyles?
Cool colour combinatios? Art?
-Andy