How to paint your bike's suspension fork with acrylic aerosol. Day one.

Time for another yearly update! That's right. I managed to squeeze one in just before the year ends.

...

So sad.

Anyway, title is temporary, and will possibly be renamed 'How to fuck up your bike fork' or something akin to it.

So this is an amateur's (me) attempt at painting his bicycle fork black to match the color of the bike, because while red ones go fastah!, I doubt they'd work as well when the rest of the bike is black.

Plus I suppose it's something to do over the holidays aside from just sitting in front of my computer downloading stuff, doing stuff, and then crying myself to sleep, rinse and repeat.

So what you will need:

Etch primer, some acrylic paint of your desired color, clear coat, 300 grit sandpaper, 600 grit sandpaper, some painter's tape (special blue colored masking tape, which was not available down here so I just bought regular masking tape and crayoned it blue. I am kidding. Don't do that, but masking tape should do you fine), scissors, a degreaser, a couple of clean soft cloths, old newspapers, and a flask of weak lemon drink.


So first things first, take off the fork, and whatever is attached to it. Carefully remove any stickers attached to it as well. Then give it a good cleaning with your degreaser (careful in handling, always read the instructions) and make sure it is all nice and dry.



Note that you should remove your fork's lower leg assemblies, as not only is it the proper thing to do but it also makes painting it easier. I however am a manly man, always looking for a challenge and thus shall do no such thing and will embrace the added difficulty with much gusto. Also I am very lazy and cannot be arsed to do so.


Once that's done, it's time to sand your beautiful shiny fork and make it less shiny and beautiful. That'll teach it! The whore! Well, unless you're a pussy like yours truly and did not remove the lower legs, then you'd have to do some masking taping on the bits you don't want paint on before sanding the thing.



No need to sand down to the metal, you just need to keep at it until the light and hope fades from her ey-legs. Lower legs. Once that's done clean it up with your clean soft cloth.

Next is to apply 3-4 light coats of primer, give enough time for it to dry between coats.


Now quickly drink your weak lemon drink!

Will continue this endeavor tomorrow as it's best to paint when it's nice and warm and sunny. Which is what 5 in the afternoon is not. Hopefully I'll be up before noon tomorrow, but I doubt it.
Ah well.



Disclaimer: I have no idea what the hell I am doing and thus cannot be held responsible for anything. At all. Attempt to follow my false and ignorant instructions at your own risk.