Hot In Here

In preparation of sandblasting I have been doing the last bit of prep for the frame. It's now clean and without any labels or grease. To remove the grease I've been using a product called Contracter's Solvent. It's non-hazardous and non-corrosive which is a big deal because I'm trying to be as planet- (and me-) friendly as possible. I'm pleased with the results and any of the more difficult spots could probably be taken care of better with a wire brush instead of a nasty chemical. In line with my eco-friendly attitude is the method to remove stickers. I borrowed my wife's hair dryer and blasted each sticker on high for a minute.

The six stickers came off without leaving any sticky residue. Of course the area underneath the sticker was without blemishes. This makes me, for a moment, reluctant to remove the paint on the whole frame. I'm just hoping to make my finish as nice as the bike was originally. There's a very good chance it won't be and that's ok. This is a learning process that I'm doing so the next bike will be better. 

Speaking of the next bike. Toady, while riding my Spalding road bike to work, it creaked, groaned and pleaded for a tune-up. I've beaten it up pretty well this summer and it's served me well. Time to reward it with an overhaul.