Paint your bike / bicycle / gear reflective!

This Instructable will cover the topical application of retro reflective microspheres (here on out known as glass beads). The concept is that you are essentially making your chosen item reflective via the same manner that your local Transportation Department makes painted stripes on the roadway reflective.

I chose an easy part of my bike to "reflectablize" as one of my friends would say. A detachable fender that I mostly never detach.

Before we begin, I must state that I tried the two main manufacturers of "reflective spraypaint" on the market. Those being Rustoleum and Krylon. The amount of reflective material in the spraypaint was almost non existent. I found that I had to do way too many coats to even get noticeable reflectivity. I ended up seeking a refund from each company. Therefore, I strongly advise you NOT to waste your money. You could always go the reflective tape route but I found it to be expensive as well and just didn't seem as cool as what I am about to instructablize you on.

Step 1 Materials list

1) The part that you want to reflectabilize
2) Krylon Clear Acrylic Coating (or similar clearcoat paint)
3) Masking tape (if you need to mask anything)
4) Paint tray or suitably sized object to catch glass beads
5) Empty spice shaker
6) Any necessary tools for disassembly of bike part
7) Retro reflective Microspheres (glass beads)

Let's begin!

Comments

[cbailey15]

I am thinking of taking the 170-400 and mixing it into an automotive clear coat and spraying from a HVLP spray gun.... any ideas? Or does it have to be ontop of the paint? I think with the finer grains, it would spray through the gun. Also how large is 10 lbs of grains? They are sold in 2.5-10-20 lbs, which would you recommend for a road bike frame, and some other small stuff?

[Hubiewan]

Check out  Rustoleum brand reflective clear coat.  Quick, easy and cheap.

[lactoso]

The Rustoleum reflective paint doesn't work very well at all. This appears to be SUBSTANTIALLY better solution.

In fact, this is the method (except using white paint) used by road departments back in the 30s and 40s to help boost reflectivity on road signs.

[PKM]

Wow.. you left it painted black? I thought you'd painted it white with reflect-o-beads, if all that light is from the flash I'm very impressed. I wonder what quantity you'd need to do your entire bike frame...

Where did you get your beads and how much did they cost?

[goodgnus]

Indeed, the fender was left as it was purchased, plain black plastic. You can get beads on eBay that are 50 - 70 mesh (0.210mm to 0.297mm), slightly larger than what I used. Search for "reflective bead" and the seller is ColeDiscount. I think these would work and they are the smallest beads I have found for sale on the internets. I previously experimented with 30 - 50 mesh which are 0.297mm to 0.595mm and the finish was a bit too rough/uneven. For those interested if you google "particle size conversion table" the first link will give you a table indicating what each mesh size corresponds to in inches, mm and microns. The beads I used came to me as a sample direct from a manufacturer that does not have a retail channel. I hope to make a bulk purchase from them in the near future after I've had more time to experiment and determine specifically what bead size gives the best performance as compared to ease of application :)

[bvirgahyatt]

I just found some that are 170-400 mesh Glass Oxide- mil spec size 13 0.037- 0.088 mm for 15.95 for 10lbs @ http://www.liquidreflector.com/Reflectiveglassbeads.html Would those work?

[goodgnus]

Those would work perfectly. Smaller than what I used, but probably better.

[pgan002]

Apparently the Ebay pages don't say anything about roundness, which I guess is a very important factor. Which manufacturer did you buy from?

[paintphone]

 I have just picked up some micro glass bead that are 0.6mm. I dont know if that is going to be ok 

[emerson.john]

Why not use liquid polyurethane and a brush? I will give you plenty of working time, and when it dries the thicker film will more durable. 

[Granny D]

You have inspired me! I am going to go and reflectorize everything I own- beginning with my helmet. There is a masking medium used by artists - the name escapes me for the moment - that you just paint on and rub off when you are done. I am going to try it and see if that works. That way I can get "artsy".

[goodgnus]

I think you are talking about "Fixative".

[Aspersa]

Ack, no!! Fixative is like hairspray for artwork, it'll seal everything up and is non-removable (which works like a dream, if that's what you want to do). Watercolourists use a "masking fluid" which is essentially thin latex in an ammonia-based emulsion. Brush it on, peel it off. It's fantastic for stencilwork. Be sure to ventilate properly, it'll smell. Thanks so much for the idea, Goodgnus! I've got some spheres on order and fully intend to play with patterns on my bike frame. Have you tried coating your rims yet? How did that work out?

[DLSfilms]

I use Parma Liquid Mask, product number 701, that I get from my local hobby store.  It's cheaper than the art store and cleans off my brushes easily with some "Master's" Brush cleaner which is basically like a soap bar.

[djspincycle]

Where do you buy the Retro reflective Microspheres? And is there a particular size, etc. to buy?

[ImAmberLee]

Here you go:
http://colesafety.com/product.sc?productId=39&categoryId=17

[goodgnus]

Have a read through the comment stream, you'll find your answer!

[djspincycle]

Thanks goodgnus. I took a look and then poked around, but found myself spending too much time without feeling confident that I was finding the right thing. I think the write-up is great, but it would be nice to have a link to a specific place to buy a specific item as it is the key ingredient. I guess the issue is that there is not an obvious retail vendor for the beads? Anyway, if there was a product link you could post for the instructees, I for one would appreciate it.

[Truphtooph]

Could someone explain the differences in retroreflective tapes? The Internets have loads of tapes on sale at wildly different costs. It would be good to know where the money goes, how long tapes stay reflectivity, and what the difference in brightness of tapes are? Great instructable! I really want to do this.

[neuro98]

Coool! I did this with a carnival mask using some coarse beads and clear acrylic paint a few years ago. The "micro" size is just so that they can adhere to contours -- any size bead will reflect. Add a layer of acrylic on top after the beads to help keep them attached. I'd recommend painting surfaces that are vertical, though (seat post, frame), since that is the angle that cars will shine their lights at you from.

[DebH57]

Another great idea here Goodgnus.

[scafool]

OK, just an odd thought after reading comments about applying the beads. If you laid out some automotive paint grade masking tape and then stuck the beads to that would it help. you should be able to get a very even and tightly packed single layer of beads stuck to it After you had your lacquer coat on but still wet them maybe you could put the masking tape onto it with the beads against the wet paint. After it was dry you should still be able to peel the tape off the paint leaving the beads embedded to an even depth in the paint. The glue of the tape might (hopefully) prevent the face layer of the beads from being coated with paint yet let the beads be embedded deeply enough to stick well. Like I said it is just a thought, but if it might work it seems like a way to apply the beads in patterns to by cutting the tape into the shapes you want to show, kind of like a backwards stencelling method.

[skeptikool]

This is a great instructable - and, with increasing numbers of bicycles on the roads, most timely. It's so important to be visible.

[goodgnus]

Check out my newest Instructable: Handmade Holiday Cards

[reginaron]

Hi q1)If you do your rims, how are you going to maintain thier balance? q2)Why, in your photos, did yer fender,go from dark to bright white? before&after perhaps? q3)Is bright photo taken in an unlit room with a flash? Also, why not just put the reflectors that might have been stock on your bike, back on? (cheaper & less work) Cheers from Canada

[goodgnus]

1) Bicycle rims are hardly in balance to begin with. 2 & 3) Yes, before and after, the bright white is the flash reflected in the beads. The room was partially lit. Mountain bikes don't come with reflectors and this is more reflective than standard bicycle reflectors.

[killerjackalope]

I did take the time to balance mine one time, because I got bored and figured out how on the tyre balancing machine (used to be a tyre fitter) and found and attachment that fit the axle... It is a strange feeling if you did it right after getting a rim trued aswell, high speeds felt slower...) If you want to make balanced tyres they have balancing dust, anything non-abrasive works nicely and its fun, use something fluorescent and you get clouds of colour when a puncture happens...

[kc6qhp]

Congrats to you too! I really liked your entry, and am going to be doing some painting of my bike. I was thinking on my way to work this morning if someone makes a powder coating powder that has microspheres mixed in. It might make for a more durable finish especially if its given a clear coat. Probably depends on the diameter though as to whether it wouldpick up a big enough charge, etc. Might be something to try out!

[goodgnus]

There is a company that makes a retro-reflective powdercoat, the product is relatively new. They are being extremely proprietary about product licensing and who can apply it, and even what specifically it can be applied to. Fortunately bicycles is one of them but I suspect it will be unavailable to ordinary consumers for years to come, and cost prohibitive when it does. I don't want to advertise for them given their proprietary stance so if you do some googling you can probably find it.

[Benstar]

FWIW I have a couple bags of the beads, I swept them up off the road surface right after the highway dept had applied them to the thermoplastic strips. They just dump them on, so there is often a lot left on the roadway you can have for free!

[xenobiologista]

Yeah...I got some that way too and put them on my helmet with nail polish! =)

[brainmedley]

Give Krylon Triple Thick a try, it goes on thick and stays wet for a bit; it's also good for preserving pinball machines http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/index1.htm#bg

[tinman01]

This is really cool. Could this technique apply to cloth or other flexible surfaces?

[viva la velorution]

I made my bike reflective without the paint starting 3 years ago. I bought 5 rolls of 3M white reflective tape ($3.50 per yard) at the indy hardware store and applied it to both sides of my fork, all tubes, every sq inch of my rack, cranks and front of my handlebars. when i shine a light on it from far away, the whole thing glows like a giant ferris wheel. my friend also works for a sign company thru the DOT and gave me rolls of highly reflective sign quality, which i cut up and put on both sides of both rims in two colors and on my helmet. you can also buy fluorescent spray paint and apply it to your spokes. i've had drivers come up to me to not only compliment my insanely bright lights but also the reflectivity.

[ragingslab]

I'm not seeing any links to the microspheres so I thought I'd post one that I had found. This one seems reasonable http://www.liquidreflector.com/Reflectiveglassbeads.html
5 pounds is probably a lifetime supply for most people.

[goodgnus]

That is where I initially bought my beads, they are 30 - 50 mesh, a little too large. I would go with the 50 - 70 beads from ColeDiscount on eBay.

[kuchinskas]

Instead of spray-on clearcoat, you could try a brush-on exterior varnish, such as is used for wooden doors, etc. You can get a quart from the hardware store in either water-base or oil-base. Apply it with a throwaway foam brush. It's not only more environmentally responsible than a spray, you have better control of the thickness and it dries more slowly. The solvent-based version would be thicker and slower-drying.

[whitato1]

Living in Switzerland people are more aware of bikers. However, this safety idea is fantastic and I am going to do this with my bike. Please let us know about using epoxy rather than regular spray paint or clearcoat.

[xfirexstarzx]

I have a 5 gallon bucket full of glass bead used for sand blasting. I'm not sure how thick it is, but it is smaller than salt crystals. Do you think it will work? I'm thinking of painting an old motorcycle with this stuff. The reflection looks amazing!

[goodgnus]

May be worthy of a test on a piece of cardboard, my guess is if it's blasting media the uniformity of the bead roundness and quality of the glass will be low. It will likely have a low refractive index and lack of roundness means it would scatter light in all directions instead of reflecting the majority of light back at the light source. But again, a quick test will answer whether it works or not.