Another Bicycle Project? or a Masterpiece? OK, the Former ...

So I was tired of riding my wife's beach cruiser around the neighborhood when chance dropped a used bike in my lap. The brakes squealed, the colors weren't bad--but the the stickers were childish. My new bike needed a new paint job! (And a tune up)

Step 1: Ok, Strip!

Preparation:
Okay, I was a little short on time, so I only stripped down the wheels, rims, kickstand, and brakes. The rest was covered with newspaper to prevent over spray.

First, I stripped the stickers off the frame. Then I used a heat gun to soften the glue that would not come off and scraped off with a knife. Then I sanded down the frame with sandpaper.

Step 2: Masking and Painting

The rims were originally a grey color. I taped between the spokes with 1/2" masking tape because honestly who has time to tear down rims completely?

Then I sprayed the bike with 3 coats of black spray paint and 2 coats of clear.

Step 3: Where's the Seat Post?

So... in my haste of creating this awesome bike I dropped the seat post down into the seat tube.

Step 4: Improvise

I carved a new seat post from a tree I felled in my yard. May need a little tweaking in the future, but works for now.

Step 5: Ride

Before and After

Please vote for me :)