distinguishing paint from powdercoat?

[Khane]

Or alternately, Nitromors will remove paint but do nothing to powdercoat.

 

[Retro_Roy]

if it's the original finish on the frame and fork then it's paint.
i don't believe paul powercoated. and i can see an art dept. decal on chainstay. :roll: :facepalm:
other than that, can't help ya.

 

[RockiMtn]

Personally I would'nt sand down the paint, It can leave flat or uneven spots from trying to overwork more corroded areas. Plus its almost impossible to remove dirt, rust or oxidation in all the nooks and crannies and lets not forget the pitting that rust can hide in. Ive got the badge, balloon and swirly hat from learning the more costly and time consuming way with unsatisfactory results.

Get it blasted, It will get rid of all the crap off the frame evenly, but only either bead or a very fine shot blast otherwise the finish will be affected with a more coarse blast. personally I have just sent my Kona frame off to be blasted and powder coated for the princely sum of £35. If your'e unsure, my Lava Dome frame will be back next week and posted on retrobike with the results if your interested?

Would love to see your results. Unfortunately I'm in Canada, Toronto to be exact. And I haven't found too many mention of people stripping and repainting frames/forks, at least not at a low cost.

 

[agent29]

Try Mayfair Plating in Toronto https://plus.google.com/104553983973643 ... l=uk&hl=en. there is a few around. Consensus is cosst vary between companies from $75-125 for blast and paint depending on color.

 

[Funky Diver]

If you do decide to go down the blasting route, and are going to paint your frame yourself, get the shop to apply primer (etch primer if its going on aluminium) so at least you have a coat on it before starting work. Blasted metal goes off VERY quick if left unchecked!

Another test for powder coating is on edges where it's been "cut" you might seem some separation from the base metal so much so that it might look like it would peel off in a sheet where paint would crack off.... I know that doesn't sound like it makes sense, but if you see it you'll understand, lol

 

[agent29]

Hi there RockiMtn just to give you an idea of what finish you can expect from blast & powder coating here is a link to my Lavadome restoration project. The frame was quite rusty.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=267288

 

[PurleySquire]

Powdercoat (done well) sticks to metal like the proverbial shite to a blanket. In my experience paint quickly wears away from axle mounting points, chain stays and cable rubbing points around the head tube. If the paint is young, it gets easily scraped off, if it's old and well cured there is more of a tendency to chip and splinter.
I think Saracen started using it early on, my mates early 90's bike is in remarkable condition considering the huge amount of use it has had. Powdercoat can be over painted, degreasing and a little keying with ultra fine grit wet and dry is the only prep needed. It can also be polished with abrasives like T-cut to great effect.
As you can tell I am quite a fan and would consider it the only option for a bike that is going to be used and not displayed as art.

 

[secret_squirrel]

The black Oranges from 93-94 on were all powder coated and it just needs a polish to come up pretty good again

 

[RockiMtn]

Try Mayfair Plating in Toronto https://plus.google.com/104553983973643 ... l=uk&hl=en. there is a few around. Consensus is cosst vary between companies from $75-125 for blast and paint depending on color.

Tried looking up this place but can't find much info. I see they work with metal but looks to be more chroming finishes as opposed to anything else. No mention of stripping or painting, although they must know a thing or two about prepping metal surfaces.

Did you use to live in Toronto and made use of their services?

 

[RockiMtn]

If you do decide to go down the blasting route, and are going to paint your frame yourself, get the shop to apply primer (etch primer if its going on aluminium) so at least you have a coat on it before starting work. Blasted metal goes off VERY quick if left unchecked!

Another test for powder coating is on edges where it's been "cut" you might seem some separation from the base metal so much so that it might look like it would peel off in a sheet where paint would crack off.... I know that doesn't sound like it makes sense, but if you see it you'll understand, lol

so a contact i have asked PB himself about the paint/powdercoating done on his frames/forks. majority of the frames were painted, while the majority of the forks are powedercoated. :?