Powdercoat - the poll

[Tootyred]

3 coat powder is the dogs. Anti corrosion primer, powder, clear powder.

You need to find a specialist who does frames and metal artwork etc....not a gate blaster.

Powder is many things...its not all the same in composition or qualtity. So are we talking nylon powwder, acrylic, old skool stove....exactly.

Also how good is the powder they are using? Ebay £11 a kilo or spectra £123 kilo.

Poundland rattle can or upol 2k.... same difference.

This is 4 coats powder inc clear....

 

[LondonClassic]

Drawbacks are the lack of arty options, fades etc and the fact that done badly it can look lumpy and frankly awful.

And also that if it is done badly, removing it is a PITA. That is a major point for me in the case against powdercoat.

And sandblasting might be fine for plain or heavy gauge tubing but its less of a great idea for butted tubing like 531 etc which are easy to perforate in the quest to blast away corrosion.

 

[Canuk]

I've had a few rough p coats over the years. I had a lovely pearlised silver on a Cannondale but it just started to flake eventually. Truth be told you can't best enamel.

 

[Tootyred]

Only animals blast off powder..its baked and or dipped, then blasted with a very light media only to clean the surface...basically no material loss if done right.

To be frank if your corrosion laden frame goes through a tube chasing rust, it needs repair not paint....why would you put any frame treatment over rust...be it paint or powder....it won't last if its got any corrosion under it.

Again..its find an expert, not a gate painter.

But it is horses for courses....i wouldn't powder a silver soldered frame as i doubt the correct oven temp would do it much good! ....well unless you wanted it apart.

I agree fades etc are harder but not impossible. That frame above is faded violet to purple front to back.

I also have an orange prestige (so thin 7/4/7 wall thickess) powdered with chameleon flip. Metallic purple normally....racing green in the sun.

Powder is not all bathtubs and garden furniture anymore.

 

[LondonClassic]

To be frank if your corrosion laden frame goes through a tube chasing rust, it needs repair not paint....why would you put any frame treatment over rust...be it paint or powder....it won't last if its got any corrosion under it.

Again..its find an expert, not a gate painter.

Sandblasting can perforate a tube chasing paint and primer, let alone corrosion. A 531 top tube is 0.5mm thick in the middle. Perforations might be hard to spot with the naked eye. Turn the lights off and run a light up the inside. Probably why sandblasting (and powder also) are not in favour with renovators of lightweight steel frames. Maybe soda blasting will take over at some point but it seems thin on the ground. Vapour blasting seems hit and miss.

Yes, I should find that expert. That gentle, artisan sandblaster who caresses the metal and burns insence while he whispers the paint off. Never met one of those. All the ones I've met blast the sh*t out of whatever you give them and want to get onto the next job pronto.

 

[Mark Manley]

I have had a couple of bicycle frames powder coated but was not happy with the cosmetic finish, it was more robust than paint but I prefer to spray which I can do at home.

 

[Tootyred]

Sandblasting can perforate a tube chasing paint and primer, let alone corrosion. A 531 top tube is 0.5mm thick in the middle

Absolutely....that frame above and the orange are tange prestige 0.4mm thick.

If they even talk about sand blasting walk away. Firstly its illegal in the UK...fully banned in 1999....but believe me idiots are still doing it to this day!

A good powdercoat will include removing the old finish in the correct way.

Most powder comes off through dipping or baking. The media for blasting after is either meda in solution (aqua) or a fine abrasive (walnut shell is good).

A few years ago the question came up as to how much loss you got with blasting..so i sent a section of prestige downtube (kindly donated by a poorly orange prestige) to the guy i use. I measured it first and after stripping. No loss.

But once again, its really down to who you use. Your absolutely correct, that an idiot with a blaster can take the detail off the lug edges, and will blast through a tube if he tries hard...but then a mechanic with a big spanner can also snap bolts off. Finding the correct tool for the job is key.....and knowing what to use and how to apply it even more so.

Tbh, you could run into the same situation with wet paint. Everything we did at work was stripped chemically of grease / paint etc then put into aquablasting prior to paint......so if preps the issue in theory wet paint could be no better.

Just ask lots of questions first....if they cant answer or seem vague.....walk on. Same goes for wet paint...just because it says "painter" above the door doesn't make them an expert.

 

[Canuk]

Absolutely....that frame above and the orange are tange prestige 0.4mm thick.

If they even talk about sand blasting walk away. Firstly its illegal in the UK...fully banned in 1999....but believe me idiots are still doing it to this day!

A good powdercoat will include removing the old finish in the correct way.

Most powder comes off through dipping or baking. The media for blasting after is either meda in solution (aqua) or a fine abrasive (walnut shell is good).

A few years ago the question came up as to how much loss you got with blasting..so i sent a section of prestige downtube (kindly donated by a poorly orange prestige) to the guy i use. I measured it first and after stripping. No loss.

But once again, its really down to who you use. Your absolutely correct, that an idiot with a blaster can take the detail off the lug edges, and will blast through a tube if he tries hard...but then a mechanic with a big spanner can also snap bolts off. Finding the correct tool for the job is key.....and knowing what to use and how to apply it even more so.

Tbh, you could run into the same situation with wet paint. Everything we did at work was stripped chemically of grease / paint etc then put into aquablasting prior to paint......so if preps the issue in theory wet paint could be no better.

Just ask lots of questions first....if they cant answer or seem vague.....walk on. Same goes for wet paint...just because it says "painter" above the door doesn't make them an expert.

Absolutely, finding a good painter is difficult to say the least. I found a local garage who mostly painted motorbikes and restored vintage Vespa and Velosolex, they did a good job with bicycle frames, but I always presented them stripped of paint.

My big goal for this year is to set up a wet paint facility in my garage (it's huge!) with good ventilation etc. Any tips/advice very welcome!

 

[minor_LEGEND]

I actually share the sentiments of the OP. Powder can be awful & it is well suited for park gates benches. I would never PC a valuable frame I don't think, but I do have a fantastic powder coating business nearby. I used them a fair few times now & the finish is always fantastic.

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Here is a couple examples of the work my local coaters have done for me. A fillet brazed custom Thorn MTB frame in anthracite grey. And a Cannondale CAAD4 road bike frame which was pretty doggy & corroded under the old, flaking paint. That was done in white & I had a vehicle spray shop spray over the graphics with lacquer.
(coaters) PCL, Bridgwater, Somerset.

Done right there is a case for PC. A hamfisted gate-sprayer could wreck a light steel frame before it's even see any powder. PCL that I use are generally very good with masking threads, inside headtubes & b/b's etc. I tend to block sand the areas a good shop would 'face' with the correct tools.