Powder coating a frame

[calabash]

Bought a sweet hardtail frame and have just stripped it down to the aluminium. Weights a sweet 1.6km. Thinking about powder coating it. ?Any suggestions?

[Iven]

White powder?

[AndreZA]

I hope you're not an engineer. Why did you weigh the bike in kilometers?

 

In this country you have to stick to the plain colours when it comes to powdercoating.

 

 

 

[calabash]

Thinking black...

It is a VERY long frame!

[dylankeyter]

I also did the same think. I want to spray mine white. Does anyone know of any places in Cape Town to do it?

[AndreZA]

Go ala style man with black, as you mentioned, with gold decals.

 

 

[calabash]

Bada bling!!! Bloody good idea

[Guest Big H]

Powder coating is hard but it does scratch and is them very difficult to touch up. I had pedals powdercoated in black and it worked very well. Problem is that any decals will have to stuck or painted on and then given a clearcote. Also be very carefull to mask all screwthreads. If any powder bakes onto the threads it is extremely hard to remove.

[whitesox]

Think Boonen would love his frames to be powder coated, in a white expensive powder...

[KevinV]

Area Powder Coating in Montague Gardens. Speak to Jaco or Francois.

(021) 555 0047

[calabash]

anybody got pics of a bike that has been powder coated?

[AndreZA]

All Santacruz bikes are either powdercoated or anodized. If it daoes not have the matt "glittery" effect it is powdercoated.

 

 

[Dirtbreath]

JG Powder Coaters in Boksburg do bikes. 0832633197. They can powder coat with mother of pearl to get the "glittery" effect. Powder coating does fade and scratch quite easily.

[javadude]

Get a buff and some polishing compound and shine that raw aluminium up. Spray over with a clear coat.

[AndreZA]

Get a buff and some polishing compound and shine that raw aluminium up. Spray over with a clear coat.

 

Why can't he just use normal rags? Buffs are very expensive.

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

I don't quite know what a "sweet" frame is but I'll assume it's just a standard metal frame.

 

Powder coating is a very bad idea. Powder coating is not UV resistant nor impervious to common degreasers and soap. The top layer oxidises very quickly, leaving the surface dull and lifeless. You can tart it up again with old-fashioned abrasive car polish, but that'll damage your decals.

 

Secondly, power coating is thick, hard and prone to chipping. That has many negatives, not the least being that you'll have to protect the headset and BB areas by masking it perfectly - just ab out impossible. Should you try and face and ream it afterwards, the paint will chip on the perimeter of the machined area.

 

Go for Duco and be done with it.