donhaller 

I'm building a beach cruiser from an old Tank Bike and don't know if I should go to the expense of a custom two-tone powdercoat job or just paint it myself. I'm pretty handy with a spray bomb or spray gun but am concerned about finish durability. I know the powdercoat will be more durable but just wondered if any of you have specific experience.

SquidPuppet

I've had every one of my bikes powder coated for the smooth shiny finish and durability. I love the high gloss shine of the clear coat. Mine have been very tolerant of the occasional "Oops" with a wrench. Personally, I'd never paint a bike again. There are great bike painters out there, and modern paints are super tough compared to yesteryear. But from what I've read here, the high quality automotive paints., primers, and clears are pricey. I'm fortunate to have access to a very reasonably priced powder coater, so that certainly affect my decision making.

What is the price tag for the powder job, if you don't mind saying? What will the bike be used for? General bashing around and getting locked up outside in foul weather? Or will it have a more protected lifestyle?

DEW21

I'm in the process of putting together a spraybombed bike. https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...rdrock-bb.html My local powdercoater wanted too much to shoot the special color I wanted so Rustoleum it is. We shall see how this holds up but its also getting fenders which will offer more paint protection.

J.Higgins 

I've got to find a better powdercoater. Last guy did a job. Its serviceable, but it aint no prize.

My way of thinking typically defaults to doing it by myself first before I explore any other options. Therefore, I'm considering building my own powdercoating oven. If all I ever do is bike frames, it really does not need to be that big. 36"x36"x48"?

The alternative - still in DIY mode - is to spray. Better finishes, and better color choices, but more problematic in terms of chemical sensitivity/toxicity. Need a booth to do it right. Booths are $$$. Even if you build one yourself, you need to ask yourself if its explosion-proof. Here in New England, you need humidity-control in the summer, and some temperature control in the winter. Its a hassle if you are doing this for a hobby. You'd have to invest in it as an asset if you were in business.

No happy medium, imho, but I'm never satisfied anyway.

base2 

Powder hands down. It's tough, it's durable, it finishes good, & depending what kind it can be chemical resistant to chemical proof. My local powder coater charges $175 for a bike, $275 for a tandem for any single color in stock. Special order colors are $50 more & another $50 for a second shoot (like clear or sparkle coat).

My most expensive bike was $450 after tax, my cheapest was $200. Not bad since the local boutique bike maker wants $600-750 to start for a single color & if you are so inclined, $200 for assy/disassembly. Their paint knows no peer, but 5 feet away, know one would know the difference and powder is both cheaper & more durable.

You can find pics of the expensive powder job here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1091713-varsinental-project.html

Special order bulls-eye red and a second shoot of sparkle coat.

SquidPuppet

Every time I read a post like this I feel sooooo fortunate.

$65.00 for single color frame and fork. $15.00 extra for a separate base (like when doing a candy) or clear on top. He doesn't charge for snazzy colors because he prefers if the customer supplies the powder. That way he's clear on liability if it aint what I imagined. I buy the powder at Powderbuythepound.com.

This one is a metallic silver base (that he keeps in stock), with the transparent red (that I bought) on top, then clear (that he stocks). So $95.00 plus $12.75 for a pound of the red powder.

SquidPuppet

BUILD the oven. Go for it.

There is a guy in the C&V forum who has a small oven just for parts. He does hubs, brackets, fenders, all kinds of doo-dads.

J.Higgins 

We're taking quotes to have our kitchen remodeled, which means I can have the stove! At least the heating element, computer, and wiring will be perfect for a small PC oven.

SquidPuppet

There are powder coating forums too. I have visited a few and there appears to be a wealth of info available for newbies. Lots of tips on how to avoid beginner missteps. If I were going to start PCing, I'd definitely consume as much info as possible before starting. Reason being, removing a PC mistake to start over is not like removing paint. It's a HUGE pain in the ass. Labor and time intensive. I know from experience. My red bike was once off white PC. MANY HOURS..............HARSH chemicals......Elbow grease.......HOURS...

fietsbob

Powder coating you just hand it to them, they blast down to bare metal and without ever touching it again
(skin oil harms the powder attraction even ness)

& hangs it in a brought up to pizza scorching temperature, hot oven to melt the polyester powder.

donhaller 

Nice color!

02Giant 

Spectrum Powder Works, CO Springs. Go through their photos on facebook to see what is possible with powder and wet paint. www.facebook . com/pg/spectrumpaintandpowderworks/photos/?tab=albums

You don't have to be a member to see them.

DrIsotope

Just ask yourself what it's worth to you. I see guys on here spending $250-450 for a powder job, and can't even wrap my head around it. I love DIY stuff, and my last frame paintjob cost all of about $70, and that was using a two-part catalyzed ceramicoat. You could get a respectable finish from spraybomb for 10 bucks.

Even if it didn't come out as well, I'd get more satisfaction out of the job doing it myself. YMMV.

rhenning

This bike isn't a cruiser but it was powder coated in 1995 and still looks like when it was done. Nor bad for 22 years. Roger

J.Higgins 

There are some pretty high quality rattlecan paints coming out these days. I might explore those on my next build.

bmartinek

I've powder coated bikes and motorcycle frames. Super durable, and easier to maintiain. IMHO. Was about $120 in the Bay Area if you went directly to the place in Oakland $600 at the LBS.

SquidPuppet

I gotta ask.......... why?

base2 

Well, it is the local market here in Seattle. To be honest the place I go to has a reputation and business is so good they had to move to a larger facility because they didn't have enough room to expand to meet demand. Word of mouth carries a lot of weight.

At the same time, I've gotta ask what is my time worth? If I've gotta drive 2 hours out & 2 hours back to save $100 I come up with a net loss. They also guarantee their work. I've seen some bad powder jobs, but none from Seattle Powder coat. So for me, It's a no-brainer considering the stratospheric prices for paint. If you are from somewhere else, the prices may seem high in Seattle, but so are worker wages when compared to many other parts of the country...nearly $15 an hour minimum wage. I'll bet when prices are indexed to worker wages to compare apples and apples directly, they are probably comparable. A shocking number for sure, but comparable nonetheless.

SquidPuppet

I like the fact that it "smooths out" ugly welds.

J.Higgins 

I think that a well done paint job is far superior to powder, but for durability and simplicity then powder wins out hands down. If I were restoring an old Raleigh, it'd be paint for sure.

MikeyMK

Rattle-can paint chips so easily, and it's hopeless on a bike because you lean it against things and lock it up. Paint only looks good when it's not chipped to hell.

I rattled my forks satin black and was happy for all of two days. Nothing a couple of trips to the shop didn't ruin. For now i've had to cover them in vinyl wrap, both to cover the chips, and protect them from continued damage from the irons i lock the bike to (and people's trolleys/bikes, and the wind moving it etc).