RobbieTunes

People are going to be ill-tempered when I PC an old Titan.....but I gotta cover the repairs....

rhm

I had my old Trek 720 powder coated. I know the original color had its fans, but I always hated it. The shop where I bought it, new, in 1982, had two frames my size... the mud colored 720 and a deep blue 760. I almost bought the 760 just because it was a better color; but I was there to buy the touring bike frame. I hadn't got it out the door of the store before I decided I'd repaint it, though it took me 30 years to follow through with that.



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When I got my Holdsworth 531 Special frame, the original paint was long gone; the frame needed paint badly. I did a nice wet paint job on it myself....



But it was not durable, and after Gugificazione it went for powder coat. This has held up much better.



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Lance Mercado, who built my Squarebuilt frame, does powder coat in house. He does a beautiful job, even stenciling the 'decals' onto the frame before baking it. But in my case, since I wanted the frame as cheap as possible, I took it as a bare frame and had the powder coat done elsewhere.

jade408

Based on my unofficial research - the answer is yes. That was the default option for the builder I chose. I think not everyone is aiming to make "show bikes" for every ride. And not all buyers (myself included) need wet paint for a custom.

I am going custom, but it is still aiming to be. daily rider. I just wanted better fit and some features not available on stock bikes or builds. It turned out it wasn't too much more to go custom in my case.

I found a couple of builders that quoted me PC.

ollo_ollo

It doesn't, one can see joint brazing when you look closely in bright sunlight. But PC was a thick application. The joint fillets are minimal and very well done. I expected the brass to show more than it did. Didn't want another $60 on a low budget project. There is 1 sag down low on the seat tube NDS, but it barely shows. Don

delbiker1 

I am very pleased with the powder coat on this frame. Lugs are still well defined. The powder also covered a couple of small flaws from sue and also a quarter size dent in the front of the head tube that was there when I bought the bike new in 1992. I love the color!

RobbieTunes

Wraith Fabrications.

Chombi1 

Considering how many companies and builders are now defaulting to PC. It will, most likely be the norm for modern metal bikes......... BTW,....... can CF frames be powdercoated?

Hudson308 

You could probably get it to hold a static charge, but baking it at 400 degrees would not be wise.

tricky 

So. Cool. Makes me want to do a celeste chromovelato on a 90's Bianch Veloce I have laying around.

brightsideofit 

Amazing job. Mind sharing the powder coater’s info?

goldfront 

this centurion is so perfect 🤩

daviddavieboy

It might not be 100% but you need to get incredibly close to see any issues. This was a bike I wanted in the 70's and with the powder coat I am not afraid to ride it on the pavement and dirt roads today. Since this build the bile has ~8000 km on it. I was originally quoted $300 CDN to do the job but she had some left over powder from another job and she wasn't pleased as there was powder got baked on the chrome lugs. It took me a day to razorblade the powder off the lugs and got the job for free. It might have helped that I deliver the propane that they use for their ovens and heat.

Schweinhund

Not a fan of powdercoat for the obvious reasons, but there are people who can make it look good.

Like painting, prep for powder makes all the difference. Media blasting is better than a wipedown with prepall or acetone. Helps to make the powder stick as well.

The whole point of media blasting is to derust, degrease and descale, the friction also evaporates any moisture on/in the part.

If you use lab metal, apply after the blasting process.


Don't use nut shells to blast as they are high in oil content and will affect how the powder sticks.


Glass the second time around will give better results than glass straight out of the bag, through the tank. It's far less sharp for smoother results.

Some of the results you find acceptable look like ****** when you know what it should look like.

Make sure human hands do not touch the metal surface before coating, wear vinyl/plastic gloves. NO LEATHER.


To remove powdercoat, you can hot tank the part that was coated, or you can "crack" the plastic coating with a torch.

Stinks like the dickens but kills it so it can be removed. Don't be stupid and try to sand it off. blasting gives best results.

Make sure your blaster knows how to adjust his/her equipment to not damage pricy collectables.

Lower pressure higher media volume is better for glass like powercoat results.

if you're doing an old frame leave a set of cups in your bottom bracket. it's easier to get the cups out than the plastic out of the threads.

Schweinhund

Oh, and if someone uses the term "Copper Slag" run.

gugie 

Wasn't Copper Slag a Seattle grunge band?

Schweinhund

If they were highly aggressive left overs from an industrial operation to get the best out of something else, that would probably be correct.

gugie 

You may have just deciphered some of Kurt Cobain's lyrics.

SurferRosa

I've had a frame done, and I loved the results, but I'm now priced out of this option ... at least at the shop I used years ago, Seattle Powder Coat. It's now $275 for one basic stock color.

Schweinhund

That's an "I don't want to do it" price. if you know what I mean.

bulgie 

Anyone heard of Stunt Doubles in South Seattle? Their prices quoted are very high, but at least they clearly understand bicycles, with a whole page dedicated. They shared a space with a local semi-pro framebuilder, Eva Kloiber (Liberation Fab), though I'm pretty sure she has since moved back East. Ah yep her website clearly says Pittsburg PA now. (I hope "semi-pro" isn't an insult, but she was just getting started when I talked with her ~18 months ago, not long after she took a UBI framebuilding class. She's creative and motivated though, so I expect she'll go far — maybe she's fully joined the ranks of full-time pro framebuilders by now.)

Oops off on a tangent... Back to Stunt Doubles:
Single color "Cost is $325 + Powder". Doesn't mean much to me since I have no idea how much powder costs. Shouldn't they roll in the cost of materials into their flat rate, or does it really vary a lot based on what powder you choose? I'm so ignorant about PC!

I might consider it if their results are really stellar, still cheaper than most "real good" wet paint, and potentially more durable. But first I'd need to see some lugged frames they coated.

They seem to be associated in some way with Good Weather Bike Shop, which appears to be a hip-groovy shop on Capitol Hill. Website looks great, but I haven't been to the shop. Any Seattle members here have any reviews to share?

Mark B in Seattle

jonwvara 

This is a really interesting thread. My preference has always been to stick with original paint for as long as possible, even if it's pretty beat up, because I value originality. But even I admit that sometimes complete refinish is necessary. I've never had a frame powder coated, partly because I'm unnerved by the way powder coated outdoor furniture fails: It rusts from the inside, and so looks great until the day you sit in the chair and a leg breaks off. I realize that this probably isn't an issue unless you leave your bikes out in the weather all year, but it's a hard image for me to shake.

The above photos are great. They largely confirm my belief that powder coat can be done well and look good, but it doesn't really look like paint--it looks like powder coat.. There's objectively nothing wrong with that, but if you spent most of your life seeing paint as the proper thing, it's a bit of an acquired taste. I'm not quite there yet, but getting closer.

Schweinhund

Go to powder by the pound and look at the price of powder. you have an idea now of what you are going to pay for a pound of whatever (look for PPG too, good stuff)
A pound of powder will do 4-5 bikes depending on how it's applied. Look at the price of clear too.
Powder has to be cured in a hot oven. about 2-3 hours give or take at 350° until hard. If who ever you're using will stencil graphics on between coats, double the price.
If you're paying 200 for a single stage/bake thats a bit much. Cost is around 50-70 bucks for labor/powder/heat. Expect to double that, and more for more.
You should get two stage color/clear for 175 or a little more.
And don't be afraid to haggle. Nothing is set in stone.

'02 nrs

all for the process if its done well.have had 1 frame with runs,very shoddy.but when done correctly it really has no comparisons.

motochick 

I called several places enquiring if they had ever done bikes with lugs as I wanted to retain the detail, only one wanted the job. I am very happy with it and will use them again if the need ever arises. I did the yellow picture windows and they had only one coat when the pic was taken. They look better now...

Schweinhund

That is a very good job. I'd be proud of it too.