Powder Coating....

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Permalink Reply by Julie P. on December 18, 2008 at 4:38pm

i've had two bikes powdered, but never DIY'd it. You really need a PRO oven and even application is really hard, from what i've heard. i sent my frames to spectrum and even they - "best in the nation" - effed up masking my lugs. not easy to do, i guess.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Hazard on December 18, 2008 at 6:13pm

I had a frame and 2 pc. crank done by Coating Specialties. For $90 they media blasted, acid dipped, and coated it. The work was flawless, the best I have seen yet. They can be reached at 708-754-3311, ask for Bob. Tell him you got his # from Martin at Performance.
I should mention they are located at the edge of the known world- South Chicago Heights, but worth the trip.
Martin

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Permalink Reply by Steve 3po on December 19, 2008 at 10:48am

Cool, thanks for the input.

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Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on December 22, 2008 at 10:49am

Another quick powder coating question:
Should I strip the paint/old powder coat before shipping it off to the powder coater, or will their process take care of all that anyway?

Thanks,

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Permalink Reply by J on December 22, 2008 at 11:47am

I've used several coaters in the Chicagoland area over the past couple of years. The ones that I have found the best for bicycle work tend to be custom motorcycle shops. This is because they understand small detail work, are better at metal prep, and have a very seasonal business -- so they will take care of really small jobs in the off season. If you are doing it yourself, be sure to run a couple of test batches on something like a stem -- it's tough to get the finish perfect on the first try (chipping, crazing, etc.). Get your metal prep done perfectly. This is the most important step.

Eastwood is fine and inexpensive for standard colors, but if you are wanting to do something unusual, like glitter effects or metallics or iridescent, I would look elsewhere. Look into Tiger, Prism, etc.

If you end up outsourcing it, ask for examples of bicycles first. I went through six or seven places with substandard results before realizing that most shops either don't know how to deal with bicycles properly, or just don't see a $100 job really worth their time.

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Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on January 12, 2009 at 11:12am

So i was curious about touch-up for a custom powder coated bike, and whether there was some way to mix up the powder into a paint. After a little searching: apparently you can mix a little of the powder w/Methyl-Ethyl-Keytone (MEK) and apply it quickly before the MEK dries.

Note: MEK is a strong VOC; do this outside and w/a VOC respirator on.

So happy powder coating campers, get the shop to give you a little vial of the powder before you leave and you can touch up for life.

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Permalink Reply by Jim "Niterider" on January 15, 2009 at 1:02pm

Eastwood has some decent equipment for the do it yourselfer but I take it you want pro looks on your parts. You have to do a good prep job along with even coats, and proper curing time. Besides this you need to practice quite a bit to get good at this. Color limits, masking, etc. In Kenosha, we have the Blast Shop. They do top quality work at a fair price. They will powdercoat just about anything give them a call. Their number is 262-654-0251. The shop is at 1206 Washington Rd.

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Permalink Reply by Steve 3po on January 16, 2009 at 10:26am

I have a place here in Chicago, happens to be downstairs form where the bike is being fabbed(bonus). I was just sticking out my feelers on peoples experiences with different brands of powder coats. Thanks for the info iffn I'm ever up kenosha way I may have to check stuff out.

P.S. no heat lamp moving for me I've got access to a curing oven

Jim said:

Eastwood has some decent equipment for the do it yourselfer but I take it you want pro looks on your parts. You have to do a good prep job along with even coats, and proper curing time. Besides this you need to practice quite a bit to get good at this. Color limits, masking, etc. In Kenosha, we have the Blast Shop. They do top quality work at a fair price. They will powdercoat just about anything give them a call. Their number is 262-654-0251. The shop is at 1206 Washington Rd.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 19, 2009 at 8:31pm

When I had my road bike repainted several years ago (~2001), I had no luck finding anyone local who didn't have a huge waiting list. I ended up shipping my frame and fork to Spectrum Powder Works in Colorado (http://www.spectrumpowderworks.com/). They work on bicycles and motorcycles. I made up three different paint schemes and e-mailed them to get quotes. Very prompt and professional. I ended up getting a 3-color job with multiple fades. I think the total was about $200, including stripping, clear coat and shipping. They will do jobs as detailed and customized as you want. Check out the pictures on their web site.

Those of you who have seen my dark purple/bright green/turquoise Univega have seen the paint job.

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