Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - New build (frame and paint questions)

I've been looking for a new frame for a build, and using this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=448024) as a reference, it seems like the Alien frames are a good deal. Relatively inexpensive, lugged, and not branded. Pretty much exactly what I wanted. They seem to have good build quality, too. Anyone have any personal experience with them?

In terms of painting, I liked the fact that I could get the frame powdercoated, but I was wondering if this was a good idea. I'd want to put some details on the frame (nothing complicated), and I'm not sure how great a rattlecan job would look over a powdercoat. Would it be best to get the raw frame and spray paint the whole thing, or get it powdercoated in the base color, and add the details? The only paint experience I have is from an old conversion I have, and it didn't really come out that great. I used Rustolium, though, which I guess isn't a good choice, and I didn't really bother doing much prep work/sanding in between coats/sanding the final coat, so it probably could have come out better if i was a bit more patient.

Thanks.

you could always paint it yourself and get it clearcoated over at an auto body place. powdercoat will be stronger than a rattlecan job.

Will the detail spray paint adhere well to the powdercoat? I'd hate to do any sanding to the powdercoat for obvious reasons. Alternatively, is there a better way to apply detail work other than spray paint? I'd imagine vinyl decals could work (I'm just doing geometric shapes, so it'd be feasible to just get some sheets and cut out the shapes), but I'm not sure how well that'd look.

Just another quick question for anyone that has experience with the Alien frames. White Gloss and White Matte have pretty self explainatory names, but how does the Pearl White look, compared to the other two?

The pearl white will have a midcoat. It's a transparent metallic coat that goes on between the basecoat and the clearcoat. It consists of metallic and a clear binder that turns the white to a pearl. The most common car that would have pearl white for you to base your comparison off of would be pearl white cadillacs; and of course they aren't the only car with pearl colors, it's the most common for you to watch out for. Keep your eyes out for one and when you see one you'll know, they'll slightly change color at certain angles. If you decide to paint over a powdercoated frame, your going to want to use automotive grade paint (Dupont and PPG for example) if you're painting over something you spent money on it might as well be done right. The areas you want to paint will have to be scuffed/sanded and a sealer/primer will be your best option although you don't 'technically' have to seal it if you have enough mechanical adheasion with your scuffing. Whatever you spray base on is going to have to be clearcoated as the basecoat alone offers no UV protection and will fade and eventually chip away. And also, if you're painting a raw frame do NOT forget to etch the frame before you seal it, as well as sanding/scuffing before your etch primer. Whatever paint you buy refer to the tech sheets for proper prep/application sequences.

I would just let the powdercoater apply a flat coat then detail it yourself and have it cleared at an auto body shop.

The pearl white will have a midcoat. It's a transparent metallic coat that goes on between the basecoat and the clearcoat. It consists of metallic and a clear binder that turns the white to a pearl. The most common car that would have pearl white for you to base your comparison off of would be pearl white cadillacs; and of course they aren't the only car with pearl colors, it's the most common for you to watch out for. Keep your eyes out for one and when you see one you'll know, they'll slightly change color at certain angles. If you decide to paint over a powdercoated frame, your going to want to use automotive grade paint (Dupont and PPG for example) if you're painting over something you spent money on it might as well be done right. The areas you want to paint will have to be scuffed/sanded and a sealer/primer will be your best option although you don't 'technically' have to seal it if you have enough mechanical adheasion with your scuffing. Whatever you spray base on is going to have to be clearcoated as the basecoat alone offers no UV protection and will fade and eventually chip away. And also, if you're painting a raw frame do NOT forget to etch the frame before you seal it, as well as sanding/scuffing before your etch primer. Whatever paint you buy refer to the tech sheets for proper prep/application sequences.

Thanks for the info. That's sort of what I'm afraid of, the prep work. I want it done right and to look nice, but I have very limited experience in painting like this. That's why the vinyl decals seemed like a good idea. I'm actually leaning towards that right now, since it seems like it'd be the easiest application, easily repaired, and offer a little protection to the frame to boot (wherever it's applied, anyway). Further down the line, I might want something more permanent, and maybe some lug detailing, so that'd definitely call for a professional powdercoat/paintjob. Maybe I should just wait until then.