IcySmooth52

I've done plenty of research and, experimented many approaches to painting my Holdsworth frame that's gotten lots of restoration attention. I'm looking to make it as new as possible, and I've already treated the inside of the tubes with rust removal and prevention. Next step for the frame is stripping and repainting. I found getting a powder coat wouldn't be all that expensive, and I'm not looking to give it any two-tone or fading colors. Does anyone have any experience with powder coated frames, or points to point out on such?

bsword

yeah it sucks you lose sharpness around the lugs its ok on a lowgrade commuter in bad weather .i saw a colnago which looked
like it had been dipped in treacle toffee and it was the worst. maybe on a modern tig wealded or fillet brazed wouldnt matter so much .

id rather rattle can than powder coat sorry and best wishes

pcb 

Lots of good general powdercoat info is available in many previous threads. You'll get lots of opinions here, that's fer sure. Inexpensive powdercoat is often applied too thickly, softening/hiding nice C&V details like crisp lug shorlines. Excellent powdercoat can look as good as excellent paint, but that will cost as much as excellent paint, and will primarily be found at painters specializing in bicycles. Meaning not the inexpensive powdercoater down the road a spell. Spectrum Powdercoat is often mentioned; a newer powdercoater that looks really good/interesting is Groody Bros.

AZORCH

Bad powder coating can be really bad. Good powder coating looks as good as paint, in my opinion. I've had excellent work from Groody Brothers in Kansas City.

randyjawa 

My 1976 Marinoni had been powder coated when I got it. I hate the powder coating. It destroys detail, hides information (serial number, drop make, etc) and, my bet is, darn difficult to remove. I do intend, one day, to get that orange powder off of the Marinoni and then do the cosmetics right...

Velognome 

Lugged frames- Paint

fillet brazed or welded - Paint or Powder coat...unless it's a worthy vintage frame...then it should be returned to original

sced

Says it all.

You can do a really good rattlecan job if you take your time.

Hudson308 

Well, like anything the devil is in the details. I spent a huge chunk of time and effort prepping & spray painting this frame, only to discover that the lacquer paint I used is useless for bicycle frames.

The paint turned out fantastic, but tap it with an errant tool during assembly and it shatters like glass. You may be able to see a chip at the bottom of the head tube. I've relegated that frame to garage art, as an expensive education. If you're going to spray paint a frame, be sure to use enamel - preferrably urethane enamel - or be prepared to see all your hard work flake away like leaves in the fall.

This lugged frame on the other hand was powdercoated by a local guy (The Powdercoat Man) in the Twin Cities that does an outstanding job out of his garage.

He has an industrial oven large enough for motorcycle frames, and his attention to detail means that he tries hard not to lay the powder on too thick. I can still read all my serial numbers. Solid, single-step powder colors would be even thinner than this. He uses quality powder with a wide range of wild colors & effects from Columbia Coatings. He charges about the same amount that I had invested in my rattle-can job. He's been told by a number of people in the industry that his prices are way too cheap, but he's obvioulsy satisfied with his profit margin. He's done four frame & fork combos for me so far, and all of them look gorgeous. If you can find a large industrial powdercoating business that is willing to do single-piece jobs, chances are they would be more focused on the durability (read: thickness) of their application rather than being careful to preserve intricate bike frame details.

kehomer

I've had four bikes powdercoated. The first and second turned out great, a '73 Peugeot PR-10 and a Lemond Zurich. The third, an 80's Panasonic Tourer. The clear coat on the Panasonic lifted on some of the edged places, as on the lug edges. The shop redid it but it still didn't look great. I later had that bike painted. Another shop powdercoated a Mt bike. The color pigment migrated away from the lug edges. There is a term for it. I then chose a lighter color with less pigment and it turned out first class.

Next time, I'll go with a quality paint job.

kehomer

Any paint you select should be laid down by an experienced person. Even Urethane enamel can chip like crazy if applied incorrectly.

KonAaron Snake 

As usual PBC is on point. This is a powder coat. Fender rec'd this place and I am very pleased with the results.

JohnDThompson 

True. If the OP's Holdsworth has fancy lug profiles, you'll want to find a powder coater who is familiar with and comfortable with coating lugged bike frames, otherwise you risk obscuring all that fancy lug work.

bsword

+1

The Golden Boy 

I'm considering powdercoating a bike.

My father in law has a 92 Schwinn Criss Cross. I'm not exactly wild about the pink and purple fade paint job- and I think I'd almost be embarrased about a bike called a "criss cross" (despite my running of shift cables in the "criss cross cable" method).

I'm considering a powder coat in a classic green, and taking classic Schwinn decals and making it look more like a classic and classy Schwinn rather than a lower mid-range hybrid. The powder would be a great and durable paint job and I wouldn't worry too much about obscuring the Taiwanese lugs.

fietsbob

Heard Spectrum powder-coat workmanship is tops spectrum powderworks

I have a Local , but I just put small parts in a queue and wait till someone else wants that color too {motorbike frames, custom wheels and such]
the most expensive part, of the process is the Power bill from heating a room sized Oven to scorched Pizza levels.

t.braxt

I have been thinking of powder coating my Cannondale SR600, but am now considering a rattle can job. I'd like to know about your opinions on this, thanks.

Wulf

I was advised by an old school bike maker that the temperatures used in the powder coating process are not good for the older steels like 531. His opinion was that the frame will lose some of its springiness and feel dead while riding. I have heard this elsewhere too.

bsword

hi most people who use spray cans apply laquer after the stickers and no its not as resilient as the original stove enamelling and we
have to remember this when we are parking up. maybe it will take months to harden.but there are usefull car body sprayers out there
as another alternative, maybe they could float some paint off whilst they are doing a car.

whatwolf

Yes, that looks bad, but I would counter that that is a very bad powdercoat job. Probably shot at the wrong temperature. If it's done right, like on my Tempo, it'll look like paint. I'd say don't be afraid to ask them to re-do it if you're unhappy with it. And go to a place that has experience with bike frames. They should know how to plug all the threads, etc. And if it's a really good place they'll have the same end product in mind that you do.

irwin7638

I have seen some pretty crappy powdercoating done but have had good luck myself. Below are two bikes done by a local in Grand Rapids who does not specialize in bikes. They are just shot with one color and I used a paint pen to line the lugs. I didn't loose any definition. I would certainly trust Groody Bros in Kansas City, but you may find somebody in your area who knows what they are doing. Mine were blasted clean and coated for $110 a piece and the finish is great and definitely tough as nails.

Marc

Hudson308 

My guy bakes at 400 degrees F. I would be more worried about "silver solder" or brass used in the frame/braze-on construction before I'd worry about the steel losing its properties. If this temperature hasn't affected any of the myriad alloy/treated aluminum parts he's done, it certainly won't affect Reynolds 531.

bsword

not the best of photo's to describe, but you can deffinately see its a plastic skin 'whatwolf'
i reckon if you got a frame stripped and took it to the rite paintsprayer shoved wooden plugs in the holes and sweet talked him a bit.. $60 ?
and cellulose is tuff.

JohnDThompson 

It won't affect the brazing material, either. Silver brazing rod melts at about 1200°F; brass is even higher.

top506

My 531 Gitane was powdercoated and I've noticed no difference. Before and after it's still my best riding bike.

Top

eschlwc

seattle powder coat is a shop that does a lot of bikes. they did my prized falcon. i wish i had sprung for a clear coat on top so the paint pops a bit more. it looks pretty great anyway, and was only $140.