I have a frame & forks I am thinking of repainting... it seems like advised repainting method involves sandblasting and poweder coat. In order to have that done, would I need to remove the headset cups? From my initial reading it sounds like a nasty job getting those on and off.

But that opens the second half of the question: when getting a bike powdercoated, how do you protect parts from being painted? I am thinking of the inside of the bottom bracket, for example, and my forks have this little chrome cap on top of the forks themselves (rather than the graceful curve that newer bikes have). And the inside of the headset, for that matter. Is it just masking tape like a regular paint job? Or do powdercoaters manage delicate edges like that?