I'm not sure if I'm in the rite place for this issue but the lower bearing housing/cup seems to be welded with brass onto the fork. Is this typical? It's in good shape I'm just getting ready to paint and wanted to make sure I'm not supposed to be able to get it off. Also, I'm not sure what the paint process is once I get the frame and fork fully stripped. What kind of primer/paint should I be using and do I need to clearcoat? I have a hvlp sprayer so I think I'm set up ok just not sure on the deets. Thanxx

I meant headset...dumb phone

While not technically impossible, I've never seen a welded headset cup - are you sure you're not just looking at a frame lug?

As for paint: All paints you can apply at home will be softer than the factory paint, so I've given up on the "serious" attempts long ago.
These days, if I feel that a repaint is really unaviodable I'll just use Hammerite and a brush.
But if you insist, try car paints, and let the bike rest quite a few days between painting and reassembly.

Thanx for the response. Yeah its not a lug or a race just the bottom part of the lower headset bearing. Assuming it is welded, is that a problem? Or does it mean there was a problem? I guess I'd just work around it when I prep...I saw an ad for a professional bike painter who said he was part of a bicycle co-op so I'll probably see what that's all about

Well, headsets do get damaged/worn once in a while, so there's a reason why they're replaceable. With a welded(or more probably brazed) headset cup, that option goes out the window - unless you fancy a repaint to go with the otherwise quick fix of a headset replacement.

It might mean that the head tube had started to crack, and that a previous owner had the cup brazed to prolong the use of the frame. Or maybe an earlier head-on collision had flared the headtube to the point where the cup wouldn't seat properly any more. Or someone made an ugly attempt at overcoming the ISO/JIS difference in head tube diameters.
But if the bike worked before, there's no reason why it wouldn't work after the repaint. As long as you're aware that you're stuck with that headset, for better or worse, until the next respray, go for it.

How old is this frame and was the upper headset cup removable? If the upper cup could be removed, then someone probably brazed the lower cup in place to overcome a serious fit problem. If the upper cup is also fixed in place, you may have an integrated headset but that would have to be a relatively recent frame, say made in the past 10 years.

Hmm. After further investigation the cup is definitely brazed onto the fork with brass. The bike has an araya frame wither a tange fork and whole cluster of parts dating up to 1996 so I don't "think" its an integrated setup. I'm guessing the fork was burning out the lower bearing so someone had it brazed in place. Its a deore part btw. Not sure if that matters. I'll see I can up a pic. Think I'm gonna continue on, ride it and out hope it doesn't break. ::crosses fingers::

good transportation to go shopping for another bike upon.