Powder coat is relatively inexpensive and durable. Decals, however, go on the outside, you can see the edge, and there's no way to clear coat them properly. I keep reading about people who know it can be done, but "pics or it didn't happen".

Imron "wet paint" is very durable, not quite in the league of powder coat, but you can have it all - durability, clear coat over decals, two or more colors, but you'll also pay for it.

Rattle can paint jobs give you full control, but they're typically at the bottom of the durability list, from what I read.

How about a hybrid paint job? Mask off the head tube and any panels you want and powder coat the rest. Choose the high wear areas for powder coat. Top tubes get scraped up, all the stays - got chrome lugs? Mask them as well. When you get the frame back from the powder coaters, reverse the masking, do etching primer, primer, and top coat. Put on the water slide decals, then clear coat.

That is...brilliant!

Are you asking if this can be done in such a way or are you saying the bike pictured was done as described?

Powdercoat is very durable but, I love the way paint with clear coat ages. It softens with time. There's something about the look of those well cared for old bikes. Not sure if powder coating would be the same.

The headline is a statement, not a question. The bike pictured was done as described.

I would tend to agree. Please let me know what a two color paint job costs in your area, however. Here in Portland we have RAD finishes:

Basic paint $275
Decals $100
Panels, ea $65 (this would be for masking and painting a separate area in a different color, the creamy white in the bike posted above, for example)
Chrome mask varies, but quoted at $5 ea

I had 2 panels masked. Total cost with Imron, decals, 2 panels and chrome would be well over $500

Compare to the following:

powder coat $110 local powder coater (I do the masking for them, not difficult)
rattle can
paint ~80, can be used for several frames. I chose creamy white, which goes with just about any color
Decals ~$45 from VeloCals

Half the cost of full wet paint, much more durable than Imron. Decals safely ensconsed behind clear coat.

It's an option, one that worked well for me on this bike.

Disclaimer: any decals not in the panels would have to be adhesive in this scenario

Anything works if prepped right.
Prepped right = time, effort, attention to detail, expense.
Paint/coat is anti-climactic.

Either can be decal'ed and cleared over.
Again, prep prep prep.

I'd say that's both innovative and good looking. It makes a reasonable cost refresh pop (based on your photos). My only issue with powder coat is usually the thickness that is used (almost always too much). But I've seen nice PC as well, so I think I may need to get yet another new PC'er.

For the areas where your paint is masking against the PC, did you leave a little overlap, or how was that treated? It does look sweet from photo distance.

Sloan, how are you painting these?

I'm soon getting my Trek 95x frame repainted with Dupont Imron. I inquired about clear-coating decals, but was told that Trek's original bikes from the late 70s and early 80s used thick decals that were not clear-coated over. So I guess I don't have this problem!

Op did a great job and I felt like I hijacked his post. I use Duplicolor paint shop system from autozone, $24.99 a quart.

You can't clear coat over powder coat?

I'd like to strip a frame to bare metal and get clear powdercoat. Then apply all the decals.

RobbieTunes, I think I've seen you post,

"Pics or it didn't happen!"

No overlap, once I got it back from the coats I just masked right to the edge. A pinstripe decal was applied over it, but I plan on getting some pinstriping paint next time I do this.

Thanks! I didn't do much research on the rattle can paint, right now I estimate have enough to do 4-5 bike head tubes + 1 panel in a creamy "Rivendell" white.

Sure you can. But on top of decals?

Me too! If it's a really nice braze job, why not show it off? I met a guy at the Bicycle Quarterly "un-meeting" with a vintage Motobecane that did just that.

I'm not against adhesive decals over PC. It's just that water slide decals with a clear coat just look a bit nicer.

You can clear over powder coat, same as you can over paint. Wet-sanding is recommended, then apply decals and clear. The thinner the decal, the better.

Clear powder-coat is a different story. Due to temperatures, I'd not recommend decals in there, especially foil.

[MENTION=381793]gugie[/MENTION], did you strip and prep the whole frame, then mask what you wanted masked, before bringing it to the powder coater? And did the powder coater then do whatever additional prep needed before spraying the powder?

The powder coaters I've talked to were uncomfortable with any tricky masking. No problem with threads and open tubes etc, but they didn't want to mess with lugs, contrasting panels, etc.

I was tempted to mask, sand and paint white panels over the fresh powder coat, but in the end elected not to. If you can clear coat over powder coat, you should be able to paint over it as well, no?

It seems you answered your own question.

Decals go on top of power or wet. Clear goes on top of decals and base. Doesn't matter if the base is powder or clear.

If you want to get fancy, clear only over the decal and not the base.

Most powder coat masking issues are with the blasting portion, as it takes duct tape to be thick enough to withstand it.
My powder coater won't mask at all. I take care of it and he knocks it off the price.

OP's idea has merit, as my powder coater has told me that's the only way he'd do a two-tone: do the coating first, take it to the body shop next door for the paint and after-decal clear coat. By the time I added it up, it was not a bad idea, but generally, with an Ironman, you are only after one color, whatever is on the stays. In most cases, the ST/HT are fine, or good enough.

You can't do a powder clear coat over decals, agreed? To be precise, not without wrecking the decals.

I can put decals on powder coat, then wet paint over the decals (proper type of decals selected, of course). Everywhere I've read is that a wet coat over powder isn't very durable. One would think that you could scuff up the powder coat, put on the water slide decals, then rattle can clear coat over them. But I haven't run into any posts or pictures showing this done. It seems reasonable.

"Pics or it didn't happen". I'd like to ask the person that's done this how it turned out.

I use a Harbor Freight "dynafile" to do rough paint removal, then hand sand with 80 grit garnet, shoe shine method. Then I clean it with mineral spirits. then mask with high temperature tape. It has to be high temp to withstand the powder coat process, and tough enough to withstand the media blast. I've had success using Kapton tape. My powder coat place will mask off large areas of chrome, not sure what they use.

600/800/1200/1500/2000 the powder then clear (wet clear, not a powder clear). As you would do with any quality paint job.

But you will likely not find pics. Powder is used for good enough, its depth of color sucks. Powder is cheap. With good paint, with flake, pearl, translucence or depth, you use wet. If you are doing an expensive paint job, do it right with the above prescribed sanding. In a previous life I did the prep like that for several cars.

Fwiw I've seen this bike in person and it is gorgeous. I inspected the paint up close and it's really pretty.

So, the reason you don't see it is the same person who wants the look of decals under clear coat is also going to want the look of wet paint. Sounds reasonable.

One of these days, on a less important (to me) frame, I'll try that protocol.

You could just do a test. Your powder guy probably has sample pieces to give you. Sand one, leave the other unsanded. Wet clear both. Hit with hammer. See which is more durable.

A good coater can make PC as smooth as any liquid finish.

Who ever said wet was smooth?