Powdercoating questions

Lance, here's a cut and paste from fixed.org.au, a Brisbane guy had an
old Raleigh powdercoated bright orange. It looks great in the flesh,
and is bottom left in this photo:

http://img163.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mall2mall1tx.jpg

------
Ace Powder Coating
65 Randall St Slacks Creek QLD 4127
ph: (07) 3209 2847

Cost me $40 for sandblasting, $35 for powdercoat and $7 GST. Took about
a a week as they actually sub-contract out the sandblasting and only
ship items on certain days.

You could choose from a variety of stock colours though nothing too
spectacular, except the orange of course🙂 Other colours were availible
(I think) but had to be ordered especially and cost more.

There were a couple of minor blemishes in the job, but only if you look
very hard. They also got some powder in the bottom bracket threads so I
would make a special note of getting them to protect it properly, like
they did for the headset/steerer.

All in all I was happy with the job especially at that price.
-------

Make sure that they have experience doing bikes. I remember talking to a frame builder who had to send a frame to someone who was not his regular painter and they'd sandblasted the frame so much that it only took a small press with a screwdriver to poke a hole in the tubing.

Lance, here's a cut and paste from fixed.org.au, a Brisbane guy had an
old Raleigh powdercoated bright orange. It looks great in the flesh,
and is bottom left in this photo:

http://img163.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mall2mall1tx.jpg

------
Ace Powder Coating
65 Randall St Slacks Creek QLD 4127
ph: (07) 3209 2847

Cost me $40 for sandblasting, $35 for powdercoat and $7 GST. Took about
a a week as they actually sub-contract out the sandblasting and only
ship items on certain days.

You could choose from a variety of stock colours though nothing too
spectacular, except the orange of course🙂 Other colours were availible
(I think) but had to be ordered especially and cost more.

There were a couple of minor blemishes in the job, but only if you look
very hard. They also got some powder in the bottom bracket threads so I
would make a special note of getting them to protect it properly, like
they did for the headset/steerer.

All in all I was happy with the job especially at that price.
-------

Lance Edwards said:

I am thinking of having a '90s lugged steel bicycle frame (and fork)
powdercoated, I have stripped it of components. Any advice from those who
have had bike frames powdercoated?

Can anyone recommend any good powdercoaters in the Brisbane area who have
done bicycles to a high standard?

Have you experienced any problems, like they forgot to mask off the BB or
the coating fell off while JRA?

Thanks,
Lance

I had an old Colnago done by Northside Powder Coaters at Everton Hills
and wasn't happy with the result. It was pretty rusty again in one
year, it must have been too thin or something. Put old bolts in any
orifices, biddon bolts, old BB cups, rear deraileur bolt etc. Funnily
enough I went for powder coating because it had the reputation of not
being as glossy as spray painting but much more robust. It looked great
at first and I was impressed with the glossy finish but it didn't last
long at all. I must sweat battery acid or something. I'd recommend
finding a place that uses something other than sand for the blasting
too, there are other options which are gentler on thin steel tubes.

Bruce.

Bruce Dickson said:

I'd recommend
finding a place that uses something other than sand for the blasting
too, there are other options which are gentler on thin steel tubes.

Bruce.

They don't actually use "sand" any more due to respiratory diseases etc.
Silicon carbide, alumina, garnet and glass beads.

Glass beads used for quality steel frames afaik.

Poit

Poiter said:

Glass beads used for quality steel frames afaik.

Glass and sand are chemically identical. There may be differences in
particle size beforehand, but after hitting a steel tube I'm not going to
be making any bets.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
Researchers in Fairbanks Alaska announced last week that they have
discovered a superconductor which will operate at room temperature.

It might be worth chatting to Joe Cosgrove, who makes Frezoni frames
and I think paints them too. He has helped me with advice on other
matters and seems to know his stuff.

Donga

Thanks for the replies.

I'm a bit worried about loss of tube thickness, so I'll see what the
options are for gentle paint removal.

Random Data said:

Poiter said:

Glass beads used for quality steel frames afaik.

Glass and sand are chemically identical. There may be differences in
particle size beforehand, but after hitting a steel tube I'm not going to
be making any bets.

It's also to do with the shape of the particles too, the glass ones are
rounded.

Random Data said:

Glass and sand are chemically identical. There may be differences in
particle size beforehand, but after hitting a steel tube I'm not going to
be making any bets.

Unless the sand is from an ocean beach in Australia (mostly broken up shells) or the glass comes from a computer monitor (partly lead oxide).

Donga said:

It might be worth chatting to Joe Cosgrove, who makes Frezoni frames
and I think paints them too. He has helped me with advice on other
matters and seems to know his stuff.

Donga

Joe also paints the Llewellyns for Darrell. Joe repainted an old
Daccordi for me a few years back. It was around $200 I think. Joe did a
great job, it looked great, but the paint seemed particularly fragile,
lots of chips and scratches which then started to rust which made me
try powder coating the next time. Titanium looks good for future
frames.

Bruce.

Bruce Dickson said:

Donga said:

It might be worth chatting to Joe Cosgrove, who makes Frezoni frames
and I think paints them too. He has helped me with advice on other
matters and seems to know his stuff.

Donga

Joe also paints the Llewellyns for Darrell. Joe repainted an old
Daccordi for me a few years back. It was around $200 I think. Joe did a
great job, it looked great, but the paint seemed particularly fragile,
lots of chips and scratches which then started to rust which made me
try powder coating the next time. Titanium looks good for future
frames.

Bruce.

I rode next to a titanium bike this morning. Very s3xy.

Tam

Friday said:

Random Data said:

Poiter said:

Glass beads used for quality steel frames afaik.

Glass and sand are chemically identical. There may be differences in
particle size beforehand, but after hitting a steel tube I'm not going to
be making any bets.

It's also to do with the shape of the particles too, the glass ones are
rounded.

Agreed.

<nerd alert>
This is partly because sand is mostly silica crystals which have nice sharp
corners and edges, while glass is not crystalline at all. Common 'soda
glass' (formed from sodium and calcium oxides in combination with silica)
is an amorphous stuff which is also softer than silica.
</nerd alert>

All of these reasons could help make glass blasting less aggressive than
sand blasting.

Cheers,

Vince