Boy, Do I hate powder coat!

Charles Waggett said:

So what is wrong with powder coat?

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try dealing with it a few years down the line if it wasn’t correctly done ( including lack of primer, which many coaters think is not needed) , when it starts to flake off . How do you retouch damage? How do you prevent critical rear crankcase bolts from crushing it and then coming loose? ( yes, we know you can mask certain areas).

dynodave said:

I seriously devalue norton bits that are noted to be "PC" powder coated not...Politically Correct. Sometime devalue to zero!
Try tin knocking or weld & braze and it's quite lousy.
FOR ME ...a bike has to be worth a few thousand less for being PC.

Any experts care to share how to rid these parts of this nasty affliction?

I currently have a project here I was supposed to put together and I think I'd rather send it down the road...

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I think if you sand the surface to remove the gloss , paint stripper can work , probably Tergo strip or other really good brands.

A while ago I stripped a powder coated Matchless frame, with a product call Tank Strip. I got it from Frost restoration in the UK, but it may be available elsewhere. It worked really well, just like old fashioned paint stripper.

The whole trick is to properly prep, then coat a frame (and/or parts). Then it WON'T flake.

I have three 'coated bikes that still look perfect 20 years on, with PLENTY of varied road-condition use.
I also know of over a dozen of my former clients' bikes that were properly coated, still 100% excellent condition, and regularly ridden.
Of nearly 100 client refurb/restorations, I NEVER received a SINGLE notification of failed powdercoating.

I will add - on two bikes that I later modified, I touched up the weld areas with Rust-O-Leum rattle can gloss black, and i challenge anyone to spot the painted bit.

grandpaul said:

The whole trick is to properly prep, then coat a frame (and/or parts). Then it WON'T flake.

I have three 'coated bikes that still look perfect 20 years on, with PLENTY of varied road-condition use.
I also know of over a dozen of my former clients' bikes that were properly coated, still 100% excellent condition, and regularly ridden.
Of nearly 100 client refurb/restorations, I NEVER received a SINGLE notification of failed powdercoating.

I will add - on two bikes that I later modified, I touched up the weld areas with Rust-O-Leum rattle can gloss black, and i challenge anyone to spot the painted bit.

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Only a fool would challenge the DURABILITY of powder coat vs paint.

I find the built up thickness over all the frame features visually stands out.

JMWO

concours said:

I find the built up thickness over all the frame features visually stands out.

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Never really noticed that...

Of course the nicer the bike, the less people will be looking at the frame features!

Ive found that powder coat doesnt have the same luster as good Imron paint, and if not perfectly done is prone to craters.

grandpaul said:

Never really noticed that...

Of course the nicer the bike, the less people will be looking at the frame features!

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That's like: "the bigger the boobs, the less the hail damage on the trunk matters"

concours said:

That's like: "the bigger the boobs, the less the hail damage on the trunk matters"

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the quality of the ‘painter’ is also important.

jan nelder said:

the quality of the ‘painter’ is also important.

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That’s actually the crux of the matter IMO.

Matt at cNw uses powder coating. One look at the gallery on his web site is enough to prove to ANYONE that powder can be applied to a very high standard indeed.

So, if you know of a powder coater like that… lucky you…!

Personally, I have never found one. Even after ‘interviewing’ them and being promised the earth, I have been totally disappointed every single time. And yes, that includes the ‘motorcycle specialists’.

And the trouble is, you don’t find out until after the job is done.

I love powder coat, but only on certain parts and only when I apply it!

I cannot do frames (too big). I can do cradles but never do - paint is called for on them. Battery boxes are a PITA but properly prepared are far superior powder coated than painted. Most other small black parts I powder coat and mask as need be for mounting.

In general, powder coating is faster, less expensive, and much more durable.

A big problem with the "professional" shops is that they often use two or three layers when a single layer is called for. A gloss top layer adds way too much thickness and is likely to fail under fasteners. Some use a prime layer which means that the color layer is applied to a smooth power coat rather than properly prepared metal.

Parts I powder coat are blasted absolutely clean with #75 glass abrasive or garnet, touched only with clean gloves once blasted, and immediately coated.

Battery boxes are a PITA due to nooks and crannies - getting old grease and grime out of them and making sure all blast media is out of them takes extra effort, but then it's no different with paint.