Powder coating frame components

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Drummer99

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I am about to get the frame swing arm and other black metal parts powder coated I read the document on old brits and it suggests filling all the holes with the appropriate bolts etc to eliminate powder coat in the holes I am assuming. Would be interested in feedback on this process and if this is required . Really I'm looking for the most appropriate prep procedures
Thx Drummer99
 
Ugh, the need of grinding seats and hole clearing *after* powder coating is what led to wiser protocol of masking off fasteners seats ^Before^ coating done. Makes for neater protective coating than afterwards trying to remove & stay in paint lines and not chip surrounds for vision and rust prone spots. Get hardest coat ya can and don't ever press a metal tool edge into it, tape is not enough to protect working around non factory coatings only thick cushion can.
 
I'm a big fan of powder coating when it is done properly. I understand what Old Brits are doing but have never had the need. If you go to a company that understand bikes, or better still, only coat bikes & or automotive parts, you won't go far wrong. They will know not to coat bearing bores etc. What you will find if you coat engine plates all over, for example, you will need to re torque the engine bolts every 200 miles or so, for the first 1000 miles. Not a big deal really. This has been my experience on every bike I've built when using PC.
Martyn.
 
Both of the Powder coating companies I have used provided plugs and high heat masking tape to keep the powder coating out of holes and off of machined surfaces etc.
One company asks for instructions on what to plug and mask, the other provides the plugs and tape then lets the customer do the masking and plugging.
The latter is probably best, only yourself to blame if you screw up and omit a plug or two, generally not the end of the world.

Glen
 
My frame and all other steel parts including fuel tank a and side panels powder coated. The coater masked off the head bearings but that's all. The coating was very thick an the quality of the job was very good and not expensive. The firm's owner had a classic Triumph so knew what was needed.
I had to run a tap through the threaded holes an carefully scrape a couple of other but that was all.
Due to the ISO mounting system there are not as many close tolerance mounting as on other bikes so yhere are far less fitting issues than there may otherwise be
 
Toppy, do you have any pictures of the tank and side panels?
I have toyed with the idea of doing this, but the orange peel effect that always went with powder coat on large surfaces was off putting.
The last powder coat work I had done about six months ago was the best ever for a flat ,non orange peel surface. The company is using a new process and finer particles. On the flat sides of a chain guard it was as smooth as high quality spray job, but much tougher of course.

Glen
 
The side panels are realy good there were some dents in tank which I didn't know about so that will need painting. I had them done because the tank had a crack in the rear mounting brazed. The side panels had been chromed in the past but i wanted them black to match the bike so i had the chrome striped off so the powder coating was only to protect the metal and as i had frame etc. done at same time it was all in with price £130.
I also thought that it would be ok to leave as i worked on bike an gave it its first few rides in case any road side repairs were needed. Unfortunately I don't have good close picture of the parts sorry
 
Note: orange peel powder coat mostly comes from using reclaimed powder off the floor, so ask to pay extra for the fresh new powder.
 
My powder coater let me come into the shop after it was stripped and we applied the high temp plastic masking and hole plugs. Only thing I didn't get masked enough was around the brake mounting bolts on my early non-cush drive hub. I masked around all the engine mounts, the transmission mounts, the Z-plates, the brake drum sprocket. If I did it again, I'd mask off any parts where the rear wheel spindle mounts too and the brake cover plate. I also masked off the mounting for the L bracket for the coils because that's where my + lead goes from the battery. Forget the nuts and bolts, masking is the proper way the guy should have all sorts of circles and plugs plus larger pieces you can cut up as desired. I ended up not having to use any ground straps on my bike. I painted over the masked areas with black rustoleum enamel before assembly. Make sure you mask off enough where the swing arm attaches to the cradle too.

I also powder coated my tree and the front fender mount, but with silver instead of black. It looks fairly stock.

Dave
69S
 
This may be a heretical view, but I've never been a big fan of powder coating. While it is a (relatively) simple way of covering metal parts with a cosmetically pleasing anti-corrosive layer of plastic, once the layer is chipped or scratched back to the metal, the cohesive plastic film will eventually peel away from the metal beneath. Depending on the environment this can happen over years, or in salty conditions, within weeks. As a sailor with many years of experience I have seen powder coated parts fails catastrophically when a pinhole scratch has let moisture penetrate between the coating and the metal causing accelerated oxidation, especially on marine grade aluminium.

Another downside is that repairing any accidental breach of the barrier will be problematic, unless you have the right materials.

IMO spray painting a two pack polyurethane (or even epoxy) paint onto metal parts will achieve a much stronger and longer lasting finish; scratches and dings can be touched up easily and there will never be a suspicion that something nasty is happening out of sight.

Powder coating is fine for non-stuctural, decorative finishes, but limit it to patio furniture :wink:
 
What are the various, , urethane, two part epoxies and laquer type spray paints other than very thin layers of some sort of plastic?
I built a luggage rack for the bike ten years ago and had it powder coated. I have used it hard for forty thousand miles of touring in England, Canada and the US.
It still looks virtually the same as when first installed.
The professionally done two part spray job on my 650 SS frame, by comparison has had only light close to home use, no direct contact with luggage and yet there are lots of little chips in it. I have touched it up with an artists brush several times to keep the little rust spots under control.
The luggage rack has had much more use and abrasive type use yet there are no chips or flaws in the finish.

Glen
 
Now this is what Norton Comandos are all about, totally valid experiences at extremes odds of opinion. My experience is frame exposed to rather more finish hazards than a rack way up high and shielded by rest of bike from head on impacts, not to mention using tools and handling major components in out of frame. I love seeing good power coat but I'm now in the extra work camp to fill and sand frame well then rattle can it in one or two part chemistry then clear coat and buff to a shine. Repairs are just a repeat of same in smaller area. Can't make a wrong choice that just more time and money makes right.
Original stove coat like finish is best I experienced but unable to find a place or method to DIY.
 
I hear from people who have had good powder coating, so it must exist. I however have never been so lucky. Even the frame on my Commando, on which the finish is superb, still has the same floor that all powder coating I have ever had done has: it is too thick. Some of the more intricate components were almost un-fit-able, the dimensional integrity had changed so much.

Powder coat can be applied to have a fantastic finish. It is also extremely tough. But care must be taken to ensure the company really, really, knows what they're talking about and really, really, understands the difference between motorcycles and garden furniture.

I went with a company that was recomended by some who's opinion I value highly. They specialise in motorcycle parts. Their 'agent' (a Harley outfit)went to great lengths to pursuade me how much they understood motorcycles, yet even so, they still applied the damned stuff way too thick!

So my summary is, powder coating is very probably perfectly OK in principle. But the end result is completely down to the guy pulling the trigger on the day your job goes through.

If he cocks it up, there is little you can do about it!
 
I got my Z plates, foot peg mounts, gear shift lever, head light shell, head light ears, and kick start lever all powder coated black along with my frame. None of the coating has chipped or scratched in the 9 years since. I was most surprised at the head light shell and how good it turned out. Now I am thinking of blacking out more stuff like the instrument pods and front fork lowers. maybe the rear brake plate as well. It sure makes a nice job. One thing I forgot to do was fix the chain guard mount on the swing arm before power coating. Too bad because I had to weld on it later and fixing the paint is just never the same. You can't see it though so I lucked out there.
 
Fast Eddie said:
So my summary is, powder coating is very probably perfectly OK in principle. But the end result is completely down to the guy pulling the trigger on the day your job goes through.

If he cocks it up, there is little you can do about it!

I agree, however the same is true of conventional spray finishes. We've all seen bad ones, orange peel, thick buildup and runs in the corners, dirt blown into the paint, birdseyes, the list goes one. I think there are more poorly done spray finishes than good ones. That is why the handful of really skilled painters keep so busy.

Glen
 
An all blacked out spit polished patent leather like Commando would be a head turner. Peel's powered frame was still looking good after all her adventures, but for luggage rack clamps, hi centered bottom rails and some forward faces hit with wind or truck throw hard stuff but had to bite black bullets to weld her frame to way I wanted. Was just going to sand and blend her ruined coat and rattle over but found a solvent to remove all its couple lbs excess. I used PJ1 epoxy on Peel barrels once, then GunKote but not much better than plain engine paint so thats my easy way out on Trixie.

Powder coating frame components

Powder coating frame components


https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=powder+coat+faults
 
hobot said:
Now this is what Norton Comandos are all about, totally valid experiences at extremes odds of opinion. My experience is frame exposed to rather more finish hazards than a rack way up high and shielded by rest of bike from head on impacts, not to mention using tools and handling major components in out of frame. I love seeing good power coat but I'm now in the extra work camp to fill and sand frame well then rattle can it in one or two part chemistry then clear coat and buff to a shine. Repairs are just a repeat of same in smaller area. Can't make a wrong choice that just more time and money makes right.
Original stove coat like finish is best I experienced but unable to find a place or method to DIY.

The rack on a touring bike that gets used a lot has a lot more abrasion happening than the frame on the same bike.
Stuff gets strapped on, heavy loaded side panniers get mounted and dismounted at least daily.

In regard to stove enamel, a friend sent his series A twin frame out for stove enamelling because he felt powder coat looked "too commercial" for such a rare old bike.
I think he meant powder coating looked too close to perfection. He spent a small fortune getting the stove enamelling done, then sandblasted it all off because it looked too imperfect! And it did, lots of runs and sags! Just a very poor job, I suppose.
In the end he settled for satin black powder coat, it looks great and will for years.

Glen
 
Aw shoot Glen I use chromed racks that risk rust or plain Al that get scored but there's so much variation in quality of paint or powder coat both camps will have those that swear by it or swear at it. My jaws have gone slack and eyes widen at rallies seeing both excellent paint and powder coat. My Trixie factory stove coat holding up well from New Orleans coast climate and deer impacts plus multiple engine installes so just spray touch up hides the blems. Peel's frame coating didn't last as well so I'm not doing it again but have looked into hydro dipping and even removal plastic wrap. Peel's past coated swing arm still pretty nice after being on Trixie half dozen years.
 
Different views here, but I think the bottom line is that powder coating is OK as long as it is done by people who are familiar with motorcycle frame work, when your podercoating job is rushed through with an industrial job lot, you will probably be out of luck.
I also understand that there are two different methods of powder coating: polyester powder and epoxy powder.
Epoxy powder, as I understand, is not recomended for motorcycle work, as it will lose its gloss over time.
 
As others have stated, get your powder coating done by someone who specializes in bikes and cars, not the guy doing lawn furniture. Prep is everything, just like paint. Anyone doing a good job will tell you 90% of the job is prep, the rest is just spraying.

I've had several frames done, my '73 was done in the late 80s and still looks great.

Do the swing arm, frame, front iso mount, and the various brackets. Don't do the gearbox cradle, paint it. Otherwise you will never get the swingarm to seal and/or have one hell of a time installing it.
 
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