Powder Coating Question

Hello all,

I have the bike apart for a complete cleaning and boy was it dirty! I think it's been about 27 years since it was last cleaned. I had originally planned to clean it, touch up the frame, put it back together and ride it for this season, then if everything was solid, do a complete tear down over the winter.

While it's all apart, I'm thinking I might as well just have the frame sandblasted and powder coated now.

Anyone have a ballpark cost on doing this?

Thanks,
Doug

 

I got a quote from a local guy of $175 but I'm not sure if that included the swing arm or not.

I know a sandblaster about two miles down the road, and might just get it blasted and then paint and clear-coat it.

Can anyone tell me how much "better" the powder coating is over a good base-coat clear coat job??

 

100% - The very best BC/CC job will still get scratched and scuffed oil, gas, or brakefluid can be problematic.

Powedercoat as I understand it is chemically resistant, and tough as nails. - If I could get it done for 175 I'd do it in a heart beat.

 

powdercoat is a plastic powder that is fused to the surface using heat...

you will NOT be able to casually scratch it. i had some stuff that i was unable to sandblast clean of the PC...

 

i have to respectively disagree here. My frame (among other things) is powder coated. It is very easy to scratch powder coat just like a clear coat would. however, when you scratch your powder coat, it looks different. It looks like clear coat would if you rubbed something slightly abrasive on it. It doesn't get that deep gouge looking white scratch marks though. this makes it harder to see scratches, but they can (and likely will) happen.

 

If the original Yamaha black isn't too bad, PJ1 makes black epoxy "frame paint" in rattle cans that works great for touch up, even in rather large areas. I use a "rust converter" then the black epoxy spray and you can't tell it was ever touched up.

 

I am currently powder coating some pieces on my bike using a gun purchased thrugh Eastwood. It seems to be pretty durable, however, I would agree with bluepotpie as far as scratching is concerened. I have also been able to chip test pieces, but does take a bit to do it. Definately holds up to sandblasting, but melts right off when submerged in carb cleaner, which I use alot when I dont like the color. Overall, I'm happy with the powder coating, but also feel that the process bigfitz described is just as good. I plan on using that method to touch up some spots on my frame.

 

Rust Converter??????

 

Sorry. Klean-strip rust converter, available in aerosol also. Turns rust into "paintable black primer." Got it at AutoZone:

 

There are other brands too. Your local Ace Hardware will have one brand or another.

Isn't naval jelly another product that converts rust?

 

That's pretty cool. I never knew such a thing was around. Shows how much I know man.

 

naval jelly I had forgotten all about that stuff until you brought it up. If I remember right it dissolved rust not converted it. But it has been a number of years since I last used it.

 

Naval Jelly doesn't leave as nice a "base" behind, it's made to dissolve rust and it works but I wouldn't use it anywhere that shows. It's great for the unseen parts of exhaust collector boxes, etc.

This stuff leaves a nice hard black-ish coating that you can sand smooth and then paint. My favorite use after frame touch up is the inside of the headlight bucket. Spray it with a nice flat black after, and no more self-perpetuating rusty mess inside the headlight.

 

I just had a bunch of parts sand blasted and powdercoated. Ran me $20 for the blasting and $45 for the PC. (intake manifold, fuel rail, footpeg brackets, and sissy bar).



They came out really pretty, but the one disappointment I had here is that this powedercoat does not seem to be all that gasoline resistant. It didn't melt right off like paint would, but the gasoline did dissolve it. I think there must be different levels of chemical resistance in powdercoat, because I previously had the fuel rails done for my car, and I did not notice any effect of gasoline spills on those.

For these, the shop that did them has offerered to strip and recoat them, along with a hardened clearcoat. I'm planning to bring them in for that in a couple of weeks, when I pull some other parts for painting.

 

As SQLGuy said, there's several different kinds of PC available. I've had stuff coated before that was what seemed 100% resistant to every chemical common in a car. Then I've had some done that three drops of gas makes a half-dollar size messed up spot.

 

what you want for smaller parts that are subjected to harsh chemicals is
KG GUNKOTE the part is sandblasted painted then baked at 350 for a hour
after that the only way to get it off or mark it is sandblast
the overspray in my carb bowls and master cylinder is still there untouched two years later

 

My Seca frame/swinger is ready to go to the sandblaster/powder coater also. I went to talk to him and he made sure I knew that any pitting would show through the coating. He mentioned bondo to smooth things out. Will bondo take that kind of heat?

 

bondo ? but jb weld will

 

Bondo will not hold according to my sources.
Here is a link for a product that will work http://www.alvinproducts.com/Content.asp?id=20 .
I typed in powder coating safe filler in google, you might try the same. Some FAQ pages in there that indicated that metal replacement was the best (of course) way to go, i.e. welding/brazing.

 

http://www.jbweld.net/faq.php#faq001