[gary856]

Want to paint my spare frame gold or red, instead of a silver frame. if i go gold would want it to be semi gloss or satin, not flat like the factory gold. if red i would go glossy like on the the newer frames. red may be too much red though, not sure.
which is better painting or plastidip?

 

[draganc]

Painting!

 

[gary856]

with painting i am concerned about it chipping and scratching. want it to be very durable and chip resistant.

 

[delagem]

I have painted and powdercoated my racebike frame multiple times. Powdercoat was more durable. Fewer color choices with powdercoat, however.

A lot of racers say you shouldn't powdercoat, it will hide the cracks that you'd like to know about, before they become catastrophic. They may have a point.

But the only catastrophic crack I ever had was in my 900ss swingarm, and powdercoat couldn't have hidden that giant Grand Canyon of a divide...

 

[cb4265]

Powdercoat it Bostrum blue, it looks very trick

Craig

 

[JAFA]

Paint it, any colour. Then at least if you do happen to get a scratch you can touch it up. You can't touch up powder coat. The other think with powder coating is the frame welds will look bigger and smoother and unnatural, because the powder coating is quite thick. With paint the welds will look like welds. If you change your mind on the colour later and want to change it, powder coating will be a nightmare to get off. Ask me how I know.

 

[gary856]

What brand paint did you use?

 

[FourRings]

Powder coat has evolved a lot over the last decade or so. Hundreds of colors are available, and the best shops can create custom colors as well.

These guys did my SS frame last winter. Check out their gallery to get a sense of what is possible.

spectrum powderworks

 

[flynbulldog]

Spectrum is one of the few places - ok the only place I'd take a frame to be powder coated. In general paint finish is better - it has a smoother more glossy finish while powder tends to be too thick and has an orange peel finish. Metallic colors are the big hurdle for powder. I know that spectrum has a few metallic choices but they are not the quality of liquid paint. Spectrum does a better job of keeping the orange peel to a minimum but it does not compare to a good paint job.

BTW the chemical makeup of powder coat and paint is exactly the same with the exception powder missing the solvent base. They are the same. The only difference is the method of application. The reason powder is more durable is because of the thickness.

I've done both on several frames and what I've found is that powder finish tends to fog or scuff very easily while a good paint clear finish holds up to cleaning and rubbing better. Powder is more chip resistant.

I think in general it depends on how picky you are about the finish - I will never powdercoat a wheel or anything large but on frames I find it acceptable. find a good powdercoater that specializes in custom automotive or bike work - NEVER take it to a place that does fences and lawn furniture.

Spectrum has done 2 frames for me and both were metallic colors - I'm very happy with both.

 

[flynbulldog]

here are the two frames done by spectrum in metallic powdercoat:

It's not the same as a real metallic paint but it looks good. if you're going for a semi gloss I doubt you'll be able to tell any difference.

I painted the frame on my streetfighter and the finish is on a another level - much smoother, more clear and shiny, and it holds up to my constant OCD cleaning.

And plastidip? are you serious? Just NO...

(These are old pictures taken when the bike was first finished)

 

[FourRings]

Flynbulldog - great info, thanks!

 

[996racer]

Removing Chrome

Hi all, does anyone have a good way to remove chrome off a frame?

 

[gary856]

Hi all, does anyone have a good way to remove chrome off a frame?

ya, a grinder. chrome is basically metal plating, very hard to remove and sharp as a razor blade.

 

[draganc]

Most powder coater will chemically strip the chrome. Don't use a grinder on the frame. You will weaken the tubes and it will look like shait.

 

[egomexico]

The under-seat subframe of my hyper was red and the main frame was factory red.

When I decided I was painting the subframe red, I was afraid of the two colors not matching perfectly as they were going to be side by side.

I took it to a paint specialist and he gave me the red urethane paint and an epoxy urethane clear coat (Being epoxy it comes with a catalyzer that has to be mixed just before applying) .

When I applied only the red paint, the color and finish looked quite different from the original frame red. But after applying the clear coat, the color and finish matched perfectly. You cant know now tell the part of the bike that has original factory paint from the part I painted.

The epoxy clear coat also provides the protection feature. Because it becomes many times harder than paint one week after being applied.

 

[gary856]

Most powder coater will chemically strip the chrome. Don't use a grinder on the frame. You will weaken the tubes and it will look like shait.

I was joking about the grinder. i'm a smart ass sometimes.:surprise:

As far as painting goes, i assume i dont need to strip the paint off, just sand it some. any other prep methods as sanding will be time consuming.

 

[gary856]

well started on the frame this weekend. got myself a sand blast cabinet so as to save a lot of sanding. started painting the sub frame and headlight bucket. am going to use an epoxy clear coat, toughest clear the paint supplier had.

 

[xracer]

Looking good Garry. I hate painting frames and wheels. Most people can't get their head around the prep time to do a top quality job. And when you have to charge for it you need to provide a paramedic unit to revive the customer after they hear the price.
Isn't that right Jonny Rabbit

 

[gary856]

get that all the time when i work on something. always "why so much, youre only doing this and that," then i have to spend 20 minutes explaining what i actually have to do. this especially true when doing electrical work. "I just want an outlet here", like i can just teleport power from one spot to there without running wire through the attic and walls.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Looking good. From the looks of your work this isn't your first go with a paint gun and prep work. I'm a former automotive painter and painting tube structures is difficult. Let alone getting the clear coat to flow out properly.