powdercoat vs. poly-urethane bike paints

"Casey Keller" wrote in message . com...
I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Love to get your opinions....

Casey Keller
Valencia, CA

Like for like, powder coating is much much tougher than paint. Also
much thicker. Done properly it should last forever (at a first
approximation).

"Casey Keller" wrote in message
om...
I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than
the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job
on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Love to get your opinions....

It is difficult to powder coat into recesses and interior
corners. On a lugged steel frame, make sure you get good
coverage around the seat cluster and particularly under the
stays. Powder also may not adhere well to sharp outside corners,
so it may look thin over lug edges, seat stay caps, etc. It will
also give you a very thick and hard edge at any masked points,
like a transition from paint to chrome. Another problem you may
have is pin holes which cause air bubbles and a frothy, plastic
bubble finish with clear coat. Like one of the posters said, it
is thick, so be prepared to clean up threads and faces.

I just had Class Act Coatings in Portland do an old steel frame
that I helped build in 1979/80. It looks good -- more than good
enough for a bike that is going to get thrashed this winter. And
it was relatively cheap. If I were painting a show bike,
however, I would use a wet finish.

I considered doing the job myself with my HVLP conversion gun and
some DuPont finish, but the material is so expensive and there is
a ton left over after a single paint job (I am not even sure what
is available OTC these days with all the environmental
regulations). Set up and cleaning is also a pain. It was cheaper
in the long run to get a powder coat job for $140. -- Jay
Beattie.

"Casey Keller" wrote in message
om...
I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than
the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job
on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Love to get your opinions....

It is difficult to powder coat into recesses and interior
corners. On a lugged steel frame, make sure you get good
coverage around the seat cluster and particularly under the
stays. Powder also may not adhere well to sharp outside corners,
so it may look thin over lug edges, seat stay caps, etc. It will
also give you a very thick and hard edge at any masked points,
like a transition from paint to chrome. Another problem you may
have is pin holes which cause air bubbles and a frothy, plastic
bubble finish with clear coat. Like one of the posters said, it
is thick, so be prepared to clean up threads and faces.

I just had Class Act Coatings in Portland do an old steel frame
that I helped build in 1979/80. It looks good -- more than good
enough for a bike that is going to get thrashed this winter. And
it was relatively cheap. If I were painting a show bike,
however, I would use a wet finish.

I considered doing the job myself with my HVLP conversion gun and
some DuPont finish, but the material is so expensive and there is
a ton left over after a single paint job (I am not even sure what
is available OTC these days with all the environmental
regulations). Set up and cleaning is also a pain. It was cheaper
in the long run to get a powder coat job for $140. -- Jay
Beattie.

In article ,
says...
I just had Class Act Coatings in Portland do an old steel frame
that I helped build in 1979/80. It looks good -- more than good
enough for a bike that is going to get thrashed this winter. And
it was relatively cheap. If I were painting a show bike,
however, I would use a wet finish.

I've owned 3 powder coated frames, three painted, and one bar Ti. I
refinished an old 531 frame a few years ago, and decided on powder
coating for the same reasons Jay cites in his post. I concur with Jay's
advice. My refinished frame looks very good and I'm pleased with the
finish for use on my trainer, as a backup, and for visiting friends who
didn't bring their bikes. However, close inspection reveals flaws. If
it's for show, get a high quality wet finish.

Rick

In article ,
says...
I just had Class Act Coatings in Portland do an old steel frame
that I helped build in 1979/80. It looks good -- more than good
enough for a bike that is going to get thrashed this winter. And
it was relatively cheap. If I were painting a show bike,
however, I would use a wet finish.

I've owned 3 powder coated frames, three painted, and one bar Ti. I
refinished an old 531 frame a few years ago, and decided on powder
coating for the same reasons Jay cites in his post. I concur with Jay's
advice. My refinished frame looks very good and I'm pleased with the
finish for use on my trainer, as a backup, and for visiting friends who
didn't bring their bikes. However, close inspection reveals flaws. If
it's for show, get a high quality wet finish.

Rick

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Love to get your opinions....

Casey Keller
Valencia, CA

Geez, Casey, I lived in the Valley for 25 years and never painted a bike except
for crashes. There are no weather issues in SoCal. How come you're so tough on
paint?
Phil Brown

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Love to get your opinions....

Casey Keller
Valencia, CA

Geez, Casey, I lived in the Valley for 25 years and never painted a bike except
for crashes. There are no weather issues in SoCal. How come you're so tough on
paint?
Phil Brown

Casey Keller wrote in message
. ..
I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.


Any oil based paint.

Trevor

Casey Keller wrote in message
. ..
I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.


Any oil based paint.

Trevor

"Casey Keller" wrote:

I understand powdercoat is a more durable bicycle finish than the classic
poly-urethane paints. How much more durable?

Powdercoat is generally thicker than paint, and harder than most
paint. It still scratches, but it is less likely to scratch through
due to its thickness. If well done, it is pretty resistant to
chipping.

I ride about 3500 miles/year and seem to need a new paint job on my steel
road bike every two or three years.

Sounds like an alternate definition of "need". Especially given the
weather and road salt conditions in Southern California.

Powdercoating is more environmentally friendly than painting, but they
are both expensive. If you are repainting your bike so often just to
restore its shiny surface quality, perhaps it's your superficiality
and not the bike's that bears improvement? There's nothing wrong with
a bike wearing a few signs of its veteran status.

Chalo Colina