# PowderCoating? Good or Bad?



## PeterScherer (Feb 13, 2013)

Hey all, I recently "reburbished" a 1952 Hawthorne Bicycle and was somewhat pleased with the result; but after 7 months of weather, bike-locks, and wear, it is looking a little hagard. My thought is to tear the bike apart again this summer and re-chrome all the bright-work, and powder-coat the frame/fenders. My question is this: Is there any problem with powder coating bicycles? I assume the frame will be fine, but what about the fenders? Can I even powdercoat those? I'll be moving to Texas this summer and I also wonder what damage the UV rays will do to a powder-coated bike? It'll be parked outside most days and will be ridden in pretty much all types of weather.

Please shoot me some ideas/suggestions. I'd greatly appreciate it. 

~Peter


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## old hotrod (Feb 13, 2013)

Doesn't bother me. I have seen some very nice restorations that with the exception of the powder coating used as a base color, were as close to 100% as you can get. I have a rider Black Phantom that the previous owner powder coated and to most people, it is a decent job. I think the details like pinstripes by hand and proper decals are more important than the base coat. I will say that on the higher end, much higher end of vintage bike collecting, powdercoating then may take away from the value-resale but not always. There are respected restorers using powder but most still prefer paint. And there are purists (or painters) that will get out of shape over it since it isn't "original paint," I just prefer to find more import things to worry about...


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## scrubbinrims (Feb 13, 2013)

If you are not aiming for an accurate restoration, it doesn't really matter, unless you would like the increased cost for the durability of powder coating.
Make sure you remove your bearing cups and not let the process get into the crank hanger and inner head tube.
Chris


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## chitown (Feb 14, 2013)

*100 point resto's*



old hotrod said:


> And there are purists (or painters) that will get out of shape over it since it isn't "original paint,"




Very true. But those painters are disappearing just like the lead, cadmium and cyanide that was in the "original paint".  I agree that the pinstriping and decals are more critical in order to make it appear more accurate. 



scrubbinrims said:


> ... an accurate restoration...




How many restorers dip their frames in enamel and bake them in an oven and hand rub the finish? To me that is the only way to get some of these to be an accurate resto. Of course that also depends on the age of the bike and the different techniques and materials used. Those Schwinns (60's-70's) with their translucent paints are a bitch to match and a freegin pain to re-touch. Just remember what Uncle Leon told us about no clear coat on these classics. Big no no if you are going for accuracy.


I think that if you are going to ride it and keep it in the family, powder coat is just fine. If you have a museum and are curator of such museum... do more research and do it right... and document how it was done so future generations can see an accurate restoration.


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## Buster1 (Feb 14, 2013)

I agree with all the above comments. Additionally, powder coating is much more durable and should outlast any paint when it comes to wear, tear and UV.

No sure if you can do fenders. Any flexing or movement of the fender may cause it to flake off, or crack at a minimum. See what your powder coated thinks.


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## Nickinator (Feb 14, 2013)

Powder coating on rims works really well, it's super tough, especially if you're a hack like me when it comes to respoking! If they'd have been painted....yikes. 

I am doing a girl's Schwinn middleweight and I'm going to do the frame and fork in powder coating, don't know yet if I can do the guard or tank since they are partial chrome, but PC will hold up better when traveling on a bike rack.

Darcie


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## scrubbinrims (Feb 14, 2013)

chitown said:


> How many restorers dip their frames in enamel and bake them in an oven and hand rub the finish? To me that is the only way to get some of these to be an accurate resto. Of course that also depends on the age of the bike and the different techniques and materials used.




Just an opinion here from personal experience cleaning up a lot of different bicycle manufacturers (prewar analysis only)...

Those that got baked for added strength:
Schwinn
HP Snyder
Iver Johnson

Those that were painted only:
Shelby 
Colson
Westfield
CWC
Huffman

Chris


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Feb 14, 2013)

Without spending upwards of $500 for professional or auto body shop paint there are two choices rattle can or powder coat.With rattle cans you have to sand and primer first,With powder coat just take the parts as they come off.I have had every part off a bike coated.The most i have ever payed was $300 for everything.This was for two/tone also.The guy i use can mix/match to get spot on original colors,He also plugs all threaded holes so you dont have to retap threads.Also he has a chrome looking powder coat.


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## chitown (Feb 14, 2013)

scrubbinrims said:


> (prewar analysis only)...
> 
> Those that got baked for added strength:
> Schwinn
> ...





Good to know. Thank you!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Feb 14, 2013)

FYI.
I have used 2-part epoxy to fill dents on metal parts before powder coating. Just make sure you use epoxy with the highest temperature rating and tell the powder coating tech to lower the oven heat slightly.


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## Goldenrod (May 4, 2016)

Bondo can not be powder coated.  The paint is melted like glass.  Remember the old white porcelain  sinks?   Orange peel (bumpy like an orange) is possible when it is not melted smoothly because they used a lower than necessary temperature.  A lot depends on the powder coater and they have gotten better.  Powder can be sanded to a polish and is very durable.   Tough sanding job!  Gas will not affect it which is important in the case of riding a Whizzer.
       Your color choice is limited (in powder) but on a rider bike,  it is the best option.  Two tones can NOT be done in powder easily but flaking is NOT a possibility.  It can be pin striped but it may wear more  easily.  My pin striping has not been a problem for me in the last few decades.  I had the first bike done (red) in Illinois.  I like my powder in maroon red or black.  Throw the bike down and try to scratch it.  Throw it out of a plane.
       Powder packages have evolved larger.  Leftover powder can absorb water and fail.  That makes popular colors a good choice for fresh material. You should try and retain (and seal in a can) odd color leftovers if the painter makes you pay for the whole bag.  You can get three Whizzers or four bikes from one (modern size) bag is my guess.
I have posted a picture of my old red bike in powder.  It was a early (bad) job but wows civilians where ever I stop, but probably not you people.  The second powdered maroon bike won this year at World Of Wheels --Chicago.  The black racer (powder coated, sanded  and polished) won its class this year at the same show.  The black bike is much better because it got extra attention.  The aluminum number disks are also powder coated.


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## bairdco (May 4, 2016)

I think rare bikes shouldn't be powdercoated. I'm in no way a purist (unless I find a complete original,) but I figure if it's powdered, the next guy down the line with more money and time, can't restore it properly.

I've had a lot of custom bikes powdered, because it's actually cheaper and easier.

My guy will do a frame and fork for $50-$100, depending on how much prep, color, or how he feels that day.

To chemically strip a frame, then sand, then get all the paint bits out of the tight spots, paint, sand, paint, clear coat, and everything else involved in spray bombing a bike, takes more money in materials,  and a lot more time than dropping it off and picking it up a day later.

Best advice I can give, is find the right guys to do the job.

I dropped off a filthy, ten coats of housepaint frame off at one company, and it came back with a beautiful blue powdercoat, and a giant crack at the bottom bracket/downtube junction.

The crack was hidden under all the old paint, but woulda been totally obvious after sandblasting. I figured a competent shop woulda called me and said, "hey, yer frame's busted." before going ahead and coating it.

I was left with a $70 charge for a job I had to ruin, so I could grind off the powder coat, weld the frame, and then pay to have the powder re done (by someone else.)


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## Goldenrod (May 9, 2016)

I had a similar story but we caught the old-weld-under-Bondo problem in time.  My rule is to see it after blasting because it is forever.


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## zephyrblau (May 20, 2016)

frankly I don't care for what I've seen in the past, but maybe things have improved. too thick, too shiney, limited color selection. that said, I may be interested in trying this on a rider motorbike. are there any recomendations for a good powder guy in the S.F. bay area ?


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## bairdco (May 20, 2016)

As far as colours go now, they have everything, and then some. Had a bike done in black a few months ago, and they asked me "what colour black?"

And then showed me at least ten different samples.


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## Shawn (May 6, 2017)

Working in a "restoration" oriented shop where we provide powder coating service I've got a few years experience with the stuff. Every day at work I powder coat several customer items. It's much of what I do. I am not an expert, my experience is not Gospel, but I'm happy to share with you what I know. Also I know plenty about what doesn't work or come out beautiful as there was a learning curve when this was new to me and I failed on many occasions. Nothing sucks worse or cost you more than doing things twice, this I assure you is true. Powder coat in most instances is far superior to ordinary paint. There are two part epoxy and specialty paints which are durable like powder but they're more expensive. Some basic facts, the powder is a super finely ground plastic, it receives a positive static charge while coming out of the spray gun, the part it's being applied to is grounded negative, this helps the powder to cling to the part uniformly and get into most tight spots, once properly coated the part is placed in an oven and cooked at a set temperature for a set period of time to melt, flow out and in the end cure the plastic coating. A bike frame which is blasted or stripped to bare metal can be pre baked (to outgas and burn off chemicals, soap and even finger print oil), let cool, coated with powder, baked to cure and back to room temperature in 90 minutes or less. It's ready right then to be re assembled. The speed of the process is a bit more convenient than paint. There are currently 6,500 colors of powder, likely one will suit your needs. You can match powder to paint colors but it's cost prohibitive for a hobbyist and is $450-500 for the first pound of powder. The other way around is simpler and cheaper by far. Simply have your powder color applied to any sample piece of metal, take it to any automotive paint supply store and they'll have you a couple rattle cans or pint mixed up. There are exceptions but most colors of powder coat readily accept automotive paint finishes over the top of them, pin striping too. As for the finished product it's same as paint, preparation is 90% of the results you get. Cleanliness is Godliness if you want a beautiful, shiny finish without fish eyes, dirt specks and blemishes. Thin sheet metal like fenders and chain guards can be coated and look smooth as paint if done right. You can also have automotive clears sprayed over the powder color and wet sanded and polished to a mirror finish, even apply decals before the clear and they're sealed in just like Harley Davidson does. Anything which can withstand the time and temperature needed to cure the powder in the oven can be colored. No plastic, rubber, or other similar materials will survive the oven temps without some damage if not catastrophic results. Details like the AS in Schwinn bolt heads, serial numbers stamped into frames and other details should easily be preserved using single stage colors and even some base/clear ones. There is special high temperature masking tape and purpose made silicone plugs used for protecting machined surfaces, threads or portions you don't want color on. I've done lots of bicycle frames, forks and parts with good results and happy customers. Your powder coater can do the same for you. Hope this bit of info helps some of you out.


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## Shawn (May 7, 2017)

Were you to be doing a museum quality restoration, sparing no expense, paying for new chrome plating, tires, seat, pedals, etc. then powder coat might not be the way to go for you ? If there were a powder color that exactly matched your needs, your bike is simple gloss black, red, etc. then it might be a good choice ? Entirely up to the individual. At any rate here are some pics of things I've powder coated for you to look at and hopefully help you decide. None of these items were mine but belonged to customers. They chose the colors. Some didn't even want all the dents removed. What you see is what came out of the oven as the finished results. No sanding, polishing or waxing afterwards.


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