Topic: To Paint or To Power Coat

[jason405]

Hey guys, so I am working on my 78 CB550 a little bit at a time.  I got it running and not am in the process of making safe to ride.  New tires, rebuild brakes, etc.

I have the front end completely apart and my plan is to paint the fork lowers, triple tree, rim, and hub, and I am debating weather to paint these pieces myself, or have them powder coated. 

I have read several build threads and many paint parts themselves and many powder coat.  I see pros and cons to both. 

I am working on a tight budget which is one reason painting appeals to me.  Also, this bike will not be anything close to a daily driver.  I will only be riding it a few times a week and mainly in town. 

So I have two options.

1. Paint the parts myself. 
I like this route because its cheaper, on my own time, and the parts can be touched up very easily. 

2. Have the parts Powder Coated.
Obviously this is the more durable route, but the expense and time involved is really pushing me away. 

I am leaning towards painting and I am hoping you all can recommend rattle can paints to use. I have seen good results with POR-15 chassis and VHT Caliper paint.

All parts will be black. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks!
Jason

[dlhoulton]

Jason405, good to see a fellow Oklahoman on the forum. I'm in Muskogee. This web site has done a lot for me and so have the members with there advice. So I tell you what I'll offer. If your willing to drive to Muskogee I'll powder coat your stuff for free. I have a small counter top oven in my workshop and can do everything you mentioned except the rims. I'm pretty sure if you have unlaced your wheels I can do the hubs. My little oven can handle fork lowers with just a little room to spare. I'm not a professional, just a DIY'er. I have gloss black powder coat powder here. Here is a pic of some of the stuff/parts I did recently and a shot of my little oven with my fork lowers inside.



It would take a good day to bead blast and prep your parts then powder coat them. I can only do a little bit at a time due to the size of oven.

[rickmoore24]

Jason405 that's a right, sweet offer that just got put on the table! Good on you dlhoulton and nice looking work, IDK how far apart you are but it could be worth the ride out. Plus powder coat will do better on the fork lowers and such that do battle with road debris. Good luck! Rick.

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[jason405]

Man dlhoulton, that is very generous of you!  It is a solid 2 hour drive over so which means I would have to make that drive twice.  With a 5 month old in the house, I am not sure that I could give up that much time.  I will PM and see if we can work something out.

Thanks so much for the offer!
Jason

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Another thing to consider (if you don't go for the great offer), is to ask a local powder coater if they will price the job as a bulk job as opposed to charging by the piece (if all of the pieces are one color, and especially if they are all prepped). 

Powdercoating is preferred for these parts, as they will resist road grit, chipping and spilled brake fluid much better than painted parts.