Topic: powdercoating

[gregwaits]

I am about to pick up an extremely clean 1970 CB450 (as I posted in here earlier).

Even as clean as it is, it has sat garaged for a long time and is dusty as hell. Should I even bother thinking about taking it down to its bare frame and powder coating it? Is it really worth it? I mean, if I could get that sort of thing done for around $100 I would probably jump at it, but it doesn't seem to be worth the expense.

Is it just me that feels this way?

[bill440cars]

   Hey Greg,

             I figure that it's all up to the individual and I'm another individual who'd rather put money into other things and do a decent paint job instead. In some instances, I've even removed just a few things, cleaned it up a bit, prepped and painted the frame in sections you might say. I don't always do a frame up job. It all depends on what I've got in mind for the bike. Example: I've got a 73' RD350 that I'm not gonna strip it down and do a repaint. The bike's in pretty fair shape and I'll basically detail it and take care of any repairs that need to be done, while I'm at it.   Just my way of doing things.

                                                           Later on, Bill

[nickjtc]

It's worth it if you think it is worth it. If you are after the satisfaction of a 'like new' bike then have at it and take the time necessary to strip everything down. Personally i would say that with riding season now upon us that kind of decision should wait until the winter...... If you are happy with a 10 foot bike (like Sophie is) then don't bother and save the money for tune-up bits and consumables.

[Tim.]

Soap and water is a lot cheaper faster and easier than stripping the bike down and powdercoating it.

Get it cleaned, polished and running first.  If it's just dusty, there's no reason to strip it down.  Lots of work.

I'm facing the same issue with the 650 I bought.  This weekend the soap and water come so I can see what I'm really up against.  Mine was sitting outside under a tarp for 2 years though, so I'm in a different boat.

[CrisPDuk]

My two cents worth (and I mean no ofence to anyone, it's just my personal opinion), If the bike has been stored dry, and is as clean as it sounds, leave it be.  I personally would much rather see a lovingly revived old vehicle, of any kind, than a totally restored, freshly repainted 'trailer queen'. To me it's the patina of age that makes them what they are

Conversely however, if the bike has been stored damp, and there is evidence of corrosion getting under the original paintwork, get the thing stripped cleaned and re-coated, better to remove the originality and keep it alive than let it slow die

[Soos]

It's up to you and your wallet.


I did powdercoat mine simply because where I work has a powdercoating oven/sprayer and a few ccolors of powdercoat available.(the yellow and the off tan, and the white were not to my liking, so I got low gloss black)
And with me blasting the frame and bits, and $20 bribe to the painter, I had a new coat of powdercoat in a few hours time.
But at the time, my bike was almost completely dismantled, since I was doing so many mods/replacing of bits-n-pieces last winter.

I did call around to a few places, and the prices I was quoted ranged from 150(if i blasted it myself) to 250.
The availibility of colors makes me wish I had gone to a shop that specializes in powdercoating.
I think the bike would have been nice with red rims, and a black frame.

But for $20.00, it would have been almost as much for a rattlecan job that will not last near as long.
What can I say.. I'm cheap.


l8r

[SD750F]

My CB750F3 frame is done! I just got a call from my powder coating place and the frame, swing arm, side stand, center stand, rear brake rod, and engine mounting plates are finished for a total of $244.40. I have taken a couple pictures so you can see my different grey hammer finish I selected. The finished product is fantastic. Thick and looks great! Now on to the first of 1,000 steps in the process..

Scott

[BobbyR]

If the bike is clean, just clean it and see what you have. You can rub down the frame with penetrol and do a bit of buffing. You may be very surprised at what she looks like.

[SD750F]

In my case the frame and bike was far from clean. I have a picture of my triple tree before the sand blasting and powder coating for comparison. I only wished the PO had taken better care of the 78 CB750F3 motorcycle. But he really didn't know the demand or mystique associated with the bike and sold it to me for only $400! Some members damn the PO, other make out because of the PO... I would think the score is pretty even after all said and done.

Scott

[Tim.]

Did they block off all the important holes like the steering head, swingarm pivot etc etc?  I'm going to have the frame, rims and other bits of my 650 pc'd black when the time comes.  For $250 it seems like a reasonable deal for a professional coating, and considering doing it means complete dissasembly, it's not something you want to have done twice, unlike painting tanks and sidecovers.

[SD750F]

The Powder Coating company I used did block off all the tapped holes and covered the shock posts. I put together a custom device for the head. Found a couple oversized concaved washers at a local "grab-all" surplus hardware store and with a long bolt and nut the combination covered the top and bottom opening perfectly. All I had to do was take a sharp knife and trace the perimeter that was just on the outside of the machined chamfer of the head. Now I get to add new tapered "All Balls" bearings! Yeah! The bottom triple tree was powder coated, and the top I have bead blasted and I am in the process of polishing right now. After this weekend, that job will be done and it will take a week to get the aluminum taste out of my mouth!

Scott

[GNXFan]

I have a local powdercoater that I have used on several bike projects and he charges me a flat $170.00 for any frame,swingarm,etc. that I bring him. That includes stripping and powdercoat but only in gloss black. He does good work but once he bead blasted a CB450 toolbox for me and it actually blew a hole thru the rust. I always put old screws in the threaded holes and nuts over the exposed male threads before I take the frame to him. It's a #$%* to rethread the powdercoat off the threads!

[Tim.]

Good tips - I wasn't sure about leaving bolts in the holes and nuts on the studs (sheesh, that all sounds odd) and then breaking them free of the finish after.  Do you cut around the bolts before you back them out of the holes?  Do you let the finish cure (if there is such an issue) for any length of time before removing or is it better to remove the stuff asap?  I've never worked with powdercoating before as you can tell, but plan on having a frame and many other bits done soon.

[SD750F]

A GOOD powder coater will have the proper materials to block off any hole that you want to maintain the dimensions and/or threads. They use special high temp silicone plugs that do not attract the powder and hence you have nothing to cut off when baked. If you use metal screws, you will have them coated the same thickness as the part you want coated. That means you have a measurable amount of harden coating to cut through with a knife to expose the surface under or behind.

I recommend talking to your powder coating representatives before they start...

Scott

[techy5025]

SD750F....if you got the whole bike power coated for 240 bucks, you got a terrific deal.  In Orlando the going rate is 6 to 700 dollars, unless you "know" someone of course.

Jim

[Tim.]

A GOOD powder coater will have the proper materials to block off any hole that you want to maintain the dimensions and/or threads. They use special high temp silicone plugs that do not attract the powder and hence you have nothing to cut off when baked. If you use metal screws, you will have them coated the same thickness as the part you want coated. That means you have a measurable amount of harden coating to cut through with a knife to expose the surface under or behind.

I recommend talking to your powder coating representatives before they start...

Scott

NOW you're talking!  Thanks for the great input - will definitely grill them on these details.  I didn't like the idea of cutting through the coating and possibly damaging/chipping etc. the finish around the hole.

[techy5025]

Another thing to watch is the clearance where the engine sets in the frame.  In my case, the power coating reduced the clearance and I had to grind it off where the long bolts go through the engine and the frame.  The clearances here are tight. You might want to mask that off and just paint it later with some rust reducing paint.

Jim