Topic: Paint the hub?

[70CB750]

I cleaned the rear hub from a donor bike and now I am not sure if I want to paint it or not.  Painted hub probably stays cleaner and is easier to keep clean - not like I spent much time in my life washing vehicles:) - but the clean metal is sexy too.  I know I will not be building a stocker, the 70 is too far gonne to do it economically and the rim to go with it will have to be painted or PCed since there is rust pitting on it.
 
What do you guys think and even there is no right or wrong here, what is the general consensus on that?
 
 

[Music City Metalcraft]

I just clear powder coated the hubs (actually, the whole corroded wheel) on my cheapo project after glass bead blasting, and it looks great! Paint doesn't get into the corners as powder, and is not as tough

[crazypj]

I paint or clear between the spoke flanges as that is hardest part to clean (usually paint)
Clear powder sounds good but I'm too broke (or cheap  )
Rear hub

[Lostboy Steve]

I painted my hubs with pj1 epoxy hard enamel, but powder-coated everything else. Clear powder coat works out well.

[70CB750]

Thanks guys. I know I have to paint the rim and the hub would be a bonus. Gottatalk to my oldest daughter,  she is the arbiter elegantiae.

You see I would go clear or black or machine gray - boring, yes, I typically prefer not to attract attention but maybe Dorothy, the 70, deserves that.

Just thinking aloud 

[Bob3050]

My rims were rusted so I painted them with a single stage acrylic paint. I'm sure that powder coating is tougher but it is more expensive. I have to be careful changing tires but all in all the paint is holding up very well.
Bob

[70CB750]

Really pretty, Bob. Thanks for the picture, it helps to think.

[Lostboy Steve]

Powder-coating really isn't expensive. My guy would do it for under a hundred. That is unlaced. Spokes are more, but just a hub and rim would be about $40.00 for a solid color. The stuff lasts indefinitely so its well worth it. Also it has the tendency to hide minor scratches and pitting.

[crazypj]

Brake caliper paint is about $6~$8.00 so $40.00 sounds quite expensive to me
 remove bearings and 'cook' it one, it's about as good as powder

[Kong]

The problem with painting hubs, or any other aluminum part, is not so much with the top-coat paint you use; that could be pretty much any kind of paint that is compatible with the substrate.  Nope, the problem with painting aluminum is finding a primer that will bond to the metal in the first place.  Take a look at any aluminum part that has been painted and now has chips in it. Notice that the chips go all the way to bare metal, they are almost never just chips in the top-coat paint that let the underlying primer show through.  So when you get a chip its actually the primer that is chipping off of the metal, not the pretty colored paint on top chipping off of the primer's surface - the paint sticks to the primer but the primer doesn't stick to the metal.

That is why you use an "etch" primer on aluminum before going to your finish paint.  Unfortunately sometimes the chemicals (acid) that are used in "etch" primers don't react well with top coats and that is why you don't use the crap on everything, just where you really need it.

Powdercoating isn't even in the same ballpark as painting.  It will stick and it is strong and hard.  It is at its best when used on parts that are both in places where they are likely to be hit by stones, sand, and road-trash and at the same time are hard to clean once they get dirty.  Wheels and frame rails are prime candidates for powercoating.  However as good as powders have become and as good as some powercoaters are the stuff simply can not compete with paint when quality of finish is concerned and the ability of the material to withstand a bike's daily hazards (dropped wrenches from clumsy mechanics and dropped bikes from stupid owners) is of secondary importance.  Powercoating is stronger, paint is prettier.

Anyway, if you plan to paint your hubs make sure you get them chemically clean first and then prime them with something that will stick, making sure you follow all of the manufacturer's directions for curing the stuff and if you are working within a system make sure you've checked (look at the tech data sheets) on the material's compatibility too.