Anybody got a recommendation for a reasonably priced paint job for a carbon frame ? To me anyway, $450-500 makes me just want to buy a new frame, can’t believe somebody somewhere isn’t willing to paint for a reasonable (half that or so) amount…thanks for any suggestions !
anybody ?
anybody ?
Well given that you do not apparently have the tools, I will say it will cost significantly more to obtain everything necessary to paint for $500.
Materials cost for the frames I do often exceeds 125 when stencils are included, so 400 seems like a bargain to me! 
Obviously depends on what you want, but if it was something simple I would do it for less. The prep work is very time consuming, and finishing work is consuming - there really is no profit in painting.
Check with local auto-body paint shops… they can usually jig the frame and give it a nice paint job, including automotive clear coat. If you downloand the stenciling and have it created at a local decal shop (<10$), the painter can apply the decals no problem, between the paint and the clear coat…
Look for a shop with polymer / plastic panel experience… most accredited body shops are equipped…
makes sense ! don’t guess there’s really anything mystical about painting carbon fiber…
Nope…to them, it’s just fancy plastic…lol
My guess is about $125… more, if you ask for colors, etc. Best bet may be an independent / aftermarket. They consider themselves ‘artists’ and can give you some pretty cool jobs…
“Check with local auto-body paint shops…”
Be careful with auto body shops. It’s my understanding that auto paint nozzles are different from ones used for painting bike frames. I took an old classic steel frame to an auto shop that did really good classic auto restorations but they did a hack job on my frame. I’d only take it to a shop that specializes in bike frames next time.
Look for a hot rod custom painting shop instead of a body shop. You might even try and find one that either specializes in or does a lot of motorcycle paint jobs.
Generic body shops tend to be good at covering large panels of sheet metal with a few thicker coats. Painting the small tubes on a bike requires many thin coats and a little finesse.
If you have a Ti or Aluminum frame powercoating looks really good and is fairly cheap. It’s also way more scratch and chip resistant.
I went to three auto places around town and none of them would do my frame.
You’re right… you need a finer nozzle for the bike frame. I’d def. talk to them first, and make sure that they have experience with smaller parts, plastics, and high quality finishes… many paint shops offer low prices because they use thicker coats, requiring less labour. You want thinner coats on the bike…
Look for an airbrush artist in your area. A plain glossy black was quoted for $300 here. He uses automotive paint but has the finer nozzle for airbrushing. Not to mention most airbrush guys are anal about their work since it’s “art” to them.
I think that a lot of the cost associated with painting a carbon frame is in the prep work required to carefully sand off the old paint to get it ready for the new stuff.
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Could you theoretically get a no-name brand bike, repaint in with Cervelo, Trek etc and flog it off on ebay for shitloads more?
Theoretically yes, although you would have to find a buyer clueless enough to be suckered in. Oh yeah, it’s probably illegal, unless you clearly disclose that the bike is not in fact manufactured by the company that has it’s name on the frame, in which case you will probably stuggle to sell it for a grossly inflated price…
You may want to check with the frame manufacturer as well if you want to keep the warranty. Some manufacturer’s will not allow anyone else to paint or repaint their frames. Part of this has to do with the prep process required before paint. Sanding carbon can be tricky and it doesn’t take much to sand through it if you’re not careful. Some of the tubes are mere millimeters thick.
The guy that paints the Kuota frames is an independant and charges about 400$ for a single color. The more complex designs can run you a grand. All CDN dollars of course! 
The prices for recoating carbon fiber are due to the prep work, not the spraying (assuming simple 1-2 color, limited graphics). Aluminum and steel can be mediablasted which not only removes all old paint, it creates a roughened surface for the primer to mechanically bond to. Chemical strippers can damage the binder in the carbon fiber.
While someone may have figured out a method to strip the coating on carbon fiber frames, most will hand sand it which is very time consuming. If you are after a opaque color over the existing finish, it can be roughed up and painted over. Not the best when it chips but would lower the price. It’s also adds 100 grams to the existing frame.
You’ll note that many painters won’t strip a solid color fame to have all exposed carbon because it requires even more effort to get all the original off.
All in all, it’s about labor dollars and as was pointed out above, there’s no big money in painting frames.