I’m thinking about powder coating my frame. I was thinking about simple, single color. My bike’s a Giant, and Giant’s website says they can’t (or won’t) get replacement decals, so I can’t either.
Now I don’t want to clutter it up the way it came, but I would like to have something representative on the frame so it doesn’t look so plain.
Suggestions?
http://www.vcgraphix.com/ Will do custom work. Not sure if there’s copyright issues. I think as long as you’re not doing a run of 500, you’d be fine.
Chris
What is the frame made out of? A few years ago Cannondale advised me not to have my aluminum frame powder coated, because the temperature involved is high enough to risk changing the temper of the aluminum. I’m not a metallurgist, so I really can’t judge the actual risk. But I haven’t had the frame powder coated (yet . . . ).
It’s aluminum. The PC company said they heat to 400 degrees. I’ll have to look into that more.
What about anodizing? Why powdercoating over anodizing? No thermal issues with anodizing, but the issues become chemical, instead…
Go to WWW.Spectrumpowderworks.com they can do it up for you. As you will see from the site all they do is bikes, so they don’t miss the details. I had my P3 done there and they sprayed the “Cervelo” right on the bike so you don’t need decals.
Actually, I hadn’t even thought about either. I was originally just thinking about removing decals, but they’re under the clear coat. Then I started searching online for frame painters and stumbled on a powder coating shop not far from where I live. And they have experience doing bike frames. Otherwise, I have no idea.
Hello,
Anodizing an AL frame after it has already been painted will likely be $$$ and may not come out so good.
Styrrell
I figured you would have to strip it first, for sure. That much I do know. I’ve had lots of parts anodized and kephosed when I was a mechanic, and I wondered if anyone had done it to a frame. Before I got my tri bike, I was pondering a Yaqui or Elite and was going to see if they could send it to the anodizer I know, but I ended up with a ti frame, so no need. I hate the look of paint and love the feel and look of an anodized finish. But I guess the stripping & anodizing would be pretty pricey. I’m guessing from your statement that you do NOT have to strip a frame in order to powder coat??
Yes, you must strip old paint and stuff from the frame before powder coating. The frame should be raw metal. The place I called will do this, and charges only about $100 to strip and powder coat the frame and fork. Add another $50 or so if they’re going to do any texturing or additional colors that require a clear coat application. Quite reasonable, if you ask me…
So that means anodizing wouldn’t be too much more. Anyway, if you are ever interested, Keco Coatings has tanks large enough to do a big frame in anodizing, and they can do all kinds of colors. http://www.kecocoatings.com/
They are really top of the line… That is as much for the forum as for you, since it sounds like you’ve got a good place…
Hello, You have to strip the frame for PC, but not really prep the metal much. For anodizing sthe underlying metal has to be brushed, bead blasted or polished. Also you have to use the correct welding rod when building the frame. I beleive the cervelos use differnt rod for anodized frames than painted.
Styrrell
My Fort frame is powder coated. I like it and hate my other painted frames.
Thom
BEWARE. I had a Cannondale SE2000 when it was the first rear suspension mountain bike they made. Took it to a place that “had experience” and got it back half dissolved. You could see where the line was that they realized “OH SHIT” and pulled it back out of whatever crazy acid they were using. The bottom bracket adjustable cup would just fall through from one side to the other (inner diameter of BB shell gone along with the threads). You could see light through the sides of the seat tube. The outer layer of the chainstays were peeling off. (Good image of this is if you spread a thin layer of mud on a tube and then once it dried you shattered it and peeled parts off.) This was “only” done to the forward triangle since it was a suspended mountain frame and the swingarm was seperate.
Cannondale was able to locate ONE replacement at a bike shop for me. The shop paid for it and did the work for free…ALL after I convinced them that NO, it wasn’t like that when I gave it them. The owner wanted to finish the work and I trusted them because I figured if anyone would be careful now it would be them.
Michael
I can do 1 or 2 color vinyl decals for you if, shoot me a PM if interested.