frame painting advice,what products do you guys recommend for painting the frame?

[birdhouse]

Im Painting my frame this week and have a coach black single stage paint and a black dual stage on hand in the shop. Which is more durable? I have heard single stage is tougher than color and clear. Is there any rattle can products that are worth a shit? I heard pj1 makes a epoxy in a rattle can but I dont see how it can be a true epoxy not being a 2 part system. I searched a few threads on here and alot of guys say a certain paint product looks good but they say nothing about durability!!! All advice is welcome

Thanks fellas

 

[xander18]

I haven't done my frame yet but I did a little bit of research and it sounds like powder coating is always the ideal if you can do it. That said, I haven't priced it out yet so I may be painting before it's all over anyway.

 

[bradshaw106]

I haven't done my frame yet but I did a little bit of research and it sounds like powder coating is always the ideal if you can do it. That said, I haven't priced it out yet so I may be painting before it's all over anyway.

I had a local powder coated quote 250$ to sandblast and coat my frame and swing arm one color. I didn't think that was to bad...
On my first bike I used VHt chassis paint which was supposed to be a "epoxy" like paint in a spray can. It was pretty expensive but was hard as a rock when it cured. I planning on powder coating this time around. Just my 2 cents

 

[xander18]

Bradshaw, that actually sounds really reasonable. I'm over in Claremont NH this summer, was that shop anywhere near NH?

 

[birdhouse]

I have been priced 200.00 for powder coat and dont get me wrong that is a great price. But I have some paint I can use on hand. i was just looking for other "do it your self" ideas that work for the budget and are functional and durable(compressor and gun products). Thanks for the help fellas.

 

[72XS2]

I'm currently painting my frame and I try POR15 paint with Hardnose black paint (also made by POR15, paint with hardener). I applied it with a brush because I don't know how to use a gun. I didn't have problem with POR15, everything looks ok. I'm not very satisfied with Hardnose paint. I'm sure it's great product but i don't like the look. It's probably because I applied it with a brush, the coat are thicker than spray but I dont see brush marks. It's not that bad, I will keep it like it is. Tonight, I ordered three cans of "Extreme chassis black" from Eastwood. I will sand the parts of the frame that are exposed and finish it with the paint from Eastwood. I will also use it on others parts (swingarm, battery box, ...) as a topcoat over the POR15 paint. I read comments about this paint and it seems to be a good product. On eastwood website, they said that this paint is tough to scratch and chip. I will let know on my "build thread" the results when I will finish the painting job on my frame. I was thinking about powdercoat but it will be harder to repair if a stratch appear on the frame.

Can't wait to finish it and put back the engine in the frame.

 

[carter724]

when i was comparing prices, i was quoted $200 for powder coat and $225 for paint.

 

[Chopped HS]

I've been in the coating industry for 20 years and in my experience it depends on what your future plans are. Powder coating is the most durable but if it chips it's nearly impossible to touch up. Base coat is simple and easy but the durability is lax ( it is easy to touch up). a two stage system is a little more time consuming but, it offers more flexability in color and better chemical resistance than a single stage. For the best of both worlds spraying a two part epoxy would be the most durable and would have some sort of touch up in the future; if you decide to change something. Hope this info was helpfull. FYI- I just painted my frame with rustoleum hammered metal spray paint and used a eurothane 2 stage automotive clear over the top (so so on durability but, really chemical resistant).

 

[10dollarXS]

So if I was to powdercoat over frame would it be to thick? and would i have to start powdercoating process from bare frame?

 

[charlesincharge09]

So if I was to powdercoat over frame would it be to thick? and would i have to start powdercoating process from bare frame?

powdercoat needs to be done on bare metal. all the old paint has to be blasted off.

i paint bikes unprofessionally "still practicing to get better" and as cheap as i can paint a frame for it takes so much time to prep, i love powdercoat for frames and thats what i do.

 

[rusty rocket]

72xs2 says he was using por15. por15 does not stand up to uv so it will become white and chalky, if that the look your after us it but i would stick to a epoxy paint or better yet powder coat. por15 is geared more for a car frame or parts that dont see sun light.

 

[mrtwowheel]

I use Duplicolor Acrylic Enamel in a can to paint my barn finds. I usually blast and paint the back half of the frame and swingarm, then touch up the rest of the frame with a small brush. If I was to paint a whole bare frame in black I would probably use the same. The acrylic enamel gets real hard in a few weeks but not right away. I have heard good things about automotive acrylic enamel with hardener added for frames. If you can spray, the acrylic with hardener would be a good choice, no primer needed, many choices of color and retouchable with a brush even. I used to do body work and had more experience with synthetic enamels but my experiences with acrylic enamel were good. Spray it good and leave it or spray it bad and have another chance to sand it without waiting and spray it again, you can't do that with most enamels. Napa is a good place to get acrylic enamel mixed to order and the hardener.

Scott

 

[sbaugz]

you can save yourself some serious money on powder coating if you strip the paint off yourselves- either with sand blasting or a chemical stripper like aircraft stripper. Most of the cost involved in powder coating is in labor. Three local shops charge around $250 for frame and swingarm. If I stripped paint myself prior to bringing the frame in, the price dropped down to between $100 and $150 for the three shops.