TOPIC:

I know everyone loves powder coating frames, but it wouldn't be my personal choice. The original was done with high gloss black paint, and this is what I'd go for. An epoxy primer with a twin pack polyurethane topcoat will last for decades, it'll look better and if you need to add a bracket or something, small local repairs are much easier.

Ian

FWIW    A friend decided to get his frame painted, so he got it sand blasted & then took it to a painter. The painter told him he made a big mistake getting it sand blasted, when he paints it now the surface is going to look like an orange peel, said he should have only sanded it.

wrote:

FWIW    A friend decided to get his frame painted, so he got it sand blasted & then took it to a painter. The painter told him he made a big mistake getting it sand blasted, when he paints it now the surface is going to look like an orange peel, said he should have only sanded it.

This frame was blasted with coal slag.  It was then painted with two pack epoxy primer, followed by Nason urethane black.  No clear.  

P1010485 by nessism , on Flickr




 

Looks good, obviously it can be done if you use the proper materials.

I have a regular kitchen oven that I got off an old job.Its great for small bits but I was thinking about extending it for larger stuff. I reckon it wouldn't be too difficult to build a steel box to fit to the front of the oven (with the door open of course) and wrap it with insulation.The height and width would stay the same but it would make a far deeper oven. Just a thought.

 I don't know if I agree with the idea of weighing up the price difference between doing it yourself and taking it to a professional.There's more to factor in there. A company might be cheaper if you just want to get the frame ( and swingarm) done and that's it and 'maybe' the quality is better than doing it at home but if you do have the gear to do it yourself you can do your frame and swingarm. And all the bits and bobs that you forgot about first time around. And some stuff for mates. And the next bike you're going to build. Not to mention the satisfaction of having done it yourself.

One thing to consider though when you're measuring up for the frame, be sure to allow some clearance for getting it in the oven once the powder is on.You don't want to bang it around or scrape the it on the sides. You need a clear way to load it in.

My tuppence worth. Good luck with it.
 

It would be nice if we knew what KHI used, it’s some damn good stuff. I painted one about 2 years ago with VHT Chassis and roll bar cans. It’s in the que for a build up and should be nice and cured now, I’m curious to see ho it holds up. 

Ian, having powdered mine I can say that my tank did not fit well after. I didn't realize it was such a thick coat. Looks great though. Hid my serial number, wasn't too crazy about that. I would probably gun kote my next frame and save the powder for the smaller parts. 

davido wrote:

I have a regular kitchen oven that I got off an old job.Its great for small bits but I was thinking about extending it for larger stuff. I reckon it wouldn't be too difficult to build a steel box to fit to the front of the oven (with the door open of course) and wrap it with insulation.The height and width would stay the same but it would make a far deeper oven. Just a thought.
 

To piggyback on your idea...

What if the oven extension sat on casters and had a built-in parts rack?

I'm picturing a rolling box with a long rack that - once in place - would reach the back of the oven. IOW you could take the stock wire racks out of the oven, put a whole frame and ancillaries on the portable rack, and roll it up to the oven: the rack would then be half in the enclosure and half in the oven. Seal the box against the oven with an oven door gasket and use spring-loaded hooks/latches to hold the enclosure in place.

If the existing oven does not have a convection feature, you would probably want to add one for better heat distribution.

I've sandblasted a bunch of frames. If you do a proper job of hand sanding after blasting it will look good. You have to sand with 320g and 400g to get good results. An original frame paint job usually has at least a couple of runs and maybe a couple of thin spots. I blast outdoors with fine regular sand, not silica sand. The silica sand gives a better result but is more dangerous. I still use a good respirator because it's all dangerous. The regular sand is only $13.57 a 100lb bag including tax. The cost savings more than makes up for the bit of hand sanding.
My biggest issue is having to paint outdoors but we're working on it. My buddy and I are building a 10' x 14' storage space on the back of the shop that we'll be easy to clear out to paint in. We're going to install some lights including lights on the walls for better light to paint. Two part chassis black is the closest to stock as far as shine and durability. It seems like all of the Japanese 70's and 80's bike manufacturers used the same frame paint.