Re: [CR]Custom powder coating of cycling frames;

(Example: Production Builders)

From: "henox" <henox@icycle.net>
To: "Eugene Powell" <radfin@SpiritOne.com>, "Donald Gillies" <gillies@cs.ubc.ca>
References: <200502042037.MAA11285@cascade.cs.ubc.ca> <b258adddebf9a39c3a239e4a31d3a9cc@SpiritOne.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Custom powder coating of cycling frames;
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 14:20:59 -0800
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Subject: Re: [CR]Custom powder coating of cycling frames;

Eugene writes the following about powder coating:
> Next, as to it's life span, everything chips, and with powder because
> here's no primer rust will travel at will underneath. That's the big
> issue. Sooner or later it's going to rust, big time. A good powder
> coater can see to it that it gets good coverage, that it thins out
> appropriatly in the right places, fades, panels, etc. They can do all
> of that, but I know of no system that provides protection underneath.
> So as soon as it chips, or you machine the headtube/bottom bracket,
> insert a water bottle screw, whatever, you get little spider fingers of
> rust spreading damaging you frame.Someday someone may solve this problem."

The problem of rusting under powder coating IS solved by using the appropriate pre-treatment!

If you simply abrasive blast and powder coat without pretreatment, of course you can get rusting including the spider tracks of filiform corrosion. The can get the result with Imron sprayed without primer.

There is a right way and a wrong way to apply wet sprayed and powder coating. You can save money initially by using the wrong way but you will pay more in the long run!

BTW, there are excellent powder primers, and yes, they still need to be applied over the proper pretreatment.

Hugh Enox
sunny La Honda