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Hi , I’m just about to get the frame beed blasted, is it better to paint the frame myself using spray cans or must I get it done professionaly. I was thinking of trying B&Q’s plastkote.
Bob
Hi Bob and welcome.
I would always go for powdercoating myself. It’s alot more durable then painting and the new generation of powdercoatings availble can give a really good gloss finish.
I use https://www.redditchshotblasting.co.uk/ – but there will be one in your area (look for one that doesn’t just do commercial work)
Last time I had a frame done it cost me about £50 to have it blasted, masked and black powder coated.
It is possible to get a good finish with spray cans but as with all spraying the secret is in the preperation and the finish will tend to be softer then either a proffessional oven baked paint finish or powdercoating.
Yep, agree with Kat on this, powder/epoxy coating is the way to go. It’s often more cost effective to let the same company shotblast and powder coat your frame than source each one separately. I’d go for a bike frame specialist as some places do tables/chairs etc and they don’t need to be waterproof or up to a high standard of finish.
What you pay in spraycans may get the job done with a specialist. To get the finish right is an art too with a can, so you may end up waiting for it to dry, rubbing down, repainting etc. A bike as old as a Bantam would lose value if you don’t get this right.
If you get the frame powder coated, pay special attention to masking the holes and threads. Finding old bolts that fit the threads is a worthwhile task.
Welcome to The Bike Forum. Let us know what you decide, and post us some pics if you have any!
I have experimented with a spray called PlastiKote on one front fork, I took it right back to shiney steel, primed it with their primer and gave it 2 coats of gloss and it looks fantastic, realy superb finish. I will do the other fork and the frame and see how it looks before assembly, I took the old paint off in no time using a disk from B&Q that looks like plastic mesh £8 and very easy to use in the drill. I will post pics soon, there is not a lot to see.
On another issue, I have fitted a new small end bearing and new piston and gudgeon pin, I think the fit is too tight, the piston does not freely rock, it all felt prety loose before assembly but once I drew the small end bearing in the gudgeon pin is prety tight, is this usual, or should I strip it and get a new bearing.
Bob
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