powdercoating frames..

**marty** · 9th December 2005, 21:19

Originally Posted by Joe Blogs

Am i the only person who notised that it is the same photo? just different coloured frame?

some of us just read the text and noticed the 'photoshop' comment. that was a clue.

**Vegan** · 10th December 2005, 13:42

Anyone had calipers done? - are there any issues with this - as oppposed to say - anodising?

**John** · 10th December 2005, 14:17

Only problem I see is heat, get them heat coated - or use that model paint it seems to work well.

I am in the proccess of doing all mine - just removing rust and paint FUCK THIS RUST REMoVER FUCKS YOUR HANDS UP - MAKES YOU PUKE LIKE A WHORE TO.

does a good job but.

**Vegan** · 10th December 2005, 15:53

That's why you wear a mask and gloves!

**bugjuice** · 10th December 2005, 18:48

and stop drinking it.. doesn't taste all that good to start with..

**Fishy** · 21st December 2005, 14:37

We have an inhouse powdercoat plant at work and have done quite a few frames and wheels for mates in the past with really good results. If you need p/coating done PM me as I may be able to help out.

**classic zed** · 24th December 2005, 17:55

I had the frame, swing arm, stands, fork yokes, forl legs, rear springs and loads of little brackets and things done for my Z1300, everything including the sand blasting cost me $285.
It looks brand new and so much easier than painting (in my opinion). They didnt want to do the calipers because of the heat, although calipers are subject to a fair bit of heat while working. All in all I am very pleased with the look, it also gave me the opportunity to replace the head and swing arm bearings and the fork oil while it was apart.

**Fooman** · 24th December 2005, 20:52

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

And at what point are you effectively altering the heat treatment of your frame? Depending on what it is made from.
Some allys work harden, some (I imagine jap frames) require a heat treatment process.

Theoretically if you get it hot enough then you need to retreat it or it will be weaker. Maybe someone with a better grasp of metallurgy would correct of confirm this?

A guy at work actually asked me this a few weeks ago. He was curious about his wheels being powder-coated and would they be alright. My answer went something like this.

It all depends on the alloy and how much alloy content is in it. For example, 2024 (Al4.5Cu1Mg - used in aircraft since the 50's) reaches the same strength after solution heat treatment (495°C ± 3°C for a time depending on the size and then a quench) at a week at room temperature (T3 treatment) or 8-16h at 180°C (T6 treatment). If it gets above 200-220°C for an hour it has the same strength, but its ductility drops signficantly - known as overaged. Any hotter or longer and its strength drops too. The properties can be recovered by re-solution treating it and aging it.

7005, Al-Zn-Mg, has a solution treatment temperature of 400°C, and a combination of aging at room temp and 100+150°C artficial aging for 8+16h.

If you remember the doco on the Britten (or have it on DVD) the bit where JB dunks the engine into a bucket of water out of the oven - he's trying to solution heat treat it and then quench - He starts getting into a panic when the water all boils off - that means the alloying elements will come out of solution too quickly and the aging won't increase the strength.

With heat treatments, especially at the highest useful alloy contents (more alloy elements = more strengthening precipiates = stronger alloy, up to a given point), you have to very careful with the solution heat treatment - there is very small gap between dissolving all the alloying elements back into the aluminium phase and actually starting to melt the alloy at the grain boundaries - if that happens, the component is scrap.

If the powder coating proccess uses relatively low temperatures and short times, then the strength shouldn't be affected. I wouldn't like to do anything above 100-120°C without knowing what alloy you were dealing with. 5000 series are fine, as they are not heat treatable, neither are Al-Si (4000, 4xx.x) series). But they tend to have a lower strength.

All this shouldn't be confused with stress relief/recrystallisation or annealing, which helps remove any effects of welding, cold work or work hardening on the alloy.

You can ask me more at the next bucket meeting in kaitoke or wherever, if

- Weather, wife and the new kid are willing, and
- You work out who I am...

Cheers,
FM

**rudolph** · 24th December 2005, 21:11

At work I take at least 3 frames or bike parts to the powercoaters a month.

NEVER EVER let them dip the frame in the stripper what ever you do. allways get it blasted and a coat of PA10.:spudbooge

**RiderInBlack** · 24th December 2005, 21:21

Originally Posted by rudolph

At work I take at least 3 frames or bike parts to the powercoaters a month.

NEVER EVER let them dip the frame in the stripper what ever you do. allways get it blasted and a coat of PA10.:spudbooge

You must be talking Steel frames then not Alloy. Didn't think PA10 worked well on Alloy:spudwhat:

**willy_01** · 2nd January 2006, 14:05

can i ask why not use stripper on the frame? ive got a steel frame that has been painted very very poorly and im keen to rectify. So if you want to powder coat you have to strip the bike completely bare?? another question is there any product you can use to rust proof a polished steel frame, ie clear coat or is this just a stupid idea?

**Sketchy_Racer** · 2nd January 2006, 14:35

hey willy.... are you talking about your rg250??? if i remember correctly they are alloy arent they?? I stand to be corrected.

**Pixie** · 5th January 2006, 11:19

Originally Posted by willy_01

can i ask why not use stripper on the frame? ive got a steel frame that has been painted very very poorly and im keen to rectify. So if you want to powder coat you have to strip the bike completely bare?? another question is there any product you can use to rust proof a polished steel frame, ie clear coat or is this just a stupid idea?

Por15 Gisten PC
www.por15.co.nz

**imdying** · 5th January 2006, 16:52

Originally Posted by Vegan

Anyone had calipers done? - are there any issues with this - as oppposed to say - anodising?

Powdercoat is excellent for calipers, it's a great finish, and brake dust wipes right off.

**Keeper** · 5th January 2006, 19:18

Hi,

Powdercoating one set of my wheels had an amazing effect, I painted the frame and fairings/tank but the effect wasn't as good and there is so much contact/rubbing on the frame it is coming off too easy

My ZX6 teardown took 3 days, and the rebuild another week, once I had all the parts back, which took 2 months almost.

Can someone go into more on the caliper powdercoating, how do you stop the interior of the calipers from being coated over and how does it hold up against heat?

I don't want to flood this thread with photos so below you will find;

Bike before teardown
Crap condition of frame before
Stripped
Frame and shocks only
Coated wheel
Painted frame
Almost assembled
New shift light LED, its 14,000mcd, can't miss it if you want toot now
Finished

Feel free to ask any questions I can help tons if needed, made some tools up to do some bits here and there, also uses kawiforums.com a lot

Side note, my bike came out with the silver frame, the black frame is easiest way to tell the 04's