My SX Trail is looking a bit beaten up so I have decided that I want to get it repainted. I really like the bike so am happy to stick with it and hope that a new paint job will give it a new lease of life.
Colour wise, I'm not looking for anything fancy just something as close to Sid blue as possible.
I was thinking of using Argos, but they are quite expensive and there was a post on here a while ago saying that their paint was soft and chipped and scratched easily.
My only concern about using a local powder coating firm is that the bike is a full sus, so I don't want loads of paint in places like the shock mounts etc.
Has anyone on here had a frame painted - if so can you recomend any companies etc.
Any experiences with the likes of Argos and Bob Jackson would be appreciated too.
I'm based in Tamworth, so any companies in Birmingham, Nottingham would be good because I can go and see them.
You will need to remove all the bearings etc and specify which bits should be masked.
Powder coaters should be fine, especially if they've done it before. I wouldn't think it was worth paying for an Argos paint job - the full sus prices look exorbitant. Shouldn't have to pay more than £100 for a good powder coat.
Make sure you remember to get the seat tube masked too.
Garrick Coatings near Bamber Bridge, Preston did a good job for me, but thats a fair distance from Birmingham.
Cheers for that - did you have a hardtail or full sus done?
The more I think about, the more the prices from Argos seem very high, especially once you add in postage and decals.
I think I'm going to do more research and try and find someone local.
I used Chris Ward at CJ Ward in Burton on Trent. If you explain to him exactly what needs masking he will look after it. He did a brilliant job on my old Ventana. Might be a limited range of colours though. Chris uses Envirostrip, who are actually based in Tamworth. You could get it stripped, then mask it yourself. For the BB & headtube I use large square washers with all-thread & nuts. Just leave one side of the thread flush with the nut, so it comes out again easily. I think chris has some high-temp tape for masking other areas. For the seat tube I used a rolled up peice of card.
Some pics of my Ventana re-vamp [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/sets/72157626967463543/with/5953702571/ ]HERE[/url]
You'll proably pay £15 to have it stripped, & I think Chris charges about £35.
There is also a company on the A38 just before the Aston Express way. I've not visited the place but have spoken to the chap who does the powder coating & he certainly knew the importance of keeping pivots etc, free of paint. They probably had a bigger range of colours.
Thanks takisawa2 - I don't suppose you know the name of the place in Birmingham?
I'll speak to Chris Ward too, so that I can get an idea of costs and the colours that he offers. I'm hoping that it should be quite easy to find something similar to Sid blue.
Those prices make Argos look pretty high.
Your frame looks like it has come up really well - am I right in thinking that you don't need to lacquer powdercoat? Have you applied any decals?
I got a Marin Mount Vision done, the old quad link style. I took it in, fully dismantled, with the bearings out. I left an old bb partially threaded in to protect the bb cups.
The chap there immediately started identifying the bearing surfaces and what needed masking before I'd even chosen a colour. He'd done bikes before.
They shouldn't strip the old paint off an alloy frame in the same way as a steel one. It should be some kind of chemical bath rather than shot blast so that it doesn't damage the alloy. You probably won't be able to mask it until its been stripped.
Think it cost £70-£80 and that included them getting the old paint off at another company across town.
Just be aware that Argos would probably put decals under a coat of lacquer. Not sure all powder coaters will do the lacquer finish - without it, mine seemed not quite as shiney as a factory finish from new.
I just stuck the decals on top when I got the frame back.
Here it is, more or less built up...
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That doesn't look too shabby - I'll ask the two local guys about lacquer.
Not have the decals under the lacquer isn't the end of the world - at least I can change the colour of them if I get bored!
Most decent powder coaters will know their stuff and mask off relevant areas. I've had 3 hardtail frames done, 2 sets of moto wheels and a motocross frame and swingarm done by a place near me in Crewe and the most i paid was for the moto wheels with pearlescent lacquer which was £80. That was dropping them off, stripping and coating,all turned round in 3 days. Most jobs have been about £60 and they have hundreds of colours.
Not all powdercoat requires lacquer, but some do. A flat finish plain colour may not need it, but a colour with features (pearl/2tone) can benefit from being lacquered. Its also very tough stuff the lacquer so decide if its going on a bike thats gonna be hammered through winter - it would be worthwhile.
My mate had his Orange 5 done in Nato green for £60 at the same place, no problems. They also do a lot of motorbike restoration projects and streetfighter paint jobs. Wilkinsons in Shavington.
The SX Trail gets ridden everywhere (aside from mucking about on the local jumps when the Lopes 4X comes out), and in all conditions. I would therefore like to have the toughest possible finish.
