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Soooo..
I have an aluminium frame that I want to play around with. It's current been stripped back to bare metal and the previous owner kept it polished up and clean/dry.
A few questions.
1. Is it possible to get the frame polished/ball burnished professionally and then clear coated or lacquered to protect the finish?
2. If so, any recommendations for who could do this?
3. Any suggestions on products I could use to keep the frame looking nice & shiny?
Alternatively I'm thinking a fancy new custom paint job. Would need to be extremely tough (it's a cruiser bmx). Suggestions on where to get it done?
Bump
If you polish it, the clear coat etc will have nothing to grip onto so won't last long. Have a look at car alloy wheels they are always painted and if the car industry can't sort it its not looking good for you 🙂 .
Powder coating is very tough , if your frame was blasted/ etched to give the best possible key before the powder coating to give it the best chance. Had a few flakey powder coated frames which on closer inspection had no key on the metal so little chance of retaining the coating.
As they say its all in the preperation.
Thats my opinion others may differ
Ideally the frame would need a light shot blasting to key the surface before acid etching then wet painting, if powder coating then scuff it up with green scothbrite pad beforehand.
If wanting to keep polished then autosol, ball burnishing is a process that is done earlier in a frames production cycle before threads are tapped/faces reamed so isn't possible now and is only done to improve surface hardness.
Personally I would Autosol it occasionally to keep it polished or go for the 'raw prototype' look with green scotchbrite. I wouldn't bother clearcoating a polished frame.
How about anodising? Steve the Anodiser did my Hemlock, it was lovely, about the same price as powdercoating, and a more interesting finish. And tough as anything, because it's literally just colouring the metal- I put a dent in the top tube on a big rock at innerleithen but the finish is still perfect.
Hot a pic of the anodised frame?
Anyone recommend a powder coating place that will do the job right, not leave fat lumps and cover up the makers stamp, serial number etc...?
I'm looking to get a surly steel frame re-coated btw.
Are you in Yorkshire at all? I can recommend a powder coaters.
Yes in Yorkshire, do they do RAL colours?
My experience with powder coaters is that they tend to come back with really chunky paint that obscures frame stamps and trial numbers etc...
If they're good though I'm all ears?