I have been toying with the idea of giving my hustler some TLC but can't make my mind up between paint or powder
One minute i am all up for stripping and painting it myself the next I think I should go for a powder coat.
The thing that puts me of Powdercoat is no matter how well everything is masked i remember the sand they use for blasting seems to get everywhere.
I also remeber there is never that much care that goes into masking - making refitting BB, headset, bearings etc..... hard work
In my earlier days i rember having to get a headtube faced a bottom bracket faced and chased bearings not fitting.
is it still that bad or have i made a moutain out of a mole hill in my head?
Had a few done with no problems, cant link any pics due to Fotopic not working
They dont use sand now...its beads.
I will be making sure mine is masked properly before they coat it and all bead traces are blown out.
Company is local to me so i can keep on top of things!
I've had a few frames powder coated. Just stick an old, nackered bottom bracket in so the surfaces stay powder free. Bobs yer auntie's live-in lover 😀
I've always said "make sure the coater understands what's needed", mine understood, he just didn't care (Hendersons in Edinburgh)- the bad masking was just about OK, easily enough fixed but the amount of blasting media still in the frame meant that he got loads into the finished topcoat. Piss poor really.
When you get the finished parts back, if you think there's blasting material still in the frame, stick it in the bath- nothing better, you can just sink it, lift it out, repeat to satisfaction.
Then if its a steel frame fill the insides with waxoil.
Had 2 done this year and mates have had 3 done - superb finish from these guys:
http://www.trestanfinishers.com/
Just a small amount of sand residue - nothing a little cleaning didn't sort in 2 mins! And only £35 - with sparkles 😳
I bought a cannondale frame off pink bike last year.....frame had seen better days so I decided to get it powder coated from a small place in Inverurie.
cost me £40 and gave the frame a new lease of life.
here's a before and after shot
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since the above pic was taken i've fitted the chain, pedals & also a new shock....the bike rocks 🙂
EDIT: forgot to say bottom bracket and other parts on my framed were well taped up, had minimal scraping to do in the headset area....other than that frame was good to go!
I'm in the car paint industry and to be honest, the finishes you now get from powder are certainly as good as spraying with a gun with car paint. Even the colour ranges has improved. The big advantage for going with powder over spray paint is that it is so much harder and less likely to chip. I've had two done this year! See the pictures![img] 
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Before!
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After!
And my other!
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I can recommend a very good powder coater in Yorkshire!