Cerakote is cheaper than most paint jobs but claims to be lighter, corrosion resistant and more resistant to abrasion.
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By ben_haworth
Get the full story here:
https://singletrackworld.com/2022/10/cerakote-harder-better-faster-stronger/
Cerakote UP North Contact Info
If anyone would like to discuss Cerakote for their MTB or road bike project please get in touch with me (Matt) at Cerakote UP North - Based in Lancaster 01524 963232, mobile 07791 292 683 email: matt@howefab.uk
We would be happy for customers to visit to see the process, the quality and look of finished Cerakote parts and the huge range of colour options available.
Can you repaint carbon frames?
"all threads were coated" - is that a mistake, or can you really spray this into the bolt holes?
all threads headset etc with 50 microns? that's enough to change a bearing fit significantly?
“all threads were coated” – is that a mistake, or can you really spray this into the bolt holes?
Was wondering exactly the same thing, 100 micron reduction in diameter could certainly have an effect.
Also the coating is 25-40 microns, but the Five had 50 microns applied. Again, typo or something else?
Other than those details, think cerakote would tempt me to do a repray (if my bike wasn't fairly old and fairly neglected)
Might even add enough material to stop certain pressfit bottom brackets from creaking...
I wanted to try some of this stuff a few years ago for motorbike parts but it was totally unavailable in the UK. Can't help thinking how awesome a Geometron would look in a fancy colour.
You can see the coating on the inside of the swing arm bearing seats and the shock mount!
To be fair - from the factory those shock mounts are covered in powdercoat. That era of Five clamps the bearings on place too, so might not care about the ID reduction
Cerakote also outlasted any other coating in an abrasion test.
What form did this abrasion test take? How does the coating stand up to real world riding in good old UK grit and mud?
Hi, Yes we can Cerakote Aluminium, steel, polymers, plastics and Carbon fibre. Some slightly different processes and Cerakote series are used for different materials. Cheers Matt
Reply to Kelvin:
The reply link doesnt seem to allow a direct reply!
This is the link to the abrasion test:
UK grit and mud will affect any finish over time. But being ceramic Cerakote does not allow water ingress so you will not get the capillary action of water getting between the surface and the coating resulting in popping the coating off and leaving a corroded surface underneath.
Can’t help thinking how awesome a Geometron would look in a fancy colour.
You and me both. Stop torturing yourself!
Raw is still good though.
Reply to Mashr,
Cerakote can coat threads, nuts and bolts. We do it all the time. The fit is not affected and the cerakote stays on the threads.
Reply to a11y:
Raw is awesome, Cerakote have a clear laquer that gives all the protection of ceramic but can be applied on polished alloy surfaces. It wont allow water ingress and capillary action corroded between the surfaces and the Cerakote
Thanks for the reply. Any tests showing how good the abrasion resistance is on a non-flat surface, like a tube?
It’s 25-40 microns (50mm microns is a typo) 😎
Just noticed one of the official Cerakote colours is called 'NRA Blue'. There's one for the Republicans amongst us.
I’m sure we could sort that out alongside the rest on powder coat and a lacquered frame.
Cerakote is not indestructible just like any other finish but the difference is that Cerakote doesn’t allow water incress if it gets chipped or scratched. This is a major plus point.
Raw is awesome, Cerakote have a clear laquer that gives all the protection of ceramic but can be applied on polished alloy surfaces. It wont allow water ingress and capillary action corroded between the surfaces and the Cerakote
That's something I'll keep in mind for future. I had issues with sweat staining my raw finish in the past but resolved that with liberal use of phosphoric acid on one raw bike, whereas my other raw bike is fine. I'm aware normal lacquer on raw polished isn't a particularly durable finish.
Yes all threads can be coated. This bike went back together easily, no powder coat to rub down to try to make fit and all surfaces around the bottom bracket and headstock sprayed and protected inside and out
Any tests showing how good the abrasion resistance is on a non-flat surface, like a tube?
I’m sure we could sort that out alongside ... powder coat and a lacquered frame.
That would be a very interesting test, would love to see the results of that.
Cerakote looks amazing, if it proves to be at least as abrasion resistant as powder I'd be up for a respray.
I once spent about 2 days polishing my Geometron to a mirror finish. It looked amazing but it was starting to dull before I even got the thing built. It was back to normal after a few rides.
A highly polished G1 with a clear finish would be amazing.
I need to know how to reply and it link the message I’m replying to as the reply side isn’t working
Use the "B-QUOTE" button, and paste the original message inside the tags.
Sharkattack - watch this;
This is your answer
Use the “B-QUOTE” button, and paste the original message inside the tags.
Cheers, hope this works!
Just noticed one of the official Cerakote colours is called ‘NRA Blue’. There’s one for the Republicans amongst us.
i think National Racing Alliance 😉 there are some oddly named colours that’s for sure!
You can see the coating on the inside of the swing arm bearing seats and the shock mount!
This frame went together fine, around these areas we would do around 25 micron coating and then areas under the frame rails and around the headstock tube (not inside the headstock tube) around 40 microns.
I have nothing to add beyond purrrrrrrple...!
Some of the main benefits:
250-1000 degrees centigrade temp range without affecting the coating or colour (range depends on the Series of cerakote used)
Thermal shock resistant
Totally resistant to brake fluid, wheel wash, brake cleaner, acid cleaners, petrol/diesal.
If it chips it wont allow water ingress so the chip stays a chip it does not haze or crack paint around the chip.
Totally resistant to road salt, mud, road grime etc
Ultra thin 25-40 microns single coating process.
No lacquer and no primer to think about.
We can Cerakote designs onto the frame and leave no ridge between the Cerakote layers, unlike decals that will peel off and hold dirt and grime on the edges of the logo.
Looks good. Any reason why you couldn't clear coat steel with it?
Plenty of companies have had difficulties with clear-coated steel rusting under the lacquer over time, some have stopped offering it because they've not been able to get it right.
That would be a very interesting test, would love to see the results of that.
Cerakote looks amazing, if it proves to be at least as abrasion resistant as powder I’d be up for a respray.
We will set up a test as soon as we can, its on the cards to do this but we need to find some time as the workshop is quite busy at the moment coming out of the summer months as we do alot of motorcycle parts as well as everything else.
That’s something I’ll keep in mind for future. I had issues with sweat staining my raw finish in the past but resolved that with liberal use of phosphoric acid on one raw bike, whereas my other raw bike is fine. I’m aware normal lacquer on raw polished isn’t a particularly durable finish.
Contact me directly and we can go through the options on the MC5100, I would be up for doing some extra MTB related tests on it also.
A link to our facebook, showing some other projects we do and alot of colour options etc:
A highly polished G1 with a clear finish would be amazing.
TBH I like the slightly dull look my G15 has at the moment - it's nice and even so doesn't look out of place. However, oooft
Contact me directly and we can go through the options on the MC5100, I would be up for doing some extra MTB related tests on it also.
I'll see. I might be exchanging one of my polished frames for an anodised black one (Geometron owners, we can't help but fanny around with stuff) so might not have the issue to deal with in future if it all works out.
Looks good. Any reason why you couldn’t clear coat steel with it?
Plenty of companies have had difficulties with clear-coated steel rusting under the lacquer over time, some have stopped offering it because they’ve not been able to get it right.
That is a question I am going to ask Cerakote technical now, personally I cant think why it cannot be done as we have clear cerakote lacquers available for all surface finishes.
so whats the crack... i send you my frame with everything removed and you paint it?
Does it go over the existing paint? or strip back to bare then painted?
If there is any damage to the frame, chips, scuffs etc are you able to fill/fix those?
And is there a pallet of colours to browse?
@cerakote_up_north Not bike related (car) however how is the colour match between plastic and aluminium parts (coated in the same colour)? Do they come out indistinguishable? Is there any texture to the finish (or can there be)?
Isn't it lighter than powdercoat and wet paint too? I know that's why some pro-road frame makers have been looking into it.
Cerakote does look good and I’ve wondered just how durable it really is, certainly I was surprised to see 76Projects offering it on their enduro Garmin mounts. That will be a test. I’m almost tempted to buy one as a relatively cheap way to see how it fares in what must be one of the worst places on a bike aside from crank arms
https://76projects.com/collections/mtb/products/enduromount
Unite have been offering it on pedals, stems and other parts too. Be very interesting to see how the pedals stand up (from rubbing rather than impacts)
so whats the crack… i send you my frame with everything removed and you paint it?
Does it go over the existing paint? or strip back to bare then painted?
If there is any damage to the frame, chips, scuffs etc are you able to fill/fix those?
And is there a pallet of colours to browse?
The frame should be stripped down completely, we will then drop it off at a chemical stripping company local to us. This removes all the grime and old paint.
We then prepare the frame by bead blasting it with 100 grit aluminium oxide media, this is a very fine media and is only used to give a key to the metal, it does not remove any material.
Then the frame is sprayed with the 1 or 2 coats of Cerakote, left for a while for the solvents to evaporate and then baked in an oven for a set amount of time to cure. This is H series, E series, V series (this process takes 1-2 hours cure)
For C series Cerakote this is an air dry cure that it moveable in 24 hours but takes 5 days to fully harden.
Chips and scratches cannot really be touched up, paint touch up pens rely on sticking to the edges of the paint that is still there but Cerakote is ceramic and once cured paint wont stick to it, even Cerakote wont stick to Cerakote.
Ceramic coatings are tougher than paint but far thinner this is the beauty of Cerakote, it gives a vibrant UV stable hard coating that protects the material underneath from pretty much anything it will come into contact with.
For a scratch or chip to be repaired on a painted surface you need to rub down the area around the damage to give the paint something to stick to so you end up doing alot more work than the size of the chip/scratch (to do a proper job)
Cerakote as mentioned above might chip or scratch but wont allow water ingress so the area will not continue to chip further as the surrounding coating will not haze or fracture under the surface.
It is why the Military use Cerakote on almost all there weapons, gear and vehicles as its designed for harsh enviroments.
Isn’t it lighter than powdercoat and wet paint too? I know that’s why some pro-road frame makers have been looking into it.
Yes as it is 1 coating usually of 25-40 microns, NO PRIMER, NO LACQUER
Powder coat is at least twice as thick and upto 4 times depending who applies it.
So the weight of the coating is marginal, when you can coat a nut and a bolt and they still screw together but the Cerakote stays on then you know the coating is ultra thin but strong!
Unite have been offering it on pedals, stems and other parts too. Be very interesting to see how the pedals stand up (from rubbing rather than impacts)
Rubbing and abrasion are where Cerakote excel, Impacts like anything could compromise any coating, although Cerakote flexes rather than cracks in heavy impacts.
What the video link above, they shoot an oil drum coated in MC5100 cerakote with a shotgun slug and it bends but does not crack the coating. Lots of videos on youtube showing Cerakote outperforming different finishes for impact, corrosion and abrasion.
The frame should be stripped down completely, we will then drop it off at a chemical stripping company local to us. This removes all the grime and old paint.
We then prepare the frame by bead blasting it with 100 grit aluminium oxide media, this is a very fine media and is only used to give a key to the metal, it does not remove any material.
Then the frame is sprayed with the 1 or 2 coats of Cerakote, left for a while for the solvents to evaporate and then baked in an oven for a set amount of time to cure. This is H series, E series, V series (this process takes 1-2 hours cure)
For C series Cerakote this is an air dry cure that it moveable in 24 hours but takes 5 days to fully harden.
Chips and scratches cannot really be touched up, paint touch up pens rely on sticking to the edges of the paint that is still there but Cerakote is ceramic and once cured paint wont stick to it, even Cerakote wont stick to Cerakote.
Ceramic coatings are tougher than paint but far thinner this is the beauty of Cerakote, it gives a vibrant UV stable hard coating that protects the material underneath from pretty much anything it will come into contact with.
For a scratch or chip to be repaired on a painted surface you need to rub down the area around the damage to give the paint something to stick to so you end up doing alot more work than the size of the chip/scratch (to do a proper job)
Cerakote as mentioned above might chip or scratch but wont allow water ingress so the area will not continue to chip further as the surrounding coating will not haze or fracture under the surface.
It is why the Military use Cerakote on almost all there weapons, gear and vehicles as its designed for harsh enviroments.
cool, thanks for the info.
In regards to chips etc, i was meaning on my existing frame. I have had a few rock strikes which have disturbed the top layer of carbon. Do you have the ability to fill/fix/smooth this over before the cerkote? or is this something i would need to get done before sending it to you?
And is this a good place to look at range of colours..... https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating
Can you repaint carbon frames?
Nickc - Yes we can Cerakote carbon fibre, plastics and polymers
@cerakote_up_north Not bike related (car) however how is the colour match between plastic and aluminium parts (coated in the same colour)? Do they come out indistinguishable? Is there any texture to the finish (or can there be)?
We would be able to test the parts you need doing to match, Cerakote requires a lightly bead blasted surface to adhere to so this is the texture you end up with, its a very tactile, premium surface feel.
I had my polished "Jones" modded XTR 960 cranks cerakoted @ 12 month ago as they didn't take long to look bad after a clean. The axle was also done and this has not affected the fit through the BB bearings, finish is as it was 12 months on.
Also had my new frame cerakoted, certainly a lot lighter than paint or powder coating. Time will tell if it will stand up to wear and tear, although its a road/gravel build, so I wouldn't expect the same level of abuse as a mountain bike.
Sharkattack – watch this;
OK I'm convinced!
Also, that Airdrop is exactly what I'm talking about but sadly the wheels are too small. If I can ever afford another Geometron then clear Cerakote will be top of my list for a finishing touch.
cool, thanks for the info.
In regards to chips etc, i was meaning on my existing frame. I have had a few rock strikes which have disturbed the top layer of carbon. Do you have the ability to fill/fix/smooth this over before the cerkote? or is this something i would need to get done before sending it to you?
And is this a good place to look at range of colours….. https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/blockquote >
I would like to see this and hopefully we would be able to find the answer, carbonfibre is basically material or strand either pre-preg with resin or as a wet layup. I am sure an MTB frame will be pre-preg so i cant see why we couldnt add a small amount of resin to fill the chips and then a light sand over before Cerakote. The frame could be masked anywhere you dont want the cerakote to cover.
If i was doing this for you I would be asking Cerakote in UK and USA for their opinion too so that we did the best job possible for you.
I had my polished “Jones” modded XTR 960 cranks cerakoted @ 12 month ago as they didn’t take long to look bad after a clean. The axle was also done and this has not affected the fit through the BB bearings, finish is as it was 12 months on.
Also had my new frame cerakoted, certainly a lot lighter than paint or powder coating. Time will tell if it will stand up to wear and tear, although its a road/gravel build, so I wouldn’t expect the same level of abuse as a mountain bike.
Interesting, and it is definately lighter than paint or powder. People need to see it, its not indestructible (nothing is) but its light, hard, takes impact and abrasion, looks awesome and has a prestige premium feel to it. Plus its better than 2K paint and not half as expensive!
I think a carbon frame would only require the bead blast process to give it a key. I would be asking questions though to make sure we did the best job
@cerakote_up_north - ok good stuff. Sounds promising. I will have a think and be in touch if i need any more info.
@cerakote_up_north & v7fmp
I also had my carbon forks done, they were prepped with a very light abrasive grade paper to give a key for the cerakote. They were only lacquer coated, no paint.
Im thinking like polymers and plastics we would light bead blast carbon at around 20-30psi (alloy steel 80psi) and from a distance of about 8" away to literally add a light key. But I am on another forum at the moment for Cerkote certified companies and I have asked the question already. Lots of experience on the cerakote forum from US guys who have been doing this for years.
Yes alot lighter as its ultra thin, with no primers or laquers. Plus we can cerakote the logos as well
Is there a financial benefit to Singletrack from either or both of free advertising/marketing and resulting new business for Cerakote?
i think National Racing Alliance 😉 there are some oddly named colours that’s for sure!
Meh, considering the original target market (see what I did there?) it's not surprising.
Would also be interested in the results on polished steel, I know a few folk have gone for coloured coats on air rifles but never seen a clear coat.
Cerakote is cheaper than most paint jobs ....
Unite have switched to cerakote and increased prices about 40% over the same item when they had them anodised
Unite have switched to cerakote and increased prices about 40% over the same item when they had them anodised
To be fair, anodizing is probably the easier process to do with huge batches of small parts.
Is there a financial benefit to Singletrack from either or both of free advertising/marketing and resulting new business for Cerakote?
Dunno but it was Singletrack that posted up the article complete with link to this supplier and it’s an article that has received a far greater response than most Singletrack articles. A bit of Q&A with the supplier is, I think, a good thing…..can’t wait for something Superstar to be featured 😀
…..can’t wait for something Superstar to be featured 😀
If Ceracoat starts to come off, can it be reinstalled trailside with a rock without invalidating the warranty?
No mate, I haven’t advertised with singletrack and I haven’t paid them to do the write up. It’s purely in the interests of mountain biking. We are not Cerakote USA or Cerakote U.K. we are our own small business Cerakote UP North
We thought as Singletrack did that explaining the process might be interesting.
We approached singletrack about cerakote from our little company in Lancashire, asked if they thought it might be interesting to do a little post on and clearly it is interesting. Money does not need to change hands when a subject is interesting to readers.
It’s a good thing this!
Would you recommend invisiframing after this paint job, or is it tough enough so you wouldn't need to add any extra protection?
This is interesting.
Thanks for the article. And thanks to the responses. If I cared enough about my bike color much I’d be tempted to strip down my black canyon and battleship/audi gray orange and get them both done in some spectacular red color. The pictures of the finish look really neat!
Edit. Looking at the linked gallery, some of those pistols have some neat finishes.
Actually having input from someone at a company offering a service that could benefit us has worked well here.
we are our own small business Cerakote UP North
Should it not be Cerakote OOP North though?
All the info has been very useful - thanks.
And just for balance there are other companies that do Cerakote - eg Fastline in Preston, 30 miles less up North 🙂
@prettygreenparrot thanks for the reply if you do need anything cerakoting in future then let us know. Cheers Matt
Well 12miles exactly and George at Fastline does cerakote, I manufactured some parts for his bike project, we just spent a little time trying to get the word out about it to Singletrack thinking people would be interested which clearly they are and you have mentioned another company which is fine but I spent time writing this, answering everybodies questions and I think even though other companies do exist as a start up I wanted to put a bit more effort in and tell people about us and cerakote. You could start your own post all about Fastline, I feel it’s a little post hijacking but that’s ok!
We are also cerakote trained and certified applicators, listed in Cerakote.com website and have full factory backing. 👍🏻😎
Singletrack should probably have flagged it up as advertorial rather than passing it off as their own work but I’ve found it interesting. Good thing you aren’t Cerakote down South or it could have cost me money
There doesn't seem to be any downsides compared to traditional paints and powder coating. So why aren't cars and biks and pretty much anything else already coated in this stuff?
"Keracote" or "Seracote"? Bumping my Invisiframe question again too 👍⬆️
It’s applied with small LPH-80 spray guns so isn’t really designed for large panels on cars. I have seen full motorcycles done in it though. Wheels are popular to do. It’s more about smaller items and premium quality. It’s not cheap to buy the cerakote paint and the parts are prepped in bead blast cabinets, our cabinet a Vixen VM55 that cost 15k is quite large at 1.5m x 800mm x 800mm capacity.
@cerakote_up_north.
Could you tell me how much it would cost to clearcote a steel hardtail frame please?
It's currently got a powder clearcote on which isn't very good.