powder coating in CM???

Jul 17, 2005
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A friend of mine here in Phuket tells me that there is a Canadian guy in Chiangmai who specialises in Powder coating and plating bike parts.

I have searched the web for a while and cant find anything about him. Anyone out there heard of him / have a contact?

Thanks!
MB
 
Mar 15, 2003
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www.daveearly.com
Ritchie here in Chiang Mai has done 2 luggage racks for me, assorted engine brackets and levers and also the front wheel on my TDM. He does great work and is also fast. Highly recommended.

Dave Early

Ever notice that "What the Heck!" is usually the right answer?
 
Apr 22, 2003
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Not reccomended to powder coat frames of motor bikes, looks great but discuises cracks.
Just a tip
John
 
Dec 13, 2003
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I beg to disagree with the comment about powder coating frames given my experience as an Engineer, biker, and user of powdercoating for about 10 years.

The process involves first sandblasting / shotpeening the frame to remove any paint or corrosion. Any frame defects will show up at this time, and any powder shop would be negligent to proceed further. I have used Richco, he is a rider himself, and he would not coat any defective frame.

Is should be noted that all HD clones, HD Custom manufacturers and HD themselves are powder coated from the factory. I do not know about other brands and perhaps some other listees could comment.

Powder is very durable and far more resistant to even a 2 part polyurethane paint to stone chips, damage, corrosion etc. Watch that the VIN number is not filled in by the powder and becomes unreadable. I did one Harley FXR frame in black powder, then clear epoxy powder over and it turned out pretty good.

Yes powder will initially hide a cracked frame, but as the frame flexes the powder will show the crack. In my experience the power will not hide a cracked frame for any reasonable length of time any more than paint will. A crack is a serious structural problem that paint/powder will neither hide or fix.

Just my informed opinion, and your miliage may vary
Just a happy Richco customer and no connection either.
 
Dec 13, 2003
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Further to yesterdays comment about powder coating not hiding a cracked frame, it is possible for a dishonest seller to powder coat a frame, not ride the bike, and sell it. After use however, the crack will show through the finish. It should be noted that the same dishonest technique could be used with paint, and a powder coated frame is not reason to pass on an otherwise good bike. Remember that frames are powder coated right from the factory.

I have used both epoxy and polyester powder coating in industrial applications for over 10 years and highly recommend it. My next application is to do engine cosmetic components on a hot rod I am now building.