You call two different shops for a quote on powder coating a motorcycle frame. Shop A says $250. Shop B says $450. Your immediate reaction is to go with Shop A. But wait—are you comparing apples to apples?
In the world of custom coating, the difference in price often comes down to the details you don’t see initially. Specifically, the labor-intensive process of masking. Understanding this “hidden” factor is crucial to interpreting your powder coating cost and ensuring you don’t ruin your expensive parts.
What is Masking? Powder coating builds up a measurable thickness (usually 2 to 4 mils). While this is great for durability, it is terrible for tight tolerances.
• Threads: If powder gets into a bolt hole, you won’t be able to screw the bolt in.
• Bearings: If powder gets onto a bearing race (like on a wheel hub or bike frame), the bearing won’t fit.
• Gasket Surfaces: If the surface where an engine gasket sits is uneven due to coating, oil will leak.
The “Shop A” vs “Shop B” Scenario
• The Cheap Quote (Shop A): They likely just sandblast the frame and spray everything. When you get it back, the threads are clogged with hardened plastic. You will spend 4 hours with a tap-and-die set trying to chase the threads, potentially stripping them.
• The Professional Quote (Shop B): At Rusty Lions, we charge for masking because we take the time to insert high-temperature silicone plugs into every bolt hole. We use specialized fiberglass tape to cover bearing surfaces. We ensure that when you get the part back, it assembles perfectly.
High-Temp Supplies Cost Money Masking supplies aren’t like regular masking tape (which would burn up in a 400°F oven).
• Green Polyester Tape: Withstands 400°F and leaves no residue.
• Silicone Plugs: Reusable but expensive caps and plugs for every size hole.
• Custom Die-Cuts: For complex parts, we sometimes cut custom sticker shapes to mask off logos or VIN numbers. The cost of these consumables, plus the time it takes a technician to meticulously apply them, is factored into your quote.
Multi-Coat Masking (Two-Tone) Do you want a wheel that is black on the spokes but silver on the lip? This doubles the powder coating cost because of masking.
1. Spray the whole wheel Silver.
2. Bake it partially (Gel cure).
3. Take it out (while hot) and painstakingly mask off the lip.
4. Spray the Black.
5. Peel the tape carefully before the final bake. This is high-skilled labor. One slip of the tape ruins the line, and the whole wheel has to be stripped and restarted.
How to Save on Masking Costs If you are handy and on a budget, you can sometimes do the “plugging” yourself.
• Leave Old Bolts In: A common trick is to leave old “sacrificial” bolts in the threaded holes. We coat over them, and then you unscrew them later, leaving clean threads underneath. (Just make sure you tell us they are sacrificial bolts!).
• Remove Bearings Before Arrival: Never bring a part with bearings still installed. The sandblasting grit will destroy them anyway. Removing them yourself saves us the labor of trying to tape around them.
Conclusion A low price is only a good deal if the part is usable when you get it back. At Rusty Lions, we include professional masking in our quotes because we believe in doing the job right the first time. When asking about powder coating cost, always ask: “Does this include masking all threads and critical surfaces?”