Anyone tried Colour-Tech in Dartford?

[fausto99]

This company http://www.colour-tech.co.uk/ is very local to me and i'm thinking of using them to re-spray some of my bikes. Has anyone else here used them and have any comments?

[ed_phelan]

I believe that a friend of mine might have done, I will ask and get back to you.

[gaz]

Colourtech get a few mentions on these boards.

Shouldn't take too long to review the threads. Report back if you do go ahead.

[Canuk]

They get good reviews on lfgss.com

[patthebike]

I used them 11 years ago to respray my Roberts. Had no problems with the paint chipping. Excellent finish, has lasted well over this time.

When I went there, he had "contracts" (for want of a better word) with many companies to paint their frames. Saw many weird and wonderful paint designs as well as normal paintwork. Impressive.

Have been very pleased with mine and wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[fausto99]

They get good reviews on lfgss.com

had a look on lfgss - only one thread afaics https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/129397/?offset=25 - quite a few unhappy bunnies there.

I was not happy with the farmed-out paint job done on my frame after Roberts had replaced a top tube. The application of transfers was iffy and it later became apparent that they had not oversprayed with a clear coat. I'm wondering if it was Colour-Tech.

[Des49]

As far as I know they were Roberts paint shop. Roberts told me that and did say I could deal with them directly myself instead of through Roberts.

I had 3 frames resprayed, through Roberts about 3 to 4 years ago. The first one took months, not sure who to blame for that, the framer blamed the sprayer, I suspect a bit of both to blame.

The finishes are beautiful with perfectly applied decals. My decals on a couple of the bikes were the complex version of the Roberts name in either white or black with an outer edge in black or white.

BUT - only one of the frames is in use (other 2 still boxed and awaiting rebuilds) and I do most of my mileage on this bike, right from the off the paint finish was so fragile. It chips or scrapes off so easily to reveal a white undercoat. Attach a carrier, water bottle cage or mudguards and at the attachment point the paint just flakes away to the undercoat. Oh, one of the frames came back to me with a hole visible at the rear of the chain stay, but that is another matter, someone should have spotted that before it was sent back to me.

Many do say that modern water based paints are not as robust as the older ones that used nastier chemicals, so it may not be fair to say that it is Colour-Tech to blame and may be all other such finishes are similar. My 30 yr old racing bike is still raced today and is in urgent need of a respray, so I need to send it somewhere soon. But while there is corrosion all over the paint is so tough, it never had a chain stay protector and there are no chips, whereas the new paint chips through the chain stay protector!

I am so put off by the paint issues that if I ever get another frame I would seriously consider titanium.

If you do use Colour-Tech please do report back with your experience.

[fausto99]

If you do use Colour-Tech please do report back with your experience.

I will if I do, but i don't get a general good feeling or unqualified reassurance from what I've read so far, so I may look elsewhere.

I could go for a visit. Maybe a face to face discussion of my requirements would clarify the situation or it maybe that they are only interested in large contracts.

Is there a frame re-finisher that everyone has been happy with? Comments welcome.

[chocjohn9]

I had a roberts frame resprayed there and it was excellent. Good price, good finish, lovely decals...... so when I wanted another done, it was a no brainer..... except it wasn't. The second time, it took ages, instructions were not really followed and it was obviously a rush job in the end. I paid extra for a job which ultimately had to be redone. The logos were hand drawn and really looked it. The frame wasn't a Roberts. I came away an unhappy bunny.

So, if your frame is a Roberts, then it's the go to place, otherwise steer clear.

[markjohnobrien]

As far as I know they were Roberts paint shop. Roberts told me that and did say I could deal with them directly myself instead of through Roberts.

I had 3 frames resprayed, through Roberts about 3 to 4 years ago. The first one took months, not sure who to blame for that, the framer blamed the sprayer, I suspect a bit of both to blame.

The finishes are beautiful with perfectly applied decals. My decals on a couple of the bikes were the complex version of the Roberts name in either white or black with an outer edge in black or white.

BUT - only one of the frames is in use (other 2 still boxed and awaiting rebuilds) and I do most of my mileage on this bike, right from the off the paint finish was so fragile. It chips or scrapes off so easily to reveal a white undercoat. Attach a carrier, water bottle cage or mudguards and at the attachment point the paint just flakes away to the undercoat. Oh, one of the frames came back to me with a hole visible at the rear of the chain stay, but that is another matter, someone should have spotted that before it was sent back to me.

Many do say that modern water based paints are not as robust as the older ones that used nastier chemicals, so it may not be fair to say that it is Colour-Tech to blame and may be all other such finishes are similar. My 30 yr old racing bike is still raced today and is in urgent need of a respray, so I need to send it somewhere soon. But while there is corrosion all over the paint is so tough, it never had a chain stay protector and there are no chips, whereas the new paint chips through the chain stay protector!

I am so put off by the paint issues that if I ever get another frame I would seriously consider titanium.

If you do use Colour-Tech please do report back with your experience.

I agree wholeheartedly with all of the above. They painted all of Roberts bikes for donkeys years and did stunning, beautiful, work and my repainted Roughstuff was excellent to look at. Unfortunately, and it's not they're fault, it chipped very easily - whereas my Raleigh bikes from the mid/late 90's have brilliantly robust finishes.

Again, I agree with this poster, as when I took my Roughstuff in for a complete refurb and re-spray, I had a good chat with the boss himself and asked the same question: why are modern paint finishes so soft? He replied that, due to EU regulations, all of the allegedly potentially dangerous chemicals had been removed, and hence Colour Tech had to work to and in the revised framework. A shame really, as paint chips on a nice bike is one of my pet hates and finishes from older manufacturers are much, much, more robust.

Still, if you want a stunning finish, they are highly recomended.

[PH]

I had a good chat with the boss himself and asked the same question: why are modern paint finishes so soft? He replied that, due to EU regulations, all of the allegedly potentially dangerous chemicals had been removed, and hence Colour Tech had to work to and in the revised framework. A shame really, as paint chips on a nice bike is one of my pet hates and finishes from older manufacturers are much, much, more robust.

I've heard this from a couple of other frame painters, but when I've googled it I can't find any detail. Though there's plenty about household paints not being as good.
My last respray has been very disappointing, nothing like as tough as the one from the same place 16 years ago.
At least on the bright side, as paint has deteriorated, other finishes have improved, there are some excellent powder coat places and although I know little about it I was riding a few weeks ago with someone who'd had their frame done in two-pack and they were impressed.

[fausto99]

So the question seems to be turning towards are there any small scale re-finishers out there, who are not bound by EU rules and will use more robust but nasty chemical paints?

Could one put a more durable top clear coat on oneself?

[millimole]

I don't think the 'nasty chemicals' have got anything to do with EU rules, more to do with common sense and protecting the health of your workers and neighbours.
I used No Quarter Paint in Leicester for a paint & lacquer job - reckoned by some to be (very) expensive, but I'm very happy, and I'm happy to have paid (over the odds) for a good quality job.


You can easlily remove the Tapatalk spam using settings on YOUR phone

[PH]

I don't think the 'nasty chemicals' have got anything to do with EU rules, more to do with common sense and protecting the health of your workers and neighbours.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/pol ... _legis.htm

That's not to say it isn't a good thing from an environmental standpoint, but it was a EU directive and it does effect the quality of your frame finish.

[PH]

So the question seems to be turning towards are there any small scale re-finishers out there, who are not bound by EU rules and will use more robust but nasty chemical paints?

Could one put a more durable top clear coat on oneself?

I think even for those who'd risk their business by flouting the rules wouldn't be able to get the paints.
When I next have a frame painted, probably later this year, I'll be looking more closely at the two pack options. My knowledge so far is talking to one cyclist who'd had a frame done, I think by Argos but I can't find it on their website... that's as much as I know except that he was very impressed with it. I've also seen some impressive powder coating in the last few years, some very expensive custom builders have gone over to it, it's no longer the industrial finish it was a decade ago. look at Shand as an example. When I've looked at it, the disadvantage of powder coat seems to be that you can't fix the decals under lacquer, yet somehow Thorn do just this, I'd like to know how?
It's possible I had a frame with two pack coating without realising it, it would scuff rather than scrape when damaged, like a plastic coating which would fit as a bit of googling shows two pack to be a polyurethane finish. In nine years of fairly hard use it had picked up several of these scuffs but no chips or anything else that that went beyond the top coat. The same frame with lighter use has picked up several chips in the couple of years since a respray after an accident.