Kim, anybody who's gotten a part or hardware back from me will verify everything is always masked off or protected so there's no coating on the threads of either bolts or nuts, or any threaded areas on the main part itself. If you look closely at those pics I posted, you'll see bare threads throughout on the hardware AND every other part, including every thread in the frame, as well as all close-tolerance areas: where the triple trees attach, where the throttle rides on the right side of the handle bars, and where the swing arm bushings go.
It's also become my habit for those customers working on long term projects to lightly oil all bare threads before I return their parts. I never know how long that stuff's going to be sitting there (and neither do they lol) and the last thing I want anybody to see is rust when they finally whip it out of the box to put it on their car.
To more accurately answer your question though, powder coating is optimally only a few mils thick -- 3 or 4 tops -- and generally will not interfere except for extremely close tolerances. Just because so many shops do not protect threads, there are tapping and grinding horror stories throughout the industry. I refuse to become one of them and take great pride in my attention to detail. (Intake fittings though NEVER seem to thread all the way down and knowing exactly where it'll bottom out when it's cool is a tough call, so occasionally intake customers will have a few bare threads showing after installation. I make my best estimate after a mock up but am not always right.)
Kind of along these lines, I forwarded a link to this thread to one of my current customers because I have his KX250 frame here in line for coating. Though there's been a few choppers and bicycle frames, his would've been the first dirt bike I've ever done. Although the spring riding season is fast approaching, I wanted to get through a basic assembly of Billy's powder coated XR200 to familiarize myself with the details so Chris wouldn't have any troubles when his came home. This Honda has gone back together so swiftly and easily it makes me proud to have done the work, but as it turned out I learned a vital lesson -- the ground wire attachment in Post #11 above should have been masked -- so the little delay on his bike was justified in my opinion. I hope it's also justified in HIS opinion ;-) ... knowing in advance that he has other bikes his kids can enjoy in the meantime made this decision an easy one in my quest for perfect results for my boys.
I know most business owners probably wouldn't tell anybody about that stuff but I've never seen any harm in honesty. Ya'll are up front with me and treat me right so I do the same for all of you.
Thanks for asking! Back to the shop ........... :-D
It's also become my habit for those customers working on long term projects to lightly oil all bare threads before I return their parts. I never know how long that stuff's going to be sitting there (and neither do they lol) and the last thing I want anybody to see is rust when they finally whip it out of the box to put it on their car.
To more accurately answer your question though, powder coating is optimally only a few mils thick -- 3 or 4 tops -- and generally will not interfere except for extremely close tolerances. Just because so many shops do not protect threads, there are tapping and grinding horror stories throughout the industry. I refuse to become one of them and take great pride in my attention to detail. (Intake fittings though NEVER seem to thread all the way down and knowing exactly where it'll bottom out when it's cool is a tough call, so occasionally intake customers will have a few bare threads showing after installation. I make my best estimate after a mock up but am not always right.)
Kind of along these lines, I forwarded a link to this thread to one of my current customers because I have his KX250 frame here in line for coating. Though there's been a few choppers and bicycle frames, his would've been the first dirt bike I've ever done. Although the spring riding season is fast approaching, I wanted to get through a basic assembly of Billy's powder coated XR200 to familiarize myself with the details so Chris wouldn't have any troubles when his came home. This Honda has gone back together so swiftly and easily it makes me proud to have done the work, but as it turned out I learned a vital lesson -- the ground wire attachment in Post #11 above should have been masked -- so the little delay on his bike was justified in my opinion. I hope it's also justified in HIS opinion ;-) ... knowing in advance that he has other bikes his kids can enjoy in the meantime made this decision an easy one in my quest for perfect results for my boys.
I know most business owners probably wouldn't tell anybody about that stuff but I've never seen any harm in honesty. Ya'll are up front with me and treat me right so I do the same for all of you.
Thanks for asking! Back to the shop ........... :-D
:axe: :violent1: 
