My local powder coaters, K and N in Portchester, Hampshire, are excellent for frames, fork legs and the like. For more bike specific stuff like calipers, master cylinders etc. then triple s are superb and accept posted parts.
http://www.triple-s.co.ukPowder pros:
- cheaper and quicker to have applied than paint
- simple for the home restorer to drop parts at coaters and pick up soon after
- a quite hard finish
Powder cons:
- work piece requires blasting and baking, there are scare stories about wheels cracking etc. (although not in my experience)
- can't fill larger imperfections with anything other than metal
- not easily applied at home
- powder chips, especially at edges and not easily blown in
- only applicable on metals, forget plastics
Paint pros:
- a higher shine than powder when applied and polished well
- infinite colour matching and finish choices
- can be applied over pretty much anything, including filler for a smooth finish
- can be applied at home making small repairs easy later
Paint cons:
- toxic when applied
- not as hard as powder
- easy to get wrong, then it looks rubbish
- paint is expensive to buy and more expensive to have applied
The reality is that a stripped bike is so many parts to paint them all at home takes months and months. Some parts will want to take powder and some paint. Having a good reliable applicator for each is a must for any home restoration.
I am not claiming any real expertise here, I have restored 3 bikes, two cars and one van in my life so have picked up a little knowledge on the way. As I get older I am painting less and less parts myself, I an veering towards letting my local paint man do the work as painting parts is just so time consuming.
By the same token, poor work is time consuming and costly to put right, choose your finish partners carefully!
Hope this helps.