If you do fit decals will you have to spray lacquer over the top?

Usually decals on powder coated frames are not lacquered over.  even on new bikes such as Surly or even up market ones like Shand.  Thorn were a bit of an exception, not sure how it was done, but the lacquer wouldn't have been as tough as the powder coat.  You can get clear PC, but it requires a temperature that's likely to burn any decal.

What B cereus said. For low and mid profile brakes the lower the yoke the longer the virtual lever and the less pad movement for the same cable pull, less pad movement equals more force - If you imagine a horizontal line from the boss and a line from the yoke continuing through the attachment point, where they intercept is the leverage.
With wide arm canti's it makes no difference, the arms are already horizontal.

Thanks folks. Really appreciate all the advice.

I was really just looking for the views on sandblasting and powder coating / painting.

My pal at the LBS knows to plug all holes and remove everything from the frame. Bits like brake cables / shoes will be replaced as required.
( Good advice on greasing the inside of the frame ).
I also have a new front ring and rear ( old style ) cog to fit. Plus chain.

It looks like I'll go with the powder coating. And stick to black.
But all further views appreciated.

I'm looking to get the Raven ship shape for a Summer Scottish tour ( depending on my recovery from the cancer op I had last Nov. - I start a second round of Chemo next week ) and then perhaps pass it on to a Thorn enthusiast who can take it abroad for a long tour it loves. A lot of good memories are built into that bike. Only fare to let go rather than keep it tied to an old fella who can't make full use of it.

Once again, all comments appreciated.

Matt

Lovely bike, Adrian!  Good work by your Bridport firm.

Just curious:  what gearing do you have?  Thinking about the Abbotsbury Hill...

Cheers,  John

Hello John, as far as I'm aware the gearing is 26/36/46 front and 13-26 8 speed rear.  I've not tried Abbotsbury Hill yet, not the hill i live at the bottom of, Whiteway... https://climbfinder.com/en/map#lnglat=-2.6350/50.7141&climb=17293&position=13.13/50.71015/-2.63313

Adrian

On the topic of threads on the fittings for fender mounts, water bottle cages, etc., it is easy enough to clean those out with a 5mm tap.  I would not bother giving instructions to anyone on that. 

The first new frame I bought, I had to buy a tap to do that.  I do not remember if any of the other frames that I bought new needed a tap to be run through the threads or not, I do not remember because it is such a minor thing to do.

I noted above on rack bolts, fender bolts, I use thread locker.  A lot of bike shops do not even have any thread locker in the shop, that is not as common as you might think.   Water bottle cage bolts, a bunch of other fittings, I grease the threads first.  You do not think of grease as being a good way from keeping a bolt from vibrating loose, but it actually is pretty good at that because grease is very very viscous.

But a lot of this detail is more than any people you hire to do the work want to hear.  That said, in the interview before you hire the work to be done, you could ask them what they do on these topics.  If they are evasive, hire someone else.

I get detail oriented because I do 99 percent of my own work.  Last time I paid a bike shop to do some work on one of my bikes, it was to press the headset into the frame and fork on a new frame I bought, I did not own the tools I needed for that.  That was a decade ago.

If your rims are CSS, make sure that if they replace brake pads, that they know what pads to use.  If they are CSS, if it was me, I would instruct them to not do anything on the pads as most shops would not know what CSS rims are.