Paint Vs powdercoating

[Jozi]

What are the benefits of powdercoating over painting?

Looking into getting subframes, arb, etc done but not sure it's worth it. Would a good paint job not achieve the same effect? When powdercoat chips trouble starts, with paint you can touch it up easily.

[Jhonno]

Longevity.. Consistent finish. Ease. In powdercoating's favour.

[Loony]

Hi.I use to be a powder coater.It produces a tougher better finish than normal paint that covers the metal better.
It should not chip easily and fall off but if you do get chips you can still touch up with normal paint.
If you do go the powder coat route make sure you mask up any bolt hole areas that are hard to get to as the powder coat is thick enough to stop bolts fitting etc.

[Kedge]

Going on all the parts i've just had done paint doesn't even compare, when you consider all the time and effort you spend preping and painting plus materials, paint isn't cheap i think powdercoating is good value. Just make sure you go somewhere that can also blast it all as well.

[Jozi]

Place I got a price from either blast or chemically clean the parts before powder coating.

Did you have to plug/take all area's you didn't want coated?

[Kedge]

Did you have to plug/take all area's you didn't want coated?

I didn't so these aras could be blasted as well to get them cleaned. If there is anything you don't want the coating going on either tape it up before or make them fully aware of what needs covering. As for threads i just ran tap down them to clean them out.

[Jozi]

Yeah I was thinking I'd do the same or clean up everything with the dremmel or sandpaper, which ever works.

I'll give the guy I'm thinking of going with a call some day. Waiting on 2 trailing arms to come before I can get it all done.

[Kedge]

Yeah I was thinking I'd do the same or clean up everything with the dremmel or sandpaper.

Sod that, by all accounts even dipping and blasting finds it hardwork getting all the old paint off the rear beams and arms.

[Jozi]

Sod that, by all accounts even dipping and blasting finds it hardwork getting all the old paint off the rear beams and arms.

I meant bolt holes and things that shouldn't have been coated

I have everything painted up with hammerite but I'm not happy with the finish. The paint just chips of with the slightest knock, the primer is very good though it seems to hold up well.

[Kedge]

Sod that, by all accounts even dipping and blasting finds it hardwork getting all the old paint off the rear beams and arms.

I meant bolt holes and things that shouldn't have been coated

I have everything painted up with hammerite but I'm not happy with the finish. The paint just chips of with the slightest knock, the primer is very good though it seems to hold up well.

Ahhhh got ya. Yea might not be a bad idea.

I'd initially painted my new tank with Hammerite and it was the same, just chipped straight off so i decided powdercoating was the way to go. Very pleased with the results.

[Jozi]

Seen that in your thread. Unless I got a new one (which I wont) I don't think mine will be coated, I'll prob paint it black and spray laquer over it.

Not to decide what parts to get coated I had a long list but I may leave some things of and paint them myself.

[DanThe]

Paint is pants, powdercoat FTW

Do not entertain anybody that tells you your parts dont need to be sandblasted, sandblasting is the best surface preparation you can have, the powdercoat will stick to this like shit to a blanket, the stuff I have done usually goes into the acid for a few hours to soften it before it gets blasted, they dont like blasting rear beams and trailing arms as the coating is thick and hard wearing = time

I only tape up the stub axles on the front struts, you dont want this roughing up.
Tell them to keep away from the trailing arm bearing surfaces or you could leave the bearings in while it gets blasted, then remove them and tape up before powder coat.
Anything else gets the tap through it afterwards.

Dont forget to blast waxoil inside everything thats been in acid as there wont be any protective layer left.
Waxoil over the powdercoat afterwards and it will last a lifetime, wont rust again

[Jozi]

Everything I want done will need the hammerite cleaning of except my trailing arms, probably a lot softer than what was on them initially. I'm swapping my trailings arms (with new bearings fitted) for some old ones with new bearings not yet fitted, this is assuming that they can't be coated and baked without destroying perfectly good bearings.

Was thinking of overcoating the underside of the beams and arms with some underbody seal or something to add more protection.

---edit---

I think the chemical cleaning was in relation to getting the shadow line trim done, I think it's a bit over kill doing these and will prob paint them myself.

[deanocool]

defo powdercoat ftw

[rossmc88]

Im lucky, my work has a powder coating paint line

[Morat]

Use the same guy to blast and powder coat....itmeans the coater can't blame the blaster etc..

[skipunda]

Use the same guy to blast and powder coat....itmeans the coater can't blame the blaster etc..

Wise words

[Jozi]

So far as I'm aware the coater will also be doing the blasting, I'll check to make sure though.

[TouringMatt]

Had my trailing arms blasted and i POR15'd them as i dont know anyone who does coating by me. If you surface is right (sand blasting is ideal) then the POR is good, be interesting to see how it does

[beemerbird]

My experience of powder coating suggests that finding someone who specialises in motorbike parts will produce a better job than a generic powder - coater. . . .

[Jozi]

My experience of powder coating suggests that finding someone who specialises in motorbike parts will produce a better job than a generic powder - coater. . . .

I have been googling a little and this guy get the tumbs up, some others are given mixed experiences, noticed a few forums I found were motor bike and mountain bike forums. Hopefully thats some form of indication this guy is good.

Whats POR15 like compared with hammerite?

[bigbird76]

I just had my subframe, rear arms, and beam shotblasted and then i painted with POR15,

I cannot tell you how good it will be as it has only been on a few weeks but it does brush on nice and does not leave brush marks, But it does need to be painted onto a shotblasted surface to bond well. Also it was touch dry in about 4 hrs and was rock solid the next day.

Leigh

[TouringMatt]

Whats POR15 like compared with hammerite?

Not even in the same league. Put it this way, you could pour some POR15 into a small flexi cup, once its dried remove it, and its that hard you can hammer the crap out of it and you wont destroy it. If it skins in the tin you'll need to punch through it with a hammer and a screwdiver.

It can be a pain to work with, if it dries on your skin its on until you shed that skin, it will scrap the brushes you use etc

Its quite precise to use but on a keyed surface its superb, you cant chip it off.

[DanThe]

Use the same guy to blast and powder coat....itmeans the coater can't blame the blaster etc..

Wise words

Doesnt matter, its all about the quality and detail of each job. The place I use for sandblasting is nearly 30 miles away from where the powder coating happens, this is only because I get the best service from both.
There are plenty of scam/slapdash powder coating companies that will give you a load of bull about how much they had to sandblast it and for all you know it was just dropped in acid for a few hours.
The best part about my setup is I get to see the finish of the parts before any powder coat is applied. So I know before it gets coated that its in a good state.

[Morat]

That's fine if you're in a position to check, and know what you're looking at (As I'm sure you are, DanThe). My advice is to the average bod. Don't take (for example) alloy parts to the cheapest blaster, who'll probably muller them with coarse media and then be surprised when the powder coat guy complains that the surface isn't suitable for powdercoating.
Generally it is safest to go with a one stop shop.

[Morat]

Whats POR15 like compared with hammerite?

Not even in the same league. Put it this way, you could pour some POR15 into a small flexi cup, once its dried remove it, and its that hard you can hammer the crap out of it and you wont destroy it. If it skins in the tin you'll need to punch through it with a hammer and a screwdiver.

It can be a pain to work with, if it dries on your skin its on until you shed that skin, it will scrap the brushes you use etc

Its quite precise to use but on a keyed surface its superb, you cant chip it off.

POR-15 is amazing stuff, but very dependant on prep with the correct products. If you get it wrong you'll find that it can peel off as one sheet because it hasn't stuck to the metal properly. If you get it right, it is superbly strong stuff - as TouringMatt says - and totally impermeable so you shouldn't get rust behind it (unless it comes through from the other side of course).
The USP is that it cures on contact with water/water vapour so it doesn't leave tiny holes in the surface where water/solvents have escaped during a drying process. Also, there are several POR-15 products so make sure you get the right one, some are UV stable, some are not.

POR-15 has its place but I'd use powdercoat where possible, mainly because it is generally cheaper and less hassle to get someone else to blast/coat than buying POR-15 and doing it yourself. Of course, you have to get the parts off the car first, so floorpans/inner arches etc are ideal for POR-15.

[Black_Potato]

POR 15

SEOT.