I want to do some suspension pieces, namely the front axle, rear ladder bars and front bones. What should I do so the boss areas are left clean? Will the powdercoater be conscious of this if I point it out? I suppose the biggest question is just that. Anything else I need to be aware of before dropping off my stuff?
The guy who powder coats my stuff is good about knowing where not to powder coat. If I'm not sure he will know what to do I point out where I want left bare. He puts platers tape on those ares and they do not get blasted or coated.
you just have to stress to them that you NEED to have those areas taped off. there are a few good masking materials for PC now as well as soft plasic plugs that go into threaded areas. none of this stuff melts in the oven like wet paint products do. try and find a PCer who does nice work. most of them just do Industrial "Batch" work and that's when they load the stuff up with gobs of it eveywhere. I use a guy in Santa Ana Ca. that you could swear it was two stage wet paint when he's done. he even does flake & fades
There is high temperature plastic tape,that works well for powder coating.The stuff we used was blue.It's easy to mask off an area and trim the edges with a knife. Regular masking tape comes loose in the oven, sometimes creating a problem. Maybe they will let you mask your parts with their tape.
For plugging holes,I used to roll the hight temp tape into a ball, and jam it in the holes. Regular masking tape is ok for screw holes,#10 and larger.
Jeff hit the nail on the head. It all boils down to the powder coater you choose to work with. There are many companies like Shercon, MoCap, and others that make the masking tapes and plugs specifically for powder coating. Another thing to question the coater on is the preparation of the metal itself. Many will media blast or sandblast your pieces and spray a cleaner/coater/phosphatizer that cleans and preps the metal for coating. If they act like they don't know what you are talking about when you ask them about this step in the process, look elsewhere. I work with this every day for a living. Powder coating is very forgiving, but there are good ways and there are great ways to coat parts. Good Luck
My guys over at Desert Powdercoating know thier stuff. They tape off areas with thier own high temp tape and silicone plugs. Never really had a problem with them in that regard. Prep work, just like paint. Dress down any weld irregularities, burrs or other flaws you don't want to show. Grinder marks will show through!
I use rolled up newspaper in bolt holes and cover stuff to be kept bare with newspaper and masking tape. Bake at 400F , paper doesn't burn till 451F. Sometimes it's a little brown on the edge but no big deal.
Thanks guys. Steve, I might check your guys out when it's time. You said "no problem in that regard". Was there a problem with something else, or no biggie?
man do some research find some one who is factory trained by Tiger Lac-its a DuPont product top of the line if he has that he will know his stuff and use plugs and hi temp tape to mask according to your specs.
Jimmy, yeah I had some issues with Southwest Powder. Thier quality was top notch but all of the sudden my jobs weren't big enough to do any more. I had a set of engine acessory brackets there for three weeks and I ended up pulling them. The last frame they did was a bit "dry" in spots as in little coverage. The cost was getting to me a bit too. Desert has had a few bo-boos from time to time but has always owned up to them and either repaired them or compensated me.
That's interesting. Price. The valve covers shown here cost me $75 here. How is that in compairison to what other people are charging?
I use a small local shop that does a lot of race car ch***is and industrial work. They are not big on the prep but they can really lay the powder down. And if you use one of their stock colors, quite affordable. So, to get the results I want I do a lot of my own prep. Here is a link to a picture of my Model A axle preped for sand blasting and coating. I'll post a picture of it when it is done. Sometime next week if the machinest has my banjo rear axle bells ready. http://flickr.com/photos/ratpoison/1465902704/
Yes, prep is key. First prep is asking around to find a good powder coater. Then, smooth out welds or rough parts. Gargbage in, garbage out. If you need threads or other areas clear, be sure and tell the guy. I'm a huge fan of powder coating and I've used it for years.
Those are some good tips there, Jimbotallywhacker! I've got a couple of old tierod ends that will meet there fate with a grinder. Thanks!
Desert PC did my 65 Thunderbird seat springs and seat risers in black gloss for $90.00 (blasting and prep included) then did the seat back and lower shell bits in metalic silver and a clear coat for $150... A complete frame and accessories would usually run around $500 or less. Most places have a minimum charge for stuff, Desert charges a $60.00 minimum.
I vouch for the quality of work they do. I have piggybacked some parts when Industrial Ch***is has sent out stuff into their pile and have received nice pieces when finished for a fair price.
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