Frame Coatings.. Which ones?and why?Powdercoating,Rhino lining ?

[nutz4sand]

When I lived in Indianapolis there was a place one the south side not far from my house that did sandblasting and painting and powdercoating.

When I got my build table mostly built I took the main part of it to be blasted and painted. They told me Powdercoating WAS CHEAPER. But my table was to big (6 foot by 12 feet) to fit in the oven they had to bake it. It did not bother me casue I touch it up with rattle can when it gets scratched.

But beware of shops trying to bone you for big bucks to powdercoat. That it costs so much was true when it was a fledgling technology. But nowadays those trying to charge huge bucks are taking unfair advantage.

[Blownz28man]

Really??? Wow. Didn't think that much. Got to keep saving lol.

[N8ball]

You do not want to strip the frame yourself. Depending on the humidity, fresh sandblasted steel can flash rust within hours. Even in dry Utah, I can't get a quality shop to guaruntee a pc job if they don't blast and prep it. Any shop willing to coat someone elses prep ususally hasn't been around long enough to know better. The company I work for has spent well over 100k on our p-coating operation, but we still outsource 100% of our outdoor coatings. We currently only do interior work. That is due to our salt spray testing results on dozens of different pre-treat processes. We know what works on our products and what doesn't. A well known shop WITH FRAME coating experience will turn out a much better, more durable, longer lasting coating, than someone who usually coats furniture or industrial stuff.

Also, the type of powder matters. Many shops will sell you cheap powder just to keep the cost down, and get the order. Some polyester powders only have a 1-2 year lifespan in exterior applications, other types(epoxies and other$)can last as long as 25-30 years. I recommend getting a guaruntee(most powder mnfctrs will not guaruntee coatings without certifying the coater and their process) or at least a spec sheet from the powder manufacturer that verifies the powder is suited to the application. Then a guaruntee from the coater for what ever length of time you feel is adequate. For example, do you need to pay double the cost for a 30 year coating versus a 10 year coating on a buggy that is going to get beat up?

The automobile industry uses salt spray testing hours for minimum standards, with 336 hours being the min number for wet coat paint jobs. Basic powder app.s with decent pretreatment can easily get 1000 hr ratings. Keep in mind that is salt spray testing, not real world, so for buggy applications, UV resistance may be more important for long term appearance(chalkyness and flaking), than Salt Spray test results. But the salt spray test will give you an idea on the adhesion after the coating is compromised. Properly coated jobs will not creep or blister even when the coating is cut through to the steel. Poorly coated jobs will flake and blister as soon as moisture hits the steel.

With all that being said, I plan to coat my own frame. For pre treat, I will sand blast and use a zinc rich primer; then 2x color coats, maybe a candy coat, and 2x clear coats. No phosphate or chemical pretreat. Initial coats will be partially cured @ 375 degrees for 15 mins, with the final cure @ 425 for 25-30 mins. I will get a quality coating that will be good to go for years to come. I should mention that I pay $6 per hour of oven time and about $8-12 per pound of powder. One weekend, and less than $100 bones sounds better than $750 or more.

[N8ball]

Someone mentioned touching up powder coat. It can be done with UV cured powder. No heat needed, they even PC wood and plastic with it. You may have some color mathcing issues, but if you use powder from the same mfr. you could get a decent match. You will not get the cross coat linking (melting together of the heat cured and uv cured layers) but you will get way more protection than any rattle can touch up.