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Powder coat or paint?
andrew-theasby - 30/12/06 at 11:10 PM

Hi, after reading the recent post about powder coating i started wondering about what to do with my chassis, its currently powder coated blue, but its crap. Ive also done a fair bit of welding on it so want it re doing. I can either blast and powder coat it, or blast if necessary then spray with epoxy 2 pack etching primer, then epoxy 2 pack top coat. Which would be best? I already have plenty of the paint, so that wouldnt cost anyting. Also can the powder coating thats currently on be removed with nitro moors or something like that to make the blasting easier? Thanks

froggy - 30/12/06 at 11:18 PM

some threads on this already but i have a set of gates which i had blasted etch primed and painted in 2k still no rust 5 years on

RazMan - 30/12/06 at 11:24 PM

I would say that the most resilient finish would be powder coat but not by much. If you already have the paint and are willing to put the time in, then obviously you will save yourself quite a bit of dosh by painting it yourself.

Removing old powder coat is a bugger though - 'the tool' is about the only thing to touch it unless you get it sand (or other media) blasted

zetec7 - 31/12/06 at 12:24 AM

I was originally going to powder coat, but it occurred to me that the car will never, in all liklihood, be absolutely finished - I'll probably be welding tabs on here and there, etc., for years. The paint can be sanded down and touched up...the powder coat can't. I talked to my specialist, who does both, and he recommended the epoxy paint....

andrew-theasby - 31/12/06 at 12:43 AM

Hmm not very positive thinking, but very true! Looks like ill be needing a dust mask or two for the tool too. Thanks

kb58 - 31/12/06 at 12:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by zetec7
I'll probably be welding tabs on here and there, etc., for years. The paint can be sanded down and touched up...the powder coat can't.


Epoxy powdercoat is good for everything except UV exposure. About the paint not being able to be touched up, sure it can. Grind off where needed, do the welding, then spray paint with a matching color. Its still better than spraying the entire car.

PAUL FISHER - 31/12/06 at 01:24 AM

I am not sure if you realy need to remove the old powder coat before you re powder coat it,I had a engine frame repaired,and welded up again,which had been powder coated,it was re powder coated without having to strip it,it looked spot on when I got it back.

stevebubs - 31/12/06 at 03:28 PM

10 years on and my powdercoated chassi still has no rust...

caber - 31/12/06 at 11:24 PM

. . . . . .That you can see! Unfortunately powder coat can hide corrosion very effectively!

I decided to paint mine and I am glad I did! I waited until I thought all welding was done and decided on a significan number of things that would be bolted rather than welded however I am still having to cut off brackets and weld on new ones much easier to fix with paint!

Caber

kb58 - 1/1/07 at 01:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by caber
... however I am still having to cut off brackets and weld on new ones much easier to fix with paint!


I guess I don't understand how powdercoat is harder to paint. You grind off the old powdercoat, just like you'd do with sprayed-on paint; you do your welding, then you spray it with a can of matching spray-paint... I don't see the difference.

stevebubs - 1/1/07 at 01:59 AM

quote:
Originally posted by caber
. . . . . .That you can see! Unfortunately powder coat can hide corrosion very effectively!



Fair enough comment ... areas where I would have expected to have perhaps rotted (rear floor - steel with holes for mounts - real water-trap if caught in the rain) were still perfect. How do I know? Spilt some acetone there and it stripped the powdercoat off

OTOH, I would expect powdercoat to bubble like paint if the orange worm gets hold...