Topic: Powdercoating Durability

[Venturous]

The sidecar frame on my rig used to be chrome but the chrome apparently got pretty bad and a PO painted the frame and the mounting arms black. Well, they didn't blast the chrome off the frame and mounts.... and as you might expect, the paint doesn't stick well to chrome.

When I get to working the sidecar frame, it will first get it sandblasted. That part I know. Re-chroming is out of the question due to cost. I am considering black paint or powder coat.

As I understand, one disadvantage to powdercoating is it can't be touched up. The frame will be running less than a foot off the ground and almost certainly will get some small rocks flying into it. Is powder coating durable enough to withstand that? Or would I better off having a quality paint that can be touched up when needed?

I have no experience with powder coating and appreciate any first hand experience.

Thanks.

[roadkill savior]

I've done powdercoating and It can handle quite a bit of abuse. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on that frame.

[BobbyR]

The car restorers in this area used a lot of powdercoat and switched to a two part paint. The powdercoat was peeling and if it was dinged it was not repairable. I am sure people will come in with great stories of powdecoat, I also know a guy who got 125k miles out of a Yugo. Paint is cheap and well prepared it can look great, and is easily refreshed. I like Rustoleum Gloss Balck Enamel. Deep Black and pretty tough.

[Steve F]

The car restorers in this area used a lot of powdercoat and switched to a two part paint. The powdercoat was peeling and if it was dinged it was not repairable. I am sure people will come in with great stories of powdecoat, I also know a guy who got 125k miles out of a Yugo. Paint is cheap and well prepared it can look great, and is easily refreshed. I like Rustoleum Gloss Balck Enamel. Deep Black and pretty tough.

I'll second the Rust-Oleum as being tough stuff for a rattle can paint job.  It takes nearly a week of drying time before you can handle it without getting fingerprints all over it, but that's what good quality paint takes to get hard and tough.  The cheap "quick dry" paint is too susceptible to chipping.

[Venturous]

So you all really think a rattle can Rustoleum job would hold up OK?? That would be sweet as it would cost a ton less.

[FunJimmy]

One powder coater showed me an interesting trick.
He took a little powder in a shot glass and poured in a small amount of acetone
or lacquer thinner (can't recall exactly) then used a small brush for tough ups.
Next time you have something powder coating done, get a small amount of the powder for touch ups.
Powder coating is a thermoplastic, but plastics can also be chemically influenced.
Try it on an unimportant part first.

[kghost]

BobbyR is the the only guy with a Powdercoating peeling story.

I have several powder coated frame...no chips no peeling.


Rustoleum for durability? Wow

[BobbyR]

BobbyR is the the only guy with a Powdercoating peeling story.

I have several powder coated frame...no chips no peeling.


Rustoleum for durability? Wow

I personally have not had luck with the durability of powdercoated furniture. The fellas I who do Concours grade restorations have tried it and left it. Powdercoat became popular in some industries since they did not have to deal with VOC emissions and OSHA regulations. They tried using it here on railcar frames with poor results. So the frames are painted as are most components. Paint is so inexpensive compared to powdercoat and easy to touch up and blend. One could take the difference in cost and buy some other appearance improving parts. With Todays prices you need the money for gas.

[Soos]

I powdercoated my comstars and frame on my '79 cb650 a bit over a year ago.
15,000 plus paved miles and 1000 or so on dirt roads (rockhounding) and i have yet to get a chip.
Although you can see where the rocks have hit, mabey i'm lucky so far, it hasn't cracked or chipped off.

And the powdercoater at work for fixes, sands the area, wets the area with laquer thinner(JUST enough to the powder stick better.), tosses some powdercoat on it by hand, and uses a high temp heat gun for a patch.
The patched area does not look like the finish you get from spraying from a gun, and is much thinner, but it works.




Do some research on different applications for different powdercoats.

The one on my frame & rims is meant for outdoors application, high UV resistance, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance.

One of the most abrasion resistant if i remember right, but the UV blocking wasn't the highest offered.
It was one of 3 or 4 types i had (free) access to.


Most shops will let you order whatever type you want... for a price.
Some kinds are limited to their color range though.
And the ones they offer in the rainbow of colors look good, but mostly lack some of the properties the tougher ones have on them

Have you thought of spray liner?
Meant for truck beds, but it is meant to take abuse. Comes in spray cans if you choose to do it yourself as well.
Comes in basic black only as far as I know.

l8r

[Bodi]

I'm with the painters. Powdercoat is great but I've seen some nasty problems when applied to steel. On nonferrous alloy it's much better. Steel rusts underneath the coating once you have a chip, then the coating peels off to reveal a big rusty patch. Paint does exactly the same thing of course, and is easier to chip as well. BUT the paint film is weak compared to the powdercoat film, and it peels up after maybe 1/4 inch has rusted under... powdercoat can go 2 inches easily. Paint is much much easier to touch up as well. If you want a really fancy looking frame I would say PC, for a decent finish on a daily rider go with paint.

[NickC]

I powdercoated my comstars and frame on my '79 cb650 a bit over a year ago.
15,000 plus paved miles and 1000 or so on dirt roads (rockhounding) and i have yet to get a chip.
Although you can see where the rocks have hit, mabey i'm lucky so far, it hasn't cracked or chipped off.

And the powdercoater at work for fixes, sands the area, wets the area with laquer thinner(JUST enough to the powder stick better.), tosses some powdercoat on it by hand, and uses a high temp heat gun for a patch.
The patched area does not look like the finish you get from spraying from a gun, and is much thinner, but it works.




Do some research on different applications for different powdercoats.

The one on my frame & rims is meant for outdoors application, high UV resistance, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance.

One of the most abrasion resistant if i remember right, but the UV blocking wasn't the highest offered.
It was one of 3 or 4 types i had (free) access to.


Most shops will let you order whatever type you want... for a price.
Some kinds are limited to their color range though.
And the ones they offer in the rainbow of colors look good, but mostly lack some of the properties the tougher ones have on them

Have you thought of spray liner?
Meant for truck beds, but it is meant to take abuse. Comes in spray cans if you choose to do it yourself as well.
Comes in basic black only as far as I know.

l8r

+1 on the rhino lining. You can get that in any color you want. Good luck on it chipping too, that stuff is TOUGH. As far as bedliners, they have a lifetime warranty. Sprayed on anything else, they don't offer one. If you need to touch up, you can aerosol can the spot, though it won't be as strong.
I'd go with that over a powder coat! It may not look as "smooth" but it will hold up extremely well.

[mazingerzeca]

I had the frame of a cb 125 powdercoated. That was my first experience with it, and to make a test, I kicked with a hammer in the screws that I used to protect the threads and holes. I felt a bit deceptioned because it chipped quite easily. Even I thought that it was a bad quality powdercoating. When installing the swingarm bushes with a nylon hammer it also chipped, not because I hammered on the swingarm, just for the vibration on the area, I think.
To repair the chipped area I used JB weld and painted it black. The idea of acetone seems better.

[bradweingartner]

Power Coating is like paint. You can get good stuff and you can get bad stuff. Prep is STILL important as is Technique. If you want a good PC job, man up and pay the price. The same goes for paint. I think overall paint is a little more forgiving. And believe it or not, I'd suggest the rustoleum black too. I'd even go so far as to suggest not using a rattle can. You can get a good flow without brush strokes out of a can believe it or not.

[chopstar500]

I'm gonna 2nd what Brad stated - I've been dealing with manufacturers who powdercoat commercial/industrial stuff for years & I've seen good & bad. Pay a guy $125 to blast & coat your frame & it will probaby be #$%* in a year. In most cases (not all), you get what you pay for.

Personally - I like paint. You can do a great job in your own garage if you take time to prep correctly, practice paitence, and use good materials. Why pay some yahoo 3 times as much & chance a shoddy job.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't ever powdercoat again - I do believe that you can get good quality with the right company & there are applications were I'd say its more practical than paint. I had a bunch of suspension parts from my old Porsche done one time and it was perfect for years - cost wise, I wish I had painted it myself - it was however my 1st experience with powder.