Have a thread here going on my winter project. As I am finishing the tube fabrication and starting on the tin work and finishing I am debating on whether I should powder coat the items that I can. What are everyone's thoughts and experiences? I have a local place that people rave about their quality of work - odd for a small town in no-mans land. So the powder coating would be convenient.

No Brainer....

ABSOLUTELY!!! Do it right the first time while its all apart and wont have to mess with it for years. PC will look and last much longer than spray paint

Sounds good - heard some people over the years say it hides cracks that was my hesitation....Ill be powder coating it all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ski_dwn_it,

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Originally posted by ski_dwn_it:
Sounds good - heard some people over the years say it hides cracks that was my hesitation....Ill be powder coating it all.

I've heard that too and I'm sure it can be true, but I've also noticed something was cracked because the powder coat was flaking off.Plus, powder coat is easier to keep clean and it seems like most of the time when I find broken stuff, its when I'm cleaning it.

Is it a race car or a show car?

Race car? Paint it. Our dragsters are powder coated and they look nice but if I were to build a new one it would be painted. As you mentioned, powder hides cracks. Also, if it's a race car you're going to be welding on it later, either to add stuff, fix problems, or more likely both. We've welded on both of our cars and its a pain grinding the powder off then trying to get paint to match. If they were painted the welding prep would be easier and after just hit it with the same paint and it matches.

quote:

Originally posted by 183N:
Is it a race car or a show car?

Race car? Paint it. Our dragsters are powder coated and they look nice but if I were to build a new one it would be painted. As you mentioned, powder hides cracks. Also, if it's a race car you're going to be welding on it later, either to add stuff, fix problems, or more likely both. We've welded on both of our cars and its a pain grinding the powder off then trying to get paint to match. If they were painted the welding prep would be easier and after just hit it with the same paint and it matches.

I never had problems finding cracks but I agree about the pain it is to get off, weld and match. Probably a bigger deal on a pipe rack than your door car.

Curtis

I have a question about powdercoating. A friend has a pretty new dragster that the powdercoating is getting a cob web look to it. Is it a standard practice to put a color PC, the to put a clear coat PC over it ? I am not sure how this was done. I am asking because I dont know. What is happening to get cob web in it ?

The powder that’s cracking, is it a textured powder? And, as an FYI, I purchase all of my powder from prismatic and they offer a color matching rattle can for touch ups. It’s normally pretty close. The person applying the powder really has total control of the look of the finished part.

quote:

Originally posted by 27Keith:
I have a question about powdercoating. A friend has a pretty new dragster that the powdercoating is getting a cob web look to it. Is it a standard practice to put a color PC, the to put a clear coat PC over it ? I am not sure how this was done. I am asking because I dont know. What is happening to get cob web in it ?

SUN...bet it’s not doing it under body panels...but something has changed over the years use to not see this but see it a lot now...

Being a auto/paint tech Iam prejudice to paint. Clean sand CLEAN epoxy prime paint with good quality urethane single stage satin gloss. Looks like powder coat and is tough as nails.Did my car several years ago. Still looks good.

Hiding cracks is dependent upon the type of powder and how thick it is applied.
A powder like a vein will hide surface defects by its nature, and since it requires a topcoat of clear it becomes, in a lot of cases very thick. Ideal single color should be in the 3-4 mils, .0035 that is 3 1/2 thousands.
But that is ideal, and ideal does not always happen. Some like to use a primer coat, then maybe apply a base for a translucent, then the translucent. So you now have probably 10 or more mils.
Or a veining powder which by it's nature leaves openings to the base material, which is why it needs a topcoat of clear to seal it and get uv stability as well.
Then you have the screw ups where the part needs to be re shot due to prep issues or contamination, in that case you will gain thickness as well. And sometimes the re work does not cooperate and you cant get the electrostatic to work very weel, so you have to try to shoot the part hot, using the heat to melt the powder instead of the charge to attract it. Trouble is when hot you cannot control the deposition thickness and the powder will get thick. Thick powder does not work very well, it will chip and crack and it will hide crack to an extent as well.
And cobwebbing is usually traced back to too much powder, or the powder was over cured, or the clear powder is bad. Had clear powder before that looked like it worked just fine, nice coverage and gloss, but when the parts went through the cold on the truck being shipped, it all spiderwebbed. A component was missing from the formulation so the powder never crosslinked and cured properly, it just melted.
And a lot of parts that get powder coated get short cuts on the prep. Everybody and their brother powder coats now with their little ovens in the garage, but know nothing about conversion,prep, surface profile, handling. The stuff rusts and peels off or alum corrodes and peels off and powder gets the bad name as a crap finish.