Powder Coat or Paint............?

[sae70]

I've removed Swampy's Rock-Sliders to weld in some strengthening gussets, get them Air-Blasted and then Powder Coated. Chap that's sorting it all out for me has suggested I have them done in Red Oxide then a couple of coats of normall paint rather than powder coat as the powder coat will peel off if damaged and water gets under it. I'm sure my alloys are powder coated and they've got plenty of scuffs and scraps with no sign of peeling. The reason I asked for powder coat was because I felt Tito be a better job, but now I'm not sure. What's your experience of powder coat?

 

[Chris]

PC properly applied should not come off like that. Poorly applied is a different matter. Look at Iron Man springs for eg. If the metal is keyed then PC is almost impossible to get off. I know I have tried. The only way to remove it is to build a fire and throw it in so that it burns off. No you can't use a heat gun and a paint stripper. Now, it will gouge on rocks as mine has and eventually you are through to metal again. Me? I'd galv it first. Then either paint or PC. That's my intention with the next slider step thingies. You can touch up the PC with good black paint then. Either way, enthusiastic use of the sliders will result in loss of coating.

 

[frank rabbets]

Powder coating is an inferior product compared with a thin layer of primer then thin layer of twin pack topcoat. The thinner the paint the less it chips. Powder coat tends to peel and traps water underneath. Conventional paint does not do this. I've had a lot of experience of both methods, and friends some of which restore motorbikes [tubular] and it's no contest.

Frank

 

[moggy1968]

I decided to twin pack my chassis rather than powder coat because of the problem of lift off. Seen it a lot on bullbars and suchlike. I'm with Chris. If you are using it off road I would galv it because anything else will get scratched, then water will get under it.

 

[Bat21]

A mate of mine highly rates Por15.

He recently rebuilt his 110 Defender and painted most of the running gear with it. Apparently it cures by absorbing moisture so is ideal for this country's climate

 

[Shayne]

Given the purpose of sliders is to take damage i think i would go for the cheapest option which is to paint them myself that way i could just touch up whenever i felt like it .

 

[Chris]

Frank, as I said, it depends how it's applied. The PC I have here won't even come of with an angle grinder. It absolutely does not flake. It's like s*** to an army blanket. There is no 'underneath' It is practically bonded to the metal. Honestly. They shotblast, straight into the oven then through the Powder coater. Their business is coating massive sections of pipe. The PC on some items I will agree flakes and falls off. This does not. When my truck burned out, I took the bumper back to have it blasted and re coated. They couldn't even blast the coating off. Yes, you can wear through it eventually on the underneath of sliders, but there is no edge to it for water to get in. Maybe they are just good at what they do.

I've heard of POR 15.

 

[Towpack]

Given the purpose of sliders is to take damage i think i would go for the cheapest option which is to paint them myself that way i could just touch up whenever i felt like it .

x2. The issue here is the'yre going to get damaged so no matter how you coat them, whether is galvanizing or just brush painting it's going to get scraped off leaving bare metal to rust so you wasting money on expensive finishes. Why not just dig a bit deeper and get some made from stainless. Fit them and forget them. JMO

 

[sae70]

Mmmm....this is all very interesting I could have them galvanized for nowt due to people I know as I did the winch tray, but ultimately I want them to be satin black and I believe I'm correct in saying that it's even more problematic to paint Galv, special primers and all that jazz. If I could guarantee the quality of the powder coat then I'd have them done in that as I do think done proper it's a good finish, but you guys do have me thinking about the IM suspension and Transit Bull-Bars from back in the day So maybe my m8 is correct and a normal primed paint finish is the way to go. If it was still the summer I would probably rattle can them myself in the back garden, but as it's not the only option would be to do them in the hallway in the morning after shes gone to work then get all of the doors and windows open to ventilate the house. Actually while I'm at it, do you think that my front axle would fit in the dish washer?

 

[frank rabbets]

All you do is degrease the galvanised part and use etch primer. This is a common product and is mildly acidic eating into the zinc. After that just paint on what you want.

Frank

 

[Shayne]

I have a homemade softwood kitchen worktop which was coloured with wax (preventing varnish from penetrating) then coated with Ronseal Hardglaze satin varnish . 7 years on i'm happy to state this is really tough stuff . It goes on thick allowing brush strokes to disappear as it dries , might be give you the ideal finish over a coat of rattle can matte black .