Costs for media blasting and powder coating

All,

I have been fighting the DIY media blasting vs. having it done commercially.

I got a quote for a full tub media blast, blast the Meyer top and doors, the front clip then the bare frame, with the bare frame then powder coated with some of the small parts, and the windshield frame and hood stops, etc.

I have some welding to do on the frame to fix some cracks, etc.

I can take stuff in large batches (top, the tub and clip and gate, bare frame, etc.).

I don't have the space for the needed larger compressor, etc. that I would have to get, as well as a good way to recycle the media, then considerations for PPE, etc. The time is another...

I may consider having the Meyer top powder coated now (only 6k colors to choose from) after I Do some minor welding repairs.

If folks are willing to share, I'd like to hear about what it has run you if you have gone down this rabbit hole in front of me.

Sounds like all the blasting and powder coating the frame, window, and several small parts will run about $1k.

Thanks!
Dane

 

One thing I will say about powder coating. It will show most imperfections and is impossible to repair and look right if you need to make changes.
It's very durable but is an all or nothing deal.
Cannot be touched up and look right.
It adds weight to parts (especially an issue with a hard top)



Sent from my iPhone

 

Thanks. I've read that, similar to chroming it relies on the prep work.

Im looking at something similar to this for the top...
http://www.cardinalpaint.com/products/productcat.php?pcid=2&cctid=12
Im partial to the beige hammered for the top and Silver hammered for the wheels.

Weight? I will have to read some more.

Hoping the hammered finish helps blend some of these imperfections.

Now if I could only blend away my own... I tried that last week with a wire wheel and my thumb... Smooth... Not.

Shop owner suggested my rustish chrome wagon wheels that ive been after with wire wheels and naval jelly would fair well with the hammered because they will take media blasting to even the surface dimpling and the hammered helps blend the minor pitting. My vintage wheels should have peeled, but they are just pitted instead...

Will be taking additional measures now to blend gouges, etc before considering parts for powder.

Thanks again for that insight.

 

Ok,

Please remember, I am an IT guy, not a painter, powder coater, Or professional mechanic. My Olympic weightlifting days have passed, and I miss them, as do the days I used to swim an hour, cycle an hour then lift or run... My name is Dane and it has been five years since I last did any of that frivolity... I know I could muscle the top off alone, but that's what BBQ and bourbon is for, when friends come to help...

I generally over think stuff, and more often than not, I put a shoe store in my mouth, not just my foot most times...

But curiosity has me in the powder coat process...

Re weight...
the cardinal site listed... 51.6sqft per pound for 2 mils thickness... On the beige hammered TDS...

Im not sure how thick stuff has to be,
but let's try something, and I'm sure I'm not getting it all here, but a wild guess...

Use the Meyer Top for a guesstimate...

Exterior...
Top of cab is about 40 sqft for argument sake
sides are say 10 sqft each
rear and hatch 20 sqft
doors 10 sqft each

So, lets say for simple counting, and we have 100 sqft total exterior...

1lb gets 50 sqft at 2mil. It will take 3lbs with extra thick requested, and a little sloppy loss may be?

If I wanted to coat it on the interior also... 6lbs of pc material before the process.

The primer process may bring it to 10lbs for interior and exterior... For 200 sqft, that isn't a lot of weight, at least it doesnt seem like a lot?

Did I miss something?

Thanks again for your help.

 

I personally don't like hard tops because their weight tends to make the jeep roll outward more on corners. (besides being so freaking hot in the summer). Since the bulk of the top is quite a distance from the suspension, a little extra weight is exaggerated in a turn. I had a JC whitney fiberglass (I think it was an acme) top for a while in the 80's. It was quite heavy, so it caused the rear of the jeep to sag and caused noticeable roll though turns when on the road.

Anyway, I think Nick may be bringing up the weight because extra weight on the top is noticeable. Think about driving with a loaded luggage rack.

That's all Ive got.

 

I too am not a big fan of the Meyer cab. Top heavy, just plain heavy, cold and noisy. Lift one of the doors - oof. About the only advantage is some degree of security in the cab. A lot of people bought them because they thought they would be warmer in the winter, but IMO they are no warmer than a soft top. And I don't think they are any quieter than the soft tops.

But anyway, the top is plain white from the factory. Do you want a color change? If I were keeping a hard top, I would chemical strip it, treat any rust, and repaint it. Modern catalyzed urethane paint would be easy to shoot on a top. And it's tough... and white is a cheap color. A Kirker acrylic enamel white paint kit is under $75 for a gallon, and you could likely step upt to urethane for under $100.

JMO - I would consider having the frame media blasted, if the rust were really bad. But if the rust is really bad, it's going to be pitted, and the only way to smooth it out will be to skim coat it with bondo. Your powder coat will not fill the pits. On a show car, I would understand, but on a Jeep? Instead I would use one of the many chassis paints on the market. Durability will depend on your prep work. And if you scratch it on the trail, or need to modify the frame, you can simply prep and repaint that area.

On the body, you can chemically strip, which is more manageable for the home painter than media blasting. Or, just sand and paint on top of any well-adhered original paint. It's not a problem as long as it's well bonded to the steel, and there is no rust under the paint. It's also ok to spot blast any corners with rust, as long as you properly prime the bare steel. One of the guys on the autobody101 forum blasted the entire engine compartment of his Dodge with one of those $30 hand held blasters from Harbor Freight.

 

Another issue ... there are dozens of "right ways" to do this kind of work. The body guys usually don't experiment - they find a method that works for them, and they stick with it, because that's how they make money. There are definitely wrong ways to proceed, but many paths to your goal. And hundreds of competing products ... it's a big industry. Just make sure you use the products according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You could look at this book http://www.amazon.com/How-Paint-You...-1&keywords=how+to+paint+your+car+on+a+budget - it will give you some ideas about alternative prep methods.

 

Back on topic. Costs:

In my experience it costs about the same to have someone do it that it does to buy the equipment and do it myself. Add to that fact, that I've been disappointed with a lot of the work that I've farmed out. So my recommendation is to buy the equipment and do it yourself IF you think that you'll reuse the equipment for something else. (A definite "yes!" to a decent size air compressor.) If you don't have the space then buying/owning may not be feasible. But do you have relatives or some place else that you could store it at? Is renting the equipment a possibility?

As far as time is concerned; if you want a good job YOU will most likely be responsible for all the serious prep work even if you farm it out the spraying and that's going to take the most time by far. Scrimp on that and the rest of the job will be a waste. Well maybe not a waste but you'll probably be disappointed with the results. My point is that it's very likely you're going to have to make the time! If you can't then you need to give up on restoring any kind of vehicle. Restoration/cutomization is a VERY time consuming process! Most shops charge around $100 per hour for actual touch labor and they aren't going to spend any real time on prep work unless you're willing to pay by the hour and that's going to be VERY expensive.

If you decide to farm it out, then make sure that everyone understands exactly what's supposed to be done, including the prep work such as removing rust, priming, sanding, filling in scratches, dents, etc and get it in writing!!! If it's not in writing then it doesn't exist, no matter what they promise!

 

I have restored 4 old cars and used commerical chemical dip, stripping at home with chemicals, sanding disks and sandblasting. I think the best way to go is to sub-out the sandblasting to a pro. I paid $800 for the body, hood, fenders, grill, frame and assorted sheet metal parts that make up the transmission covers for my CJ6.

The biggest issue with sand blasting if you don't get the right guy he will warp the sheet metal. Go look at the shop. If they do bodies they will have some old mustangs, GTO's, etc around, maybe even a JEEP. Look at the work, or ask for references you can go see what they do. If they know what they are doing you can tell by looking at the sheet metal they have already blasted. Don't go to the guy that blasts granite headstones.......

I do my own painting. Invested in a good DeVillibus Gun more years ago than I want to admit. Still going strong. You will need a good compressor, you will need enough volume of air to run the gun. Pick your gun first and then get an air compressor that will provide enough air, go to the auto paint store and get a recommendation on the gun.

I mostly have shot lacquer, but that is harder and harder to get. My CJ is getting Acrlyic Enamel (PPG Delstar) with a harderner. Frame, Body, wheels etc.


The paint system requires paint, reducer and hardener. Pick a system and keep with it (you will save money) I will shoot probably 2 gallons of paint, (Indian Ceramic, White and Black) before I am done. I will only use one pint of hardner and less than a gallon of reducer.

If I was starting to learn how to do this, I would likely use a urethane. Lacquer and enamel are harder and harder to find. I have to drive to New Hampshire or Rhode Island to get paint.

It is all in the prep work, by the time you shoot enough primer, sand, then re-shoot and re-sand required to get a nice finish you will be able to run your paint gun good enough for the top coat.

Powder coating is too hard to repair and shows all the imperfections. Too much money and not enough benefit, IMHO. By the way, not all powder coating is created equal. Most lawn furniture is powercoated and you can see how some of it is not very durable. (Ask lots of questions if you go with Powder).

I would worry that blasting and Powder Coating for only $1K means marginal Powder. (I might be wrong) A reputable shop will get $50 to blast and Powder Coat one Wheel in New England.

Bottom line for me is "Paint it yourself". Just like everything, you can learn to do it if you want and then you have something else to add to your resume.

 

Thanks for this information. The shop owner and I discussed warping. His reluctance would be much higher if i was asking him to do a Skylark hood. my quote is $1000 for the blasting, that includes the top, and all the rest of the jeep. Frame included, I take the jeep in batches then he blasts. I have prices on the Powder coating on top of the blasting.

 

i had my frame blasted for $90 and he quoted me $150 if i wanted to powdercoat. he also gave a quote of 250-300 just to blast the tub. i had to call alot of shops to find a good price, one guy wanted $400 just to blast the frame.

 

Excellent info all!

Many thanks for the many different choices, ways to get it done and the rest.

d

 

Local guy here wanted $300 to blast just a bare frame, I told him to pound sand....

 

I was lucky, my '56 frame was in nearly perfect condition, I mean it couldn't have hardly been any nicer. I took it to a local place, and the sandblasting and powdercoating was under $200 for both. Two separate businesses, one guys does the blasting, the other does the powdercoating, but they work together and rake in TONS of customers.

I've found that, yes, powdercoating is a commitment as far as any cutting, drilling, welding, etc. goes. But I've also found that plain old Krylon semi-gloss black spray paint is such a close match that you can't tell them apart. My frame, axle housings, crossmember, and diff. covers were all powdercoated, but everything else was painted and I'd challenge any one of you to tell me which was which.

I used the "chassis black" powder, which is just a standard semi-gloss black. But I don't consider it to be out-of hand expensive, at least not at the place I deal with. Like I said, it's two different shops...Blast Tech in Denver and 'Taint Paint in Colorado Springs. Drop stuff off at Blast Tech and he blasts it, the 'Taint Paint truck comes by every Thursday and drops off finished stuff, and picks up another load, then they'll drop your parts off on the next trip of the Thursday of the following week.

I'd do it again.

 

Was just admiring that strait bumper.

Spent three hours today grinding rivets, pounding and making it strait...

More good stuff to know - don't know about galvanized, not fond of green smoke when you have to weld on it, not fond of its particular gray patina either. And to boot, I'm here in the idiots republic... Don't know if there is a galvanizing shop left in the state.

 

Lemme tell ya a secret about that beautiful straight bumper....Walck's 4WD has those special made just for them, they're fantastic quality (thicker than original), and they're worth every penny! Can't recall the price offhand, but very reasonable compared to trying to find a decent one or beat one straight. And virtually identical to the originals, only better. These photos were taken after I'd dressed off the sharp edges from the holes. It powdercoated beautifully.

 

Look at that! Looks very nice.

I'll have to add to my list on Walck's...

D

 

Yeah, it's nice.

 

Keep in mind that those rock bottom prices were taking in something which was already dismantled, and probably degreased. If you take something to the blaster/painter/coater that he can toss in the booth and go to work, it will be way more reasonably priced. When I blasted the frame on my Peterbilt (way bigger but same concept), the front suspension and axle were both still on it. I used 6 bags (100#) of sand on the front 5' of the truck. The dried grease that you don't notice till everything around it is clean took the most time. I used 11 bags total that day, the frame is about 20' long. At $15 a bag, it adds up quick.

But then again, I'm too proud/cheap/stubborn/picky to farm out work I can do myself. I consider it therapy.