Powder Coating

What are the advantages/disadvantages of powder coating steel wheels? The cost is about the same here as solvent based type paints.

 

Steve, Glenn powdercoated his wheels several years ago; has been very pleased. They don't nick and scratch anywhere near as fast as painted. I went overboard on my Jeep: front bumper, roll cage, tow bar, draw bar, hood catches, all were powdercoated gloss black. With me, it seems rattle can paint faded in 2 weeks or less; got tired of painting. I also 'coated my sand tire wheels, 14"wide, for the dunes; very happy with them ! A quality job will last a very long time !

 

I am talking about member jeepngem; his name is Glenn also. Hellooooooo !

 

Hey Jim,

Any recommendations for a powder coating place? I like to get my roll bar done.

Thanks,

Bob

 

There are 2 or 3 places here in Riverside; I don't know of any in your area. I found mine by letting my fingers do the walking..... Talk to some of the hot rod guys in your area...they will know where to go.

 

There are tons of places in the phone book. I called most of them in the East County yesterday for my wheels and just chose the cheapest quote with the least turn around time. I didn't know enough to ask the kind of questions in selecting the most qualified. If location was not an issue, I would've used R.W. Little on Pacific Hwy. I've used them on other commercial projects involving special coatings. They also do powder coating now.

 

I really don't think they can screw it up no matter what. Some places may offer more color selection than others, if you are looking for something specific or trying to match a color.
My other opinion is if you are going to be bolting something back together after powdercoating, tire rack, brackets, whatever, enlarge the holes very slightly BEFORE 'coating as the 'coating can fill the holes and make the diameter of the hole slightly smaller, then you end up redrilling or chipping the 'coating to get the bolt to go through. NOTE: not necc to do this on the wheels Steve.

 

I would think the process is the same; maybe the quality of the coating material; oven temp ?

 

Yep, I noticed your handiwork. Nice!

 

I did a little reading before taking my wheels to a powder coater. As Jim stated, the selection of material makes a difference. Apparently, the epoxy type powders, while good for corrosive environments, do not do well in sunlight. I finally chose a polyester/TGIC powder that supposedly is durable and weathers well in sunlight.

 

What does TGIC stand for ?

 

Come on guys - I was looking for a "this place is dirt cheap and does great work" kind of answer.

I called one place a while back and it seemed kinda steep (IIRC ~$250 - $360 - I have a full roll cage). Krylon's about $4 a can. Does that price sound ballpark, or should I call some more.

Not looking to do this right away - just investigating options.

Thanks,

Bob

 

Bob,
Try Valley Powder Coating and Sandblasting at (619) 390-5072. They are doing my wheels at $30 each. I'm no expert but I would say $100 for a rollbar is appropriate. In calling around, I found the shops that were the busiest (evidenced by long lead times) were also the most expensive.

 

Thanks Steve!

 

I don't know but I think it has something to do with the way the polymers are crosslinked.

 

I think I paid $150 for the full rollbar and cage; I also have full size wheel well plates that the roll bar is welded to... a lot more surface area to coat...

 

TGIC: Triglycidylisocyanurate
Here's a safety sheet on the stuff

http://www.nicnas.gov.au/publications/pdf/infosheet15.pdf