Powder Coating

Now I know why we just say TGIC ! That sounds like a serious health problem !
Thanks manden68 !

 

TGIC= thank God it's complicated

 

Steve,

Were you happy with the way your wheels turned out? I called Valley Powdercoating and they wanted $75 to sandblast and powdercoat my new grill. Seems pretty reasonable.

 

They did a good job on all 5 of my wheels. No complaints. But why powder coat instead of the standard solvent based paint?

 

Mostly cost plus thoughts of a stainless steel grill cover. Local body shops seem to want about $150 vs the $75 for powdercoat. Grill covers seem to run about $100 or so online. Plus theres the bling factor. R)

 

Joel - Just remembered the only part of the powder coating that I didn't particularly like was where the inside and outer part of the rim come together. The coating didn't appear to reach inside far enough or fill the crack because a small amount of rust has developed. Someone mentioned this problem before with powder coating rims. It's not that big of a deal though. I grill should turn out great.

 

powder coating = a thicker coating and typically a more durable finish, all in a single coat.

Body shop probably wanted more for solvent paint because a typical automotive solvent paint job (from bare metal) would involve primer, one or more coats of color, followed by clear coat and possibly wet sanding/polishing. If you tell them you want a durable, industrial type finish rather than show car shine they may be able to give you a better price.

Big advantages for automaker in powder coats is:
no solvents = less pollution control required, reduced health risks
less waste = powder "overspray" is reclaimed and blended with "virgin" powder in effect recycling the overspray waste and saving money.

However, most OEm automakers are still using solvent paints for color and clear coats in order to achieve quality of showroom shine required to be competitive. Powder is used mostly for primer where a thick durable coating can offer maximum rust protection and cosmetics are not an issue.

 

Crud, I was hoping powder coating was going to be a slick way to go. I'm not sure I'd want to see rust again anytime soon after spending a fair coin or two. Might stick with having them painted after all. Gotta check into this a little more, I guess.