Spring recoating / paint

[Switchman]

I've dove in to redo my GS again after some neglect. I need to recoat or paint the springs on my Ohlins and I'm just not sure what I should use on them. I have a sand/bead blast setup so I can strip and paint them, if that's the best way to go. I really don't want to do it 3 times wrong and then figure out the correct way to do it.
I've gotten my Corbin seat back from recovering and that turned out good.
Tom MLC pointed me to Accessories Plus here in the San Fran area and I've taken my Supertrapp over to them for ceramic coating. Good price at $165 and he's pretty confident he can do a good white coating.

[renobruce]

If you REALLY only want to do it once, go with powder coating. You can do it your self if you don't mind using your kitchen oven. Sears makes a nice kit. I think Harbor Freight makes one too, but I don't know how well it works.

[jknappsax]

Bruce, I don't think it's US that may have a problem using our kitchen's oven, but I know my WIFE would have one! Then I'd have to buy a multicar garage for my bikes, my Mustang GT, and ME!

[renobruce]

LOL! True!
I'm searching craigslist for a free old oven I can put in my garage. I baked all my engine parts I painted in the kitchen oven, and my wife was NOT amused. Plus it stunk the place up a bit for a while. \\/

[Switchman]

I am looking at powder coating also. I have pc'd the frame, rear brake mount and strut, headlight shell and brackets, and it has been a very hard and tough coating.
My concern...or question... with powder coating on the springs is the flex issue. Will the coating be flexible enough not to crack? Or do you know if there is a particular formula they can apply?

[Switchman]

Also...I have a friend that bought one of the Sears powder coater rigs. About $150 and really liked it...until the 3rd time he used it and it broke. There's a thought there...how much fumes you think would come off during baking and would they make the oven smell or be funky for very long?
I have ovens. I run maintenance for a baking plant with 22 250,000btu ovens. But I might have difficulty explaining why one smells like paint come monday morn. ...but if it don't smell...

[Nessism]

I've read that if you bake powder coat in your oven that an electric range is needed due to issues with combustable fumes.

Is this suggestion overly conservative or is there really a concern?

[cloudbreakmd]

Wouldn't Bumper Coat work? It's a rubberized paint that can flex.

[Switchman]

I was thinking about that issue yesterday also. I'll chase that today and also talk to the guy I took my header to for ceramic coating. He ought to know.
If I can get away with baking in a gas oven ...my flame is contained in a big heat exchanger, not directly open like a home oven...I'll send my parts guy to Sears and buy one of the sprayers. Then I'll coat a few pieces, brackets and bedding supports from my spare high-speed wrapping machine. That way if it smells up the oven for a month at least it was company parts that I was working on. I REALLY don't want any explosions though.

[Diamondj]

POR-15 paint!

https://www.por-15.com

I use the rust preventative paint on a freshly bead blasted shock spring. Then either blackcote (gloss) or chassiscote (semi-gloss) on top of that. Let it dry thoroughly and the spring compressor won't even scratch it when you reassemble. You can buy the mix pack with three 4oz cans or rust preventative paint and then three 4oz cans of either the blackcote or chassiscote. One 4oz can will do a pair of shock springs with paint left over. And you can apply it with a paint brush! the stuff levels out on it's own and looks good (IMO).

If you want to get tricky and use a color on your springs - they make a "hard nose" two-part paint in about a dozen colors. A pint is not cheap ($37) but you get what you pay for and you can apply it with a paint brush too.....

If you need a really inexpensive route, get a can of black epoxy appliance paint from Home Depot for $7. Just make sure you can give the springs a good long while to dry and harden. I've done a couple of spring sets that way. Painting them outside and then leaving them hanging in my furnace room for a month to cure and the spring compressor didn't scratch them on reassembly either!

Hope this helps!

Jim

[Switchman]

The POR-15 is a good suggestion. I'm very familiar with their stuff and use it all over in our production plants here. Just put down about $3500 bucks worth in April getting ready for audits.
I think flexcote might work best. I prefer to keep the Ohlins springs as close to the original color...but I could do white. Not sure yet about whether or not UV affects it.