Those of you who do your own powder coating….

[jsandidge]

That would work spraying paint, but the powder just kind of falls out of the gun in a cloud which attracts itself to the metal by it's static charge. It doesn't really shoot out like paint. It attracts itself to the tips of the fins and doesn't make it down into the deep valleys between them.

It's good enough for this bike but I just want to know if there's a better technique for next time.

Look on youtube. There's a video out for a liquid powdercoat. Don't know if it's just for touch up or not.

[tkent02]

Cooling fins are tough, you need a fan pattern, and use the fan to get between the fins.

That would work spraying paint, but the powder just kind of falls out of the gun in a cloud which attracts itself to the metal by it's static charge. It doesn't really shoot out like paint. It attracts itself to the tips of the fins and doesn't make it down into the deep valleys between them.

It's good enough for this bike but I just want to know if there's a better technique for next time.

[metalfab]

Been doing this for a couple years now, experimented on scrap parts and done some good ones, but these are my first cylinders. Pressure washed them thoroughly, some paint remover and pressure washed again. No out gassing, so I'm happy with the results, but have you got any advice about the cooling fins?

Cooling fins are tough, you need a fan pattern, and use the fan to get between the fins. By fan I mean have the spray pattern where if you briefly pulled the trigger it would make a vertical stripe, and not a round pattern. Then stand the cylinders up and use small shots to get between the fins and make the coverage. Cast aluminum doesn't anodize very well, but you could black anodize the head and cylinders. You have to coat the inside of the cylinders with something during the process.

[tkent02]

Been doing this for a couple years now, experimented on scrap parts and done some good ones, but these are my first cylinders. Pressure washed them thoroughly, some paint remover and pressure washed again. No out gassing, so I'm happy with the results, but have you got any advice about the cooling fins?

[metalfab]

How is the learning curve? I have an engine I'm rebuilding now, and a couple complete bikes that need to be rebeautified.

I do my own paint, I'm getting pretty good at it.

Can I just buy the Eastwood gun and go to town or will there be a lot of ugly parts made before the good ones start to happen? I know it's all in the prep like anything else, but is it tricky? Any down side to it?

I'm sitting on the fence between doing this now and continuing with spray cans of epoxy paint, engine paint, caliper paint.

It seems like with these projects lined up, now is a good time to start. I have a toaster oven to use, and there's a full sized electric kitchen oven down the street for free….

Or do I need something better?


This bike would have looked a lot better If I had powdercoated everything…



Of course it would have looked a lot better if I had painted all those parts, too.

The powder coating is great. Bake the hell out of the parts first. They do what is called out gassing. If that happens after the powder coat is on then it can show up in the finish. For engines there is some other stuff you should look into too. It is expensive, but it sprays on with a HVLP paint gun. It is Cerakote, I use it all the time on guns, and engines. It is a catalyzed ceramic matrix coating, really tough. It bakes on too, you do have sand blast the surface before application. It is great for engines, for frames I would use powder or epoxy paint. Cerakote sticks like nothing else I have seen. You can look on You Tube there are people beating on it trying to scratch it. Those videos give you an idea how tough it is. They also have a non bake on product "Type C" for high temperatures.

[tkent02]

Any one have a technique for cooling fins? Looks good from the top or at an angle like you would if it was on a bike, if you look from the side the powder never got to the inside of the fins, way back in there. There must be some way to do it right, this is OK for a DIY on a daily rider bike but if someone was doing it for a customer it wouldn't cut it.

Any ideas?

Because of this thread I picked up an Eastwood powder coat gun.The place here just had the guns not the kitsSo I'm now looking for some silicone plugs and heat resistant masking tape that won't cost mega bucks to ship to Victoria.

I have used JB Weld in the past on some things with moderate success.
Sometimes it works good, others not so much... the trick is to make sure there is no air bubbles in it.
There's little alternative
They tried something years ago but it didn't pan out.
We usually send something to a friend of the shop and he uses brass and a welder to fill in stuff, then we just ground it down.

[tkent02]

Getting better, but not perfect yet:



Another question, is there something I can use to fill little gouges in the metal? I have some pieces that are good but for one or two big gouges, too deep to grind or polish out. Can something like JB Weld be used as bondo to fill the holes before powder coating? I think it would work if it can take the heat.
Anything else work better?

I have a broken stator cover here, may try the JB on it unless someone has a better idea.

Could be one of two things (or both)
Could be a tad to much powder and/or
Not knowing who manufactures the powder for Eastwood it might have to be hotter initial temp to let the powder flow, then drop down for final cure.
I remember you saying they recommend 500 till glossy then down...that just seems to high for my taste.
I would try 400 to flow then drop down and let cure longer.

Like I have said it just takes practice and patience/trial and error.
Then it becomes second nature.
But it does look much better!

I wish I knew.....but that is looking really good,,,,,your getting better and better at this....way to go.....

.

[tkent02]

Cooler cure temp worked a lot better…



Still a bit of an orange peel texture, is that too much powder or not enough?

Something else?

[tkent02]

Should have clarified...I had no intention of baking the part with the bolts and washer in place. Just applying the powder and ever so gently removing the washers and bolt prior to baking.

But masking still sounds like a better idea!

Hard to remove the bolts without knocking off some of the power, it just falls off if you bump it or anything.

I have been using regular masking tape, put it on with a little "tab" so you can peel it off easily before curing the part. Still sometimes a bit of powder falls off.

Also in some places just lick your finger and wipe the powder away from where you don't want it, works well in places you can reach.

If you bang the part or whatever too hard, the powder will fall off, by the time you get the nuts and bolts and what not off, you will need to powder again.....

just mask it off

remember for a great job, prep work is key.....

Hey I am no expert on this, and have never actually done any powder coating, but from reading and talking to folks this is the way it's done......

.

[Cassius086]

NO, don't do it that way.....tape it off.....the powder coat will stick to the nut, bolt, washer, and when you go to remove, it will crack the powder coating and could leave you a mess......

plug holes with plugs be it cork or wax, or something, but not with a bolt to remove latter....

just tape off the area you don't want the powder coat to be......

.

Should have clarified...I had no intention of baking the part with the bolts and washer in place. Just applying the powder and ever so gently removing the washers and bolt prior to baking.

But masking still sounds like a better idea!