DIY powder coating

[Superal]

wow that looks really good i am impressed with the finish on that

[Dazco]

shhhhhhh , he's just showing off

[CJH]

shhhhhhh , he's just showing off

I've been rumbled.

[CJH]

I had a go at powder coating my rear bumper today. The 'progressive' heating approach works fine - I moved the heater along in 6-minute steps with a 50% overlap, so everywhere got a good 10 minutes at temperature.


I bought some different powder - black with a rough texture, which gives it a nice sheen. I wanted something with a bit of grip since I tend to stand on the bumper to close the pop top down.

There are a few marks from the flap disc that I used to take the bumper back to bare metal, but overall I'm pleased with the finish. Time will tell how hard-wearing it is, but it seems better than a paint finish.

[jrt]

I had a go at powder coating my rear bumper today. The 'progressive' heating approach works fine - I moved the heater along in 6-minute steps with a 50% overlap, so everywhere got a good 10 minutes at temperature.


I bought some different powder - black with a rough texture, which gives it a nice sheen. I wanted something with a bit of grip since I tend to stand on the bumper to close the pop top down.

There are a few marks from the flap disc that I used to take the bumper back to bare metal, but overall I'm pleased with the finish. Time will tell how hard-wearing it is, but it seems better than a paint finish.

Excellent, looks the business

[itchyfeet]

be powder coating the whole van next

looks great, I wish I had time to do stuff like this

[Bubble Meister]

I saw that powder coating company and almost bought one there and then. Reading your thread it appears to be suitable for cosmetics rather than heavy duty (as demonstrated by the pulley bolt). Can I ask how the coating is lasting now that sone of your bits were coated over 6 months and a winter ago?

I have used a diy bright zinc plating kit, I've found this is ok although the yellow passivate seems easy to scratch through.

[CJH]

I saw that powder coating company and almost bought one there and then. Reading your thread it appears to be suitable for cosmetics rather than heavy duty (as demonstrated by the pulley bolt). Can I ask how the coating is lasting now that sone of your bits were coated over 6 months and a winter ago?

I have used a diy bright zinc plating kit, I've found this is ok although the yellow passivate seems easy to scratch through.

The parts that I coated were mostly for the engine that I've been building. I keep getting side-tracked, so I still haven't finished that, so the parts I coated have been sat in a box mostly. Not the harshest environment. The rear bumper seems fine though, and that's spent the winter on my van.

I don't think I'd agree with your conclusion from the pulley bolt - a painted pullet bolt would have suffered the same way. The fact that the coating flaked off the washer when it flexed just shows that the coating won't stand that sort of dimensional change. But on all the other parts I've done the coating seems tough and resilient - much better than paint in that respect.

I'm interested in the zinc plating kit you've got. I assume this is the coating that makes brackets and screws on, for instance, a carburettor, look good. When I 'dressed' my new LT carb to suit a T25 engine I had to remove a few pristine brackets and linkages and replace them with distinctly second hand bits from my 'spares' carb, and I'd wished I'd been able to make them look new again.

[Bubble Meister]

That's good to read: the coating is quote durable then! Is the coating expensive to buy? Ie, although the initial set up is reasonable, is it gonna cost a fortune in coating n consumables?

Yes, the BZP is ideal for small stuff, it takes a while to do as there are so many processes and some tanks need heating with fish tank heaters. So a component may take upto 2 hrs to do, this will be reduced if the ambient air temperature is higher. Last autumn I overhauled my distributor so I chemically cleaned and plated the small screws, two clips and the base clamp. It looked ok but the yellow passivate has since come off. As long as the zinc plating holds I can live with that.
Also, you can't plate structural components, the process induces Hydrogen Embrittlement.
I would upload images but Im on holiday and its a PITA to change the file size. If youre on the Facebook group I can upload there?