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What is Powder Coating?
Powder coating is an environmentally-friendly and cost effective way to apply a durable long lasting finish to just about any metal. Unlike conventional liquid paints, powder coating requires no harsh chemicals or solvents to help adhere to the metal. The powder is electrostatically charged as it comes out of the gun and is drawn to the metal being coated, which is grounded through a wire. The part is then cured in an oven at around 400°F until the powder has turned into a gel state. The part is then pulled out of the oven to cool allowing the powder to harden to its final state.
What are the benefits of powder coating over painting?
Powder coat leaves a much more durable finish than conventional paint. Although powder coat is not indestructible, it is much more resilient to chips and scratches. Powder coat leaves a hard, pliable and thick finish. This means that it can withstand some good dings, it can be applied to springs and other metals prone to flexing, and can hide small surface imperfections which would otherwise have to be sanded off.
Is there any way to reduce the cost of powder coating?
The most costly part of the procedure is the prep work. If you have an old iron intake manifold that you want coated, the part would need to be sand blasted, chemically cleaned, degreased, sand blasted again, and then the part is ready for powder coat. Many times, this process can be as expensive, if not more, than the powder coating itself. Although every part will need some sort of prep work at our shop before the coating is applied, you can reduce the cost to you by trying to clean the part as much as possible.
What all can you powder coat?
Just about any metal that can withstand ~450°F can be coated. We cannot coat wood, and we are working on coating ABS plastics. We are still testing out the proper procedures at this time, so we cannot guarantee any coated plastics at this time.
Can I wash my powder coated items with any cleaner?
Although powder coat does leave a durable finish, some powders will discolor and/or alter their chemical and physical properties when introduced to certain cleaning chemicals. Unless otherwise noted, all powder coated items should not be cleaned with anything other than soap and water. With the finish that the powder leaves, most of the dirt and grime will wipe off with your finger, so harsh chemicals are unnecessary. These chemicals include brake cleaner, gasoline, acetone, paint thinner, and other such cleaners.
Do you offer any other types of metal finishes?
At the moment we offer sand blasting, powder coating, polishing, and we are working on anodizing. Anodizing is another type of metal finish that is becoming more and more known and widely used, especially in the import bike scene. We are surveying the need for anodizing and if there is enough of a demand, we will soon offer that as well.
What size parts can you sand blast and powder coat?
We can sandblast anything from a thermostat housing to a bike frame. Our oven size is limited, however, for curing the powder. Our current oven is about 18"x21"x42". As long as the part can be put inside our oven without touching any of the sides, we can coat it.
Do you powder coat wheels?
With our current setup, we can coat wheels up to 20” in diameter. We can polish any size wheel, though final prices will be based on wheel design and the current finish on the wheel.
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