Powder coat removal

[Ralph Brown]

hi there, I'm new to this forum but have used it a lot in the past and has been very helpful! So thanks for that.

I have recently opened a powder coating business here in Scotland. I have been using Atlas T to strip old powder from wheels. However it is useless when it comes to removing primer. Is there a better option?

I have heard that benzoyl alcohol should do the job but needs to be heated up in order for it to work.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[eSCHEn]

Can't help with the removal - I'm a total hick and just toss it on the bonfire ^_^

Wanted to wish you a welcome and ask where abouts you are?

 

[awemawson]

My experience of old powder coating is that it just peels off by itself as soon as a bit of water gets into the first scratch and creeping rust forms under it.

 

[brightspark]

I put a post up a month ago meth chloride methanol and acid dip . just cant remember what the acid was though

 

[rtbcomp]

Hydro-flouric acid. Atlas-T is that + methylene chloride. Strips powder coating, but the OP is having problems with the primer and has tried Atlas-T.

 

[roofman]

Welcome Ralph..but dont you think these questions should of been answerd before you opened the business I thought the only real deal for powder removing is blasting.

 

[rtbcomp]

Blasting isn't always effective, and the primer (which is the problem here) is tougher than the alloy so you end up damaging the wheels.

It once took me a full day to blast a single wheel, the topcoat came off OK, but the primer was almost impossible to shift.

 

[awemawson]

Keep well away from Hydrofluoric Acid - nasty stuff

 

[brightspark]

I once blasted a set of wheels of a Subaru well I tried to. I gave up on the 1st wheel it was like ceramic whatever was on. laced at 90psi 1.5mm copper slag had no effect

 

[Ralph Brown]

Thanks for all your replies!

I live out in the country but my business is based near Falkirk.

Aha I did a lot of research before starting my business and Atlas-T appeared to be the best on the market but nobody mentioned it didn't work on certain primers. I called the company today and they admitted it didn't work on certain primers at all! Other companies are doing it so it must be possible!

My blaster won't even touch the primer. Will take off old paint in a second though

 

[roofman]

Blasting isn't always effective, and the primer (which is the problem here) is tougher than the alloy so you end up damaging the wheels.

It once took me a full day to blast a single wheel, the topcoat came off OK, but the primer was almost impossible to shift.

Wow thats tough...all my powder jobs including colour changes involved going into a massive blasting room and the finnish was that fine when it came out it looked like a grey colour itself without paint...there must be harder types of powder and primer than ive ever come across

 

[Ralph Brown]

It's mainly German wheels that have the worst primer. My first set was some Porsche twists, ended up sanding by hand but I can't be doing that with every set

 

[roofman]

It's mainly German wheels that have the worst primer. My first set was some Porsche twists, ended up sanding by hand but I can't be doing that with every set

me thinks you need to do some sneaky undercover investigations with your local powder coaters and see what they have developed and using...as you say it must be possible by something out there

 

[GW8IZR]

It's mainly German wheels that have the worst primer. My first set was some Porsche twists, ended up sanding by hand but I can't be doing that with every set

Shouldn't that be 'the best primer' :-)

There was a thread on here a few weeks ago and I said I thought generally powder coating was pretty pi$$ poor as it almost always fails and flakes of in great sheets. A small scratch that can be touched up with 2k just lasts forever whereas once powder coat is damaged the water gets under it and it fails spectacularly. I'd be keen to know what your view is on this and how you get round it?

note - my failures have been on steel

 

[rtbcomp]

It's mainly German wheels that have the worst primer. My first set was some Porsche twists, ended up sanding by hand but I can't be doing that with every set

Interesting. The first set I tried were Chinese aftermarket wheels, the primer was patchy and I happened to hit on a bit of un-primed wheel when I did a test blast.

The 2nd set were BMW, and after my previous experience I turned the job down.

 

[bc30se]

Formic acid does the job...

 

[tinman123]

i know nothing about powder coating so forgive my ignorance here.
i take it you cant powder coat to the primer?
or is it a case that the primer dosent let a charge through or something.

i find it hard to believe that there would be a primer that a sand blaster couldn't remove or is it some kind of primer that actually etches proper right into the alloy and becomes the alloy.

 

[zx9]

Sorry no help at all but I got to ask. If the primer is so tough, why would you need to remove it?

Edit: Kind of what tinman123 asked, posted whilst I typed.

 

[brightspark]

i know nothing about powder coating so forgive my ignorance here.
i take it you cant powder coat to the primer?
or is it a case that the primer dosent let a charge through or something.

i find it hard to believe that there would be a primer that a sand blaster couldn't remove or is it some kind of primer that actually etches proper right into the alloy and becomes the alloy.

well believe it or not some coatings wont be removed unless u lace them with chilled iron shot and that knacks the wheels

 

[wristpin]

Local powder coater and blaster does lots of wheels, nearly always two or three cars on axle stands outside when I go there with my bits of rusty metal . Next time I go there I'll ask.