keeping it shiny

[Robotstar5]

Powdercoating is not designed to provide corrosion resistance to mild steel. Powdercoating is purely a decorative coating.

I've found powder coating very durable, had a few motocycle frames/parts done over the years, don't know if it's standard practice but the place I use chromate primes before coating.

He did once demonstrate how tough it was by hitting with a hammer, just left a small scuff mark!

 

[Welderpaul]

Galv? I went to a company near my workshop who make loads of garden furniture and get it galv'ed. he reckons that cold formed 1.2mmm sheet with welds on the surface could go badly wrong with warpage etc.

we do a fair bit in 4mm plate and that usually warps. Even had 10mm warp. 1.2? Be like a crumpled newspaper.

 

[Welderpaul]

I've found powder coating very durable, had a few motocycle frames/parts done over the years, don't know if it's standard practice but the place I use chromate primes before coating.

He did once demonstrate how tough it was by hitting with a hammer, just left a small scuff mark!

Probably not normal polyester coating then. Polyester powdercoating scuffs easily. - A lot depends on the colour.

 

[Drains]

Owz about about some sort of Parkerizing (the blue/grey finish you get on gun barrels) - it's a phosphate kind of deal. Wikipedia...
Obviously the job won't be steel colour, but it won't be rusty either.

Otherwise it's obviously a case of producing your own patterns and getting the thing cast from Chrome Moly. Your client will be able to use it as a tool kit too. Win!

 

[Shox Dr]

I've found powder coating very durable, had a few motocycle frames/parts done over the years, don't know if it's standard practice but the place I use chromate primes before coating.

He did once demonstrate how tough it was by hitting with a hammer, just left a small scuff mark!

Very few Powder coaters do this. Most if they can get away with it will dip, wash and powder coat. leaving the rust on. (How do I know that) Without shot blasting

The Powder coaters I use now epoxy primer before powder coating. Top job

 

[Chipper]

Galv doesn't stay shiney does it, goes flat grey, not purty.

Had bike frames powder coated, no rust problems, and they got used all year.
Maybe getting the powder into the nooks inside yon fish might be a bit of a challenge, but no idea -my mate who was a coater says in such places the electrical field fights back, they have to find a way round that.

As well as clear there's chrome powdercoat by Aerocoat and others for max bling...

 

[shocker]

Yeah,I was going to bring up mountain bike and motorcycle frames too......is there a durability factor that is affected by the type of undercoat?Obviously good prep work is the start of any good job,but....???

And epoxy clear topcoats....a US friend mentioned them to me the other day in another context.....worth looking at eastwood site?

 

[Coo]

What about .... UV stable resin of some sort ??

 

[madkayaker]

west epoxy?

 

[drjim]

could you oil it - use fish oil.

 

[chunkolini]

I think we are going stainless, I want something that can live oputside and look great in 2 years time. Waiting for my customer to get back from hols.

Chunko'.

 

[chap]

So are you going 304 or 316?
As i understand it: 304 for indoors, 316 for outdoors/medical/food/marine.

 

[chunkolini]

I have used 304 outdoors before and two years on stuff is looking fine.
Just waiting for Mr Punter to come back to me.

Chunko'.

 

[blacksmithstris]

Hi Chunko,
I've got a small bit of experience with getting artwork galv'd and powder coated. With my stuff distortion hasn't been much of an issue- really. But then most of that work has consisted mostly of round bar, with only small bits of sheet, and nothing left flat. I've had some huge flowers galv'd, then powdercoated, but tbh, I wouldn't recommend the powdercoat now, although I've gone with it a few times.

I've had some ornate gates galv'd and powdercoated, but they were in 30x50x3 frames, the gates I had a nightmare experience where they had to be sent back a few times- the first time they had a rough finish, looked like the slag from the zinc was left all over it, sharp bits which cut my hands when i ripped off the bubble wrap! second time it all seemed to be ok, until a year later my customers phoned me up and said, "the gates are corroding" so the galv plant sent out a technician to confirm that, yeah, they were, they hadn't been done properly. The last time they came back one of the welds snapped, holding one of the leaves to the frame. Probably a crappy weld to begin with, but annoying none the less. Anyway, the big flowers I've had powdercoated, I just didn't really like the look - customer chose the colour- I'm not a fan of painted metal, but it has it's place, but to me with some artwork, part of the beauty is the material itself- the look of naked steel.. oooh errr! I'm left a bit skeptical about clear powder coat over MS.

So, my conclusions- if it needs to be shiny forever and it's outside, it's got to be stainless. MS will try to rust no matter what you do to it. Unfortunately I've not been able to convince any customers to pay the extra money for stainless, (yet), but I've heard it's a nightmare to forge, so maybe it's a good thing.

 

[chunkolini]

Hi another artyfarty type.

I have decided to avoid the galv thing, powder and paint? dont like them at all.
Have a look at rusting some work, then wirebrushing it and lacquering, a weird bronze colour with irredescent bits like subtle metal flake. Changes colour as the light changes as well. Do you have a website it is always good to see what the opposition are up to.

Best wishes, Chunko'.

 

[blacksmithstris]

I like rusted and then waxed.. hard to sell rust though. I find one of the challenges of this kind of work is finding the best finish... finish can make or break a piece of work... The majority of stuff I've been doing lately has been for indoors, and then I'll use jade oil then beeswax.

I used to clear lacquer everything!! But then discovered it doesn't stand up so well outside...

website is www.colleendupon.co.uk

it's out of date, been in the process of re-designing it, but well, never enough hours in the day is there?

 

[Chipper]

Haven't found a clearcoat yet that lasts, apart from two-pack. This is on bikes, ridden all weather, and I'm a bit of a sponge-dodger when it comes to cleaning them. Tried several clears, none lasted more than a few months, some only days.
2k clear'd some engine cases and a year later there was no trace of a problem.
Rattle-can stuff, not worth the time or money.

A place did reccommend clear powder coating but I chickened out from trying it; if it did fail it'd be a mare to get off. At least paint is re-doable easily.

 

[Lewis Medlock]

How about aluminium Chunko?

Cheers for the mooch about during H-Art by the way, we (SWMBO and I) loved the arty stuff and i was inspired by the spud gun

All the best, Jim

 

[mike os]

Chunko's spudgun= WMD?