painting

[rgayres]

I'm inspired by the beautiful paint jobs on various member's suspension components, but do not have the equipment or expertise to tackle powder coating. Control arms, brackets, splash shields, etc are all ready for reassembly pending final painting. Other than powder coating, what would you recommend for a durable finish? POR15 has been mentioned, but it needs a topcoat. I am open to suggestions.
Rich

[pope]

Look in the yellow pages and find a company that powder coats. Its not that expensive.

[rgayres]

Has anyone tried this DIY product from Eastmans? I always like to weigh various options before I jump in. In the mean time, I'll check out local powder coating firms.

[wachuko]

Go to a pawn shop or second hand place and buy the cheapest stove/oven you can find. Get that kit from Eastman or a cheaper one from Harbor Freight... easy to do.

But if these are the only parts you will ever powder coat then just take them to a local shop that does that, as other have mentioned, it is not that expensive and will make those parts and the car look 10x better.

Or you can build your oven so it can accommodate larger pieces:

http://forum.caswellplating.com/oven-building-forum/

[rgayres]

Pope and Wachuko
Thanks for your input. I'm convinced...I'll let someone else handle the powder coating.

[engineerted]

Save your money and use a good epoxy paint, or a cheep epoxy paint. Nobody is going to tell the difference if it is power coated or not after 6 months on the road. Both will chip, scratch and get dirty.

Ted

[rgayres]

Ted
What kind of factory applied coating did Fiat use on the suspension parts? Powder? Epoxy? Whatever it was, it is sure difficult to remove.
Rich

[engineerted]

Most likely the manufacture used some type of Ecoat paint, electrostatic painting system, where as the paint and the metal are electrically charged thus attracting to each other. Powder coat is done the same way but need heat to melt and bond the two together.

Ted

[baltobernie]

Has anyone tried this DIY product from Eastmans?

Yes, it works very well, but ...

· Air pressure must be regulated to 8-10 psi, and the process likes nice, dry air (no oil)
· Once you start, it's easy to want to do the whole car!
· It is even available in crinkle



A household electric oven from the local landfill is the way to go. The fine powder does seem to hang in the air indefinitely, so wear a paper mask. The curing really stinks, too. One color choice is a "chrome-like" powder that won't fool anyone, but it is an inexpensive alternative to the real thing.