GSA Alloy Topbox Powder Coating?

[Farmer Palmer]

So after all the 'how do I keep my alloy panniers clean' threads on here I fancy powder coating/painting my spare alloy ADV topbox black rather than going down the vinyl coating route.

The top box is already a 'custom build' made from a damaged cut down 'offside' pannier so i'm no stranger to reaming out the rivets that hold the box together.

It's quite a lot of work stripping a pannier down into it's three alloy component parts aswell as removing the locks, mounting brackets and tiedown brackets from the lid etc so i wouldn't want to do it unless it was worth it.

Just fancied a change and thought it would look good with my new Touratech Zega Pro 'And Black' panniers!

FP.

 

[Stormforce8]

I had my 'standard' Zega boxes powdercoated matt black a few years ago - no issues and still look like new even now

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

If it was me I would acid etch and paint them. Much less work as you don't have to get the plastic out and it you use 2K just as tough.

 

[Kamikaze]

What about the stuff in this thread?
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319600&highlight=fork+legs

 

[Bendy toy]

Funny hows there's no "how it looks after the winter salt hits it" thread.

Powder coat is very tough. I had a Yamaha rear brake calliper and carrier brackets done maybe 4 years ago along with my tubular side case rack/frame. All still looks like new. A company that knows their job will always use self etch primer on aluminium or zinc passivate on steel before doing the powder.

Its a hassle getting the plastic parts off but if you have the means to rivet them back powder coat is the most durable. The people I use are hardly any more costly than paint.

Dents will be fine but gouged scratches will look worse on a colour finish than the bare metal.

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Spoke to my local powder coater today and this weekends job is to ream out the sixty odd stainless rivets and separate the box into it's three alloy components of lid, middle section and base stripped of all the locks, corners, seals and strap brackets.

I'll replace the rivets with small stainless dome head allen bolts and nyloc nuts same as i did on the previous two boxes i've 'customised' after it's been powder coated............!

Either that or i'll get some masking tape and just spray the box rattlecan matte black and go for the sh*tkicker look!

FP.

 

[Bendy toy]

This might help

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=aircraft+rivets&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Getting cold feet now..........!


Fitted the Zega Pro's tonight and although they are blacker than a black thing in a coal miners coalhouse the brushed alloy BMW topbox looks a good match with the boxes.

Now i'm thinking the black powder coat might be a bit too much as the only silver bits would be the bolt heads, locks and lid brackets.

I'm going to give it a few days then decide what i'll to do.......At the end of the day they're just boxes to put stuff in and get kicked about!

 

[ihandyman247]

Getting cold feet now..........!


Fitted the Zega Pro's tonight and although they are blacker than a black thing in a coal miners coalhouse the brushed alloy BMW topbox looks a good match with the boxes.

Now i'm thinking the black powder coat might be a bit too much as the only silver bits would be the bolt heads, locks and lid brackets.

I'm going to give it a few days then decide what i'll to do.......At the end of the day they're just boxes to put stuff in and get kicked about!

You could do with one less headache and more money in your pocket
Why bother is just some silly panniers , ones they get scratched they will look worse then original

 

[Farmer Palmer]

You could do with one less headache and more money in your pocket
Why bother is just some silly panniers , ones they get scratched they will look worse then original

These panniers can never ever ever get scratched............They're the Zega Pro 'Limited Edition' with the world map on one side and a rather nifty GS motif etched on the other and one of only a hundred pairs made..........!

Scratching them would be the equivelent of BBQing a kitten!

FP.

 

[Bendy toy]

BBQing kittens? Ear plugs. YKIMS

If the black is too BLACK, flat off the gloss and spray with rattle can silver wheel paint.