How much to powder coat Migsel's light bar?

[Droopy Dick]

Ok.

I much admire Michel's light bar, but have decided that I want it to a stealthy matt black.

Never having had powder coating done before, has anyone a rough idea of how much it would cost?

I've found three local companies, but I'd like some idea before I start as to how much would be reasonable, and how much a rip-off.

 

[Steptoe]

Doesn't need shot blasting - so £10 seems reasonable

 

[Paul Young]

Halfords rattle can?

I've used their satin black to spray my alloy wheels, front mudguard & rocker covers & it holds up really well. Being stainless, you don't have to worry about the paint flaking off any rust &, if any touching up becomes necessary, getting a match will be much easier.

I had some rocker covers powder coated a few years ago & ended up spraying them when the p/coating got stone-chipped.

HTH,

 

[Droopy Dick]

Cor!

£10 is cheap.

Surely, if I resort toa spray can, I'd need to wash the thing down with degreaser and then us e aprimer?

And how long would that take?

Much better value for money to take it to someone else.

 

[Steptoe]

Cor!

£10 is cheap.

I only pay £50 for a K series frame to be shotblasted and powder coated - doesn't mean it'll cost that where you live

 

[Droopy Dick]

I only pay £50 for a K series frame to be shotblasted and powder coated - doesn't mean it'll cost that where you live

You might get a better deal 'cos of the volume of work you do, but surely Southampton has to be cheaper than London???

 

[Mouse]

Is it made of aluminium?

If so you'll need an entching primer (or so I've been told). But I had good results recently painting some aluminium with high temperature exhaust paint, and then curing it in the oven for half an hour.

 

[ralphy]

Is it made of aluminium?

No, they are made of steel - and bloody strong steel too!

I had three of them powder coated in Bristol for £6 each (cash ) by a firm that also did bike frames.

 

[Deleted account 240901001]

I work with S/steel for a living and right next door to a "powder coaters".... I sprayed mine with Halfords "Bullshit" black.........

 

[Droopy Dick]

Sorted.

£8.20 incl VAT.

And I can pay using plastic!

 

[Droopy Dick]

Thanks for all the advice.

I found some places to go vist, and first thing this mornign I took it to the nearest place to my home.

They said , "Oh, we don't so powder coating here, we just supply the gubbbins."

However, just after the lady at the reception desk told me this, a chap came out of a workshop area, took a look athe bar and told me it might fit in his small 'oven' onsite.

He took the bar off to check, and came back and sai, "Yes, I can do it."

"What colour do you want?"

I settled for matt black.

"And what's the cost gonna be?" I asked.

"Nothing", he replied. "And it'll be ready tomorrow morning."

So, that's a damned good price!

 

[Gecko]

I may regret this question but somehow I suspect I am not the only one that doesn't actually know what powder coating actually is. Can someone explain in simple language what's so good about it over a decent spray paint job ? While we're at it what andonising too - I know it's for aluminium but is it basically powder coating for aluminium ? I've got a set of wheels which I use for off roading and was thinking about getting something done - maybe sandblasting and then .....I dunno - lacquering to keep em pretty and easy to wash or should I think of something else ?
Cheers
- numpty- Gecko

 

[Mouse]

Aluminium is funny metal - normal paint doesn't stick to it.

This is because aluminium is actually very reactive, and the bare metal instantly reacts with air to form aluminium oxide. Any bare aluminium you see is actually covered in an invisible layer of the oxide. And paint doesn't stick to the oxide.

Anodising involves using an electrical current and an acid bath to force the formation of a regular oxide layer on the metal, which protects the surface. Normally the (non anodised) oxide layer is irregular and flaky (on a microscopic level).

The regular oxide crystals formed by the anodising process are "hollow" (again on a microscopic level) and thus can absorb coloured dye - hence anodising can involve adding a colour to the surface too.

I'm not sure that answers your question though

 

[Deleted account 240901001]

Powder coating is done by electrically charging the component and spraying it with a coloured powder, which "sticks" to the item electrostatically.... just off for a sit down after using a big word like that.... then the component is heated up in an oven that makes the powder liquid and “flow”… basically it’s a plastic coating……

.... the bloke next door explained this to me.... I haven't got a clue about teknikal stuff.....

 

[Gecko]

Ok thanks guys - so in both cases they zapp em with electrickery and stuff stick to it.

If I was to get my wheels sandblasted and anodised would the spoke end up being the same colour or being that they are stainless would they stay normal metal colour ? Is this a stupid question - if so sorry in advance ? Also whats the best guess price for anodising a set of wheels ?

 

[Mouse]

I would have thought that you'd have to strip down the wheels and just get the rims anodised. AFAIK you can't anodise steel.

 

[Grumpy Lee]

In one of my former "lives", I used to work in a plating shop (aero-plane/space manufacture & treatments of) so as best as I can remember anodising (for protection & decoration) is done in a solution containing sulphuric acid and any non-aluminium bits tend to disintegrate (not that I've had much experience with that )
Also, bear in mind that if you have something sand-blasted, you are in effect making the surface area very rough (in fact anodising two identical components but one having been blasted, the blasted one will draw over double the current of the non-blasted one as the the surface area has effectively been increased), there are other methods that can be used to clean up things.
If anybody wants to know anything more about any of the above, just ask and I'll see what I can remember .

Lee

 

[Rich C]

My local powder coaters quoted me £3. Delivery time depended on when they were doing a batch of the colour you want. I shall be doing mine at some point but can't decide what colour.

Ok.

I much admire Michel's light bar, but have decided that I want it to a stealthy matt black.

Never having had powder coating done before, has anyone a rough idea of how much it would cost?

I've found three local companies, but I'd like some idea before I start as to how much would be reasonable, and how much a rip-off.