Powder Coated tank and side covers

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I have done only industrial painting, and only a little.
But, gee whiz, why??? How is this a better choice than paint?
Powder Coated tank and side covers
 
My first Norton paint job was done meticulously with Dupli Color spray cans of a red that I like. (see my avatar) Then I found out it has lousy gasoline resistance. I needed to cover the Norton transfers any way so I went with the 2K clear. It has been ok for a long time and I get compliments on a good looking spray can paint job. The Dupli Color product has been very disappointing. It not only does not resist gasoline but it has scratched easily as well and it wrinkled up under the clear coat after about 5 years. So, I have this friend who is willing to experiment a little at his powder coating business. It is way cheaper than a professional paint job and hopefully will look ok and last a long time. It is what I want for my bike since I do ride it to rallies and Barber etc. I don't want it to look bad over time or get scratched up. Who knows, it might look really good after I get the clear coat on. I would have preferred a deeper red though.
 
For eight years I was a manufacturing engineer working for KitchenAid responsible for their powder coating line on the Standmixers and blenders (25-30 colors). Due to the nature of the substrate (Zinc & Aluminum die casting) we had lots of issues with out-gasing, at times orange peel due to the Faraday cage areas and contamination due to dirt, powder seeds and lint. We used 3M's Finesse-it polishing system to remove the defects and never needed any topcoat unless we were spraying metallic powders or hit bare metal. We would start by sanding the defects with 1500-3000 grit pads in an orbital sander and then follow up with the 3M Finesse-it polishing compound and their buffing pads. This system was quite effective and if you have a chance go to your local appliance supplier and check out the finish on a KitchenAid Standmixer, I have never worked with a fussier assembly group and in the powder coating world appliance finishes are considered to be one most visually critical.

I considered powder coating the tank on my 1971 T-120 and our powder supplier offered to match the original Tiger Gold but my sheet metal was less than perfect and I was concerned about the results, I did however powdercoat my side covers and frame. After leaving KitchenAid I went to work for a die cast wheel manufacturer again on their powder line and they used regular bondo to repair blemishes along with the Finesse-it system. The use of bondo always concerned me because of the 400 F curing temperature. There is a high temperature filler material available that apparently uses aluminum as a filler (Labmetal?). Powder is great but pretreatment, masking and application is critical. It really takes an experienced coater and top-notch equipment to get results which come close to a good "wet spray" job.
 
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I used a sponge sanding block and then the maroon scotch brite. After applying the stickers I used Eastwood 2k satin clear. Here it is:
 

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drp said:
For eight years I was a manufacturing engineer working for KitchenAid responsible for their powder coating line on the Standmixers and blenders (25-30 colors). Due to the nature of the substrate (Zinc & Aluminum die casting) we had lots of issues with out-gasing, at times orange peel due to the Faraday cage areas and contamination due to dirt, powder seeds and lint. We used 3M's Finesse-it polishing system to remove the defects and never needed any topcoat unless we were spraying metallic powders or hit bare metal. We would start by sanding the defects with 1500-3000 grit pads in an orbital sander and then follow up with the 3M Finesse-it polishing compound and their buffing pads. This system was quite effective and if you have a chance go to your local appliance supplier and check out the finish on a KitchenAid Standmixer, I have never worked with a fussier assembly group and in the powder coating world appliance finishes are considered to be one most visually critical.

I considered powder coating the tank on my 1971 T-120 and our powder supplier offered to match the original Tiger Gold but my sheet metal was less than perfect and I was concerned about the results, I did however powdercoat my side covers and frame. After leaving KitchenAid I went to work for a die cast wheel manufacturer again on their powder line and they used regular bondo to repair blemishes along with the Finesse-it system. The use of bondo always concerned me because of the 400 F curing temperature. There is a high temperature filler material available that apparently uses aluminum as a filler (Labmetal?). Powder is great but pretreatment, masking and application is critical. It really takes an experienced coater and top-notch equipment to get results which come close to a good "wet spray" job.
Click to expand...
Your absolutely correct about how important pretreatment is for a top powder job
I used to preheat the frame after it was treated and apply a lean mix of powder to the hot steel so it would flow out with no orange peel...
I also used to add pearl powder into the standard black gloss powdercoat for customers wanting a custom look
 
I did that too. Here is the other side of the bike. Note: I sprayed the side cover with an engine enamel satin clear and it came out a bit glossy. I'll have to fix it.
Powder Coated tank and side covers
 
For gloss finish
Lightly wet rub the paint work down with 2000 grit and then use a medium light rubbing compound and buff off with a microfiber cloth...bling bling
 
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