Prepping for powder coat - what did you do?

[Gizmosrcool]

Hey Everyone

I am working my way through the foot boxes and interior panels. I plan on powder coating. I have had my car for 3 months and the panels are tarnishing a little and of course a few scratches here and there.

What is the norm for most powder coaters? Do you give them the panels as is and they prep and clean up and then paint? Or am I on the hook for the prep? Or even if they do it, should I “get it close”?

If I should prep. What is the best method? What to clean with? What grit sandpaper?

Appreciate the help and feedback. Thx. Tom

[danmas]

I am just going to give them the all the panels. They will prep them.

[edwardb]

Not mentioned, but best to fit, drill, and cleco your panels before sending out for powder coat. That way you can mark on them freely, not be afraid to scratch, adjust bends, whatever. May be necessary to clear powder coat from the holes before installing. But that's easy and goes quickly. To your original question, no they don't need any prior prep. Standard procedure for powder coaters to clean before applying the powder and baking. Typically media blast or something similar.

[Gizmosrcool]

Edward and Danmas. Yes. Ideally just send to them to handle. 1 stop shop is preferred. No work for me. Only thing is to pick a color. I want a silver close to the aluminum.

I am mocking all up, everything drilled, and cleco in place. This will include the brake and fuel lines, and a few engine gadgets. The less for me to scratch. The better. :cool:

Thx. Tom

[mach'er]

The only thing I did was make a spreadsheet, with an itemization of what I was taking (with some pictures) - so I knew what I should be getting back. I did all the powder coating over three batches of panels/parts dropped off sequentially, one bunch of brackets & parts to be coated in black, then two batches of panels - one silver, and one red. When one batch was done, I'd drop off the next. They did all the prep. All I did was drop off, pick up, and pay the bill.

[DanQ]

My powder coater appreciates that I bring them in cleaned up, but like any painter, their reputation depends on prep and finish, and most will not do the job unless they provide it all. I was told aluminum has a few additional steps required before powder, and media or sand blasting is preferred. I had 75 feet of deck railings powder coated after I built that, and they were sandblasted and immediately powder coated satin black. My guy said even finger oils on fresh sandblasting will cause issues, so they don't even want you helping. Just drop them off and pick them up when done. He certainly did a good job for me, as those railings are looking new after ten years of Minnesota outdoors.

[Sdonnel]

Along with what everyone else recommended, go around the chassis looking for and removing weld splatter. I spent an hour knocking off splatter that would have shown in my powder coat.

[KayzDad]

The powder coater I used has several standard colors it runs each week. Choosing one of the standard colors saved me a $300 set up fee. Fortunately for me the color I wanted, a black semigloss, was one of the standard colors.

[OB6]

I dropped off my panels at the powder coater without any prep... they did everything (acid wash and scotchbrite as needed). In fact I don't think they would have wanted me to do any prep.