Paint vs Powder Coat

Lovs2fly did pass the time by typing:

Powder coat is much stronger than paint, but touchup is not easy.

I've not been impressed with powder coating. It is better than the cheap paint some companies use but not as strong and durable as top quality paint.

My guess is that is cheaper for the manufacturer than doing a proper paint job.

So you are saying that powder coating can be superior if done correctly?

My winch bumper was powder coated... It didn't seem like it took very long before there were bubble forming under the coating which when they finally popped showed that it was because of rust... I *might* be because of an improper powder coating job by the manufacturer, but the end result is that a good quality paint is easily repairable by an owner and a powder coating is not...

Powder coat is not all the same, it varies widely in durability and resistance to UV light (the sun). Surface prep is also a huge factor.

If you're going to AlumOxide blast the entire frame down to white steel, most powder coat will work great and be next to impossible to damage without really banging up the frame. Expect it to cost you about $500 ~ $1000 to do GOOD powder coat on the frame. The $200 specials you see sometimes are the really cheap stuff that won't last you more than maybe

18 months before it looks all powderey and dusty from UV and exposure. It still stays on OK, but looks far worse than a good epoxy paint over a quality primer. There's a guy here in SE Wisc doing Powder Coat for only $250 on any frame. Looks great out of the shop, looks like crap a year later.

Personally, I'm going to bedliner my frame. Not the rubbery stuff, the stuff that hardens to be - uh - really hard. Can't think of the brand right now, my buddy has it in his shop. He did the entire engine compartment of his 54 Ford Panel Van and you can't damage it with a screwdriver - UberTough. Good stuff.

Cheers, - Jeff G

Bedliners like Herculiner are great stuff for frames, but as a cautionary note read the following thread:

In my experience preparation is everything. I would rather have a cheaper paint that was prepped and applied properly, than something that was laid on without regard to proper preparation. In principle, since powder coating is actually baked on, it would be hard to beat it. But given time, people can secrw anything up.

Earle

Stay away from powder if you live in the north...powder coating does not stand up to the salt very well... POR-15 is what most of the guys up here use...

Jeff

FOTFLMAO - OMG that's funny! Don't now if it's real, but if it is, I feel nothing but sorry for the poor guy. LOL

Cheers, - Jeff G

I live in the Mid-Atlantic and do get a fair about of exposure to salt. With regard to POR-15 my understanding is that is like a sealer that stops further rusting. But, it still requires some type of paint since is not for UV exposure. What are you coating the POR with?

Dennis

Powder Coating and liquid are only as good as the preparation. Powder as well as paint can be formulated to meet whatever requirements are needed. Powder requires a high heat cure at about 350-400f for 10-20 minutes metal temperature not air. OEM frames/ (unibodies are dipped with the body electrocoat only) on cars and trucks are not powder coated but electrocoated or liquid dip painted. You need to penetrate areas that you cannot spray so dipping is used. These coatings are typically not uv resistant as a topcoat is. There are some exceptions in that powder is used on large trucks for the rails. Springs, A arms, and most under hood /under body parts are epoxy based and are not uv resistant right from the factory. Everything is a trade off in coatings, epoxies tend to resist chipping better and have higher corrosion resistance as well as resistance to chemicals. Polyesters tend to be uv resistant and have overall fair to good properties. Acrylics tend to be harder and more uv resistant but tend to chip easier. These are rule of thumbs... A hardness test with a nickel is a rough measurement, pencil hardness is used to indicate hardness. There is a broad range of chemistries that will give you various hardnesses depending on the product you use and is not a one for all measurement.