Powdercoating Metal Parts - Powder Puff - Tech

You've just finished a complete makeover of your Mustang that turned it from an ordinary ponycar to a rolling shrine of style and performance. The unfortunate part is that underneath the pretty paint, behind the sweet dubs, and next to the billet components, are boring metal brackets that can be an eyesore as weather and time take their toll. Restore the luster and enhance the appearance of those raw and exposed metal objects using a do-it-yourself powdercoating kit from Summit Racing (PN SUM-01-6100). The process is quick, easy, and can be done at home thanks to the environmental friendliness of the Summit kit.

Powdercoating is a great alternative to painting parts because the finish is more durable and longer lasting. Powdercoating can be best described as a thermosetting powder that is sprayed onto a metal piece. Low-voltage electric current runs through the piece to electrically charge it so the powder sticks to the surface. High-school science taught us that opposite electric magnetic fields attract, therefore the powder clings to the electrified metal. Once the part is covered, it's cooked in an oven at 400 degrees. The powder melts when baked at that temperature for 10-15 minutes. A bond is formed between the individual dust particles and the metal part-the result is a flexible, corrosive-, impact-, and scratch-resistant coating that will last for years.

Any metal piece can be coated, from control arms and rearend housings to A/C and super-charger brackets. The components will need to be broken down and fully stripped of pieces that are heat sensitive. For example, if you're coating suspension pieces, then the rubber bushings will need to be removed along with other items that cause interference, such as bearings, clamps, nuts, bolts, and so on. The procedure requires an electric oven. Once that oven is involved in a powdercoating project, it can never be used for food preparation again.

The first step of the process-and the most critical-is to clean the parts. The cleaner the surface, the smoother and better the powdercoating will look. Failure to remove grease, rust, oil, and the like will result in a poor finish. The instructions have several recommendations on how to clean the part. Powdercoating can be laid over painted products, provided that paint can withstand temperatures around 400 degrees-if not, then strip the part to the bare metal. We received an interesting tip after we coated a few things for this story: Preheat the part at 150 degrees for a few minutes before spraying on the powder. This eliminates the orange-peel look that's oftentimes present on a powdercoated product. Another cause for orange peel can be traced back to a dirty surface or incomplete cure.

Once the part is cleaned, it will be either hung or laid on top of the oven rack. The instructions recommend hanging the parts for a clean and even coating, otherwise the bottom side will have lines from the oven rack. Support the oven rack between two objects such as jackstands or chairs. If you're only coating the top portion of the part, then it's OK to lay it on the oven rack rather than suspend it. Summit supplies 10 two-inch wire hangers to suspend the part under the grill.

The application gun is filled with powder, and Summit offers 20 different colors. We chose black for this story, as we will be using the kit to coat most of our suspension products. The ground clip is required to be attached directly to the component, grille, or hooks. The next step is to let it rip and squeeze the trigger to shoot the powder on to the subject. Keep the gun approximately 6 inches away while applying the powder. Make sure the powder is evenly applied to the entire surface.