Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Powder coating

Hi all
I need to get my wire wheels powdercoated. Any recommendations around the Halesowen area ( B63).
Thanks

It's not generally considered a good idea to powdercoat wire wheels, as they flex the powdercoat will crack and corrosion will extend under the coating.

Having said that, I know that some people have had success with powdercoated wheels.

My own experience is that by the time wheels are shabby enough to require repainting, they also need rebuilding/realigning, and new painted wheels are actually not that expensive.

Check out Plascoating parts of my car have been done and its a kind of rubberized solid surface . If the paint marks ( ie hairline scratches , they blend over itself ) . Its also flexible to a certain extent . Comes in many colours .

Powdercoating on wire wheels? The problem with that is that the centre nut will grab the coating, making it harder to get the nuts off, and eventually lifting the coating and leaving bare metal.

Paint isn't much better but at least is a DIY refurb proposition.

Hence the Plascoat use it on the rigs its not British .

Never had a problem with powder coating wheels. As long as the surface is prepared properly and adequately degreased then its as durable as any finish.

The firm that I use are long established and have a really good reputation. They will even go so far as to say that they cant powder coat parts because the pittings too deep rather than turn a shoddy job round.l

I've been shown some absolutely shocking parts by the cowboy lot where powder coat has been applied over grease or rusty metal. Also where the oven has been too hot or too cold.

Arwyn

I am in the Tim camp here Arwyn.

I have seen powder coated wire wheels that cracked and the coating broke up after a few months, but I accept this was a few years ago and things do change.

I accept 100% that powder coatings are great for many items, but they are not thermoplastic , and won't resist flexing (unless things have changed in the last few years)

You are certainly correct that the key is substrate preparation, as it is for any coating application.

It is also very likely that powder coating technology has improved a lot since VOC legislation has almost made solvent based coatings extinct in Europe. This is also true of UV cured systems which have also advanced dramatically for the same reason.

It is down to the prep and quality of the process. A while back a local company powder coated their products, many being for underwater use in the sea. I had a visit there and was impressed.
I would be happy for it in many applications where there is no heat, significant flexing, abrasion. Long term if the coating cracks then it creates a deadly rust environment under peeling areas.
Wire wheels? If done properly then it should be ok but keep an eye on damage from stones/kerbing etc..

So a polyester powder is not a thermoplastic?

Powder coating is very durable with the right preparation. Find a company that phosphate etches the parts first and there's not a lot short of burning that will get it to come off

Simon @ SiFab.co.uk

Andy

Certainly powder coating has improved greatly in recent years, I found that colours, especially gloss black are now more UV stable, none of the horrible chalking which used to happen after a few years.

The coatings are also pretty flexible, for example, I've just checked the main fork spring on my 1934 Ivory Calthorpe which was coated a few years back and there's no sign of it flaking off

As Simon says phosphate treatment is the key and the firm I use does this. Apparently the kit isn't cheap so a lot of the new
players tend not to have it.

For removal of powder coat, a week long soak in a dichloromethane based paint stripper such as Starchems Synstrip usually gets it shifted.

Arwyn