i have some wheels but im not sure which would be a better option. anodized or powder coating?
anyone have any experience with either in terms of longevity, finish and how hard wearing they are?
also anyone have any ideas on cost involved for either?
any input or company name drops would be appreciated, pref in any of the following areas, oxford, london, somerset.
cheers =)
Depends on what you are coating. I have both in the engine bay.
If its basic parts like the plenum then go for the powder coating. It is more scratch resistant and you can pick what ever colour you want from RAL / PANTONE through to custom colours with flakes.
Anodizing is also a protective coating for aluminium. Fuel can corrode aluminium and some people recommend hard anodising and then you don\'t have as much colour options. There are different grades of anodising, not completely knowledgeable of it.
There is also another option you haven\'t thought of. If its engine bits you can also do ceramic coating to colour stuff and control engine bay temps.
Shaun
There was a site on the net about how to anodize stuff yourself...
http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml
You need loads of old batteries for the acid, some scrap lead, an old non metal bath, and an old battery charger.
You also need soda crystals, and food or clothing dye for coloured anodizing.
To echo what shaun says...depends on what you are coating. You will look to anodise aluminium, and powder coat steel.
I am sending parts off to be coated this week....so if you are after getting some done...send it to me, and I will get it done for you. Depends on the colour for cost...but Orange is best :)
Anodising has limited colour, whereas Powder coating has more options.
Finding colours for anodising will be tricky and will more than likely prove costly. I know a guy who can do powdercoating at an extremely reasonable cost...can pass on his details if you like?
thanks for the replys :)
shaun, its refering to wheels, advans sa3r. alloys but mixture of what metals, i have no idea lol
looks like powder coating would be the way forward after being shot blasted. looking to do the centres black and lips red. (unless can think of some crazy colour to fit my fc)
jit & atomic: can you send me details and prices please also if they do shot blasting?
w.liam.li(at)gmail.com
If you are doing wheels also be very careful. Alloy wheels are powder coated as standard but you need to use a powder coater who does wheels regular.
Somebody told me that you need the low temp process because you can alter the grain structure of the wheel if its done too hot. You can temper the hardness out of the material. I don\'t know if this is a myth or correct, may only effect forged wheels.
There is a company local to me called Fast Line that did all my powder coating. If you wanted a non stock colour they would have to buy you a box of powder and it has a couple on month self life.
http://www.yell.com/b/Fast+Line+Coatings+Ltd-Powder+Coating-Preston-PR18SZ-1786756/index.html
We have a plant at work but I use Fast Line instead. We only really coat new products in steel and aluminium and don\'t have good stripping facilities.
Shaun
Anodizing is pretty simple. I have done some stuff myself.
You need batteryacid (it is available in carpart stores, at least here in sweden)
For colouring i used cheap inkjet ink, with that you can mix to all colours you want. The longer you anodize the more colour the object will get.
And it is possible to anodize logo\'s and/or fades from one colour to another.
The hardest part is to get the parts completely clean.
There are lots of sites explaining the procedure:
http://www.bryanpryor.com/anodizing.php
http://asuwlink.uwyo.edu/~metal/anodizing2.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anodizing101/
http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml
Quote from: Prof;653671There was a site on the net about how to anodize stuff yourself...
http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml
You need loads of old batteries for the acid, some scrap lead, an old non metal bath, and an old battery charger.
You also need soda crystals, and food or clothing dye for coloured anodizing.
If you want your wheels powder coated, then we are looking at £47.50 + VAT per wheel...and you pretty much get to chose your own colour!
Hi Atomic Rex and Jit, seen this old thread and I might need to get a set of wheels powdercoated. Problem is they have already been powdercoated once, is it wise to do it again?
Also in terms of locations, where are these places? Im in Bristol but also in London a lot so anywhere along M4 or even M5 is good for me. How quick do these places turn around?
Cheers
It isnt a problem at all. The wheels are dipped so it strips the existing powder off. If the wheels are damaged, they can then be repaired.....they are primed, coated and baked!
I can usually turn them around within 7-10 days depending on the colour. We have a variety of colours...but anything too wacky, although possible, will require a surcharge as you need to buy in the powder.
We are just off J17 of the M4, so only 30 mins from Bristol.
Here are a set we did recently
From:
(http://www.atomicrex.co.uk/downloads/Secondhand/adrians%20wheels/IMG_0873.JPG)
To:
(http://www.atomicrex.co.uk/downloads/Brake%20Kits/Rx7%20FD/Front%208%20Pot%20Kit/Web/IMG_0914.JPG)
Thats some pretty good results! What sort of prices per wheel would I be talking about if I wanted them in simple gloss black?
I didnt realise you were that close!
The powder coating costs have gone up slightly....so they are £50 + VAT per wheel. This is providing there is no damage to the wheel. I can advise you on any other costs once I see the wheels. Black is by far the simplest...and also takes the least amount of time as there is always black going through the oven :)
Thanks everyone for all the information.
Atomic, do you also spray wheels? They are attached to tyres already and its just the face that was powdercoated/sprayed recently so is it possible to avoid the hassle of sripping the tyres off and just spraying + heavy laquering the wheel faces?
If you are going to do the job...do it right!
It isnt a great cost to remove and remount the tyres...£10 per wheel. They may well need balancing becuase of the new paint.
I dont believe you would get a good finish on the edges. Give me a ring.
i prefer the old colour of the bbs...