saw this discussion on another forum and thought I'd ask the gurus here

I'd love to powder coat my frame, but some bad areas (pitting and such) that need filling are leading me to paint...

the discussion on the other forum mention that you could fill/sand the bad areas with JB weld and coat away... any experience here with this ???

I've got a call into local coater but no return call yet...

thanks

john

 

I had a local coater tell me the same thing, so it must be true!

 

go to http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_coat.htm they are one of the biggest powdercoating suppliers and have a tech line. They can tell you what will and won't work. JB weld as a filler for a whole frame? $$$$$$$$

 

ax,

nah, not the whole frame... just a few badly pitted places that will show between cab and bed... I'll pretty up the front from cab forward so with the tilt hood up, it's slick... shouldn't take but a couple of tubes...

now ?? do you add the filler before sand blast or after ???

j

 

powdercoat is heated to 400*F for ~ 20 min to melt and cure the powder, so you could commandeer the boss's oven and run a test to see if the filler of choice survives, especially on a vertical surface. We often lightly heat jewelry pieces to break loose or remove epoxy glue, so I suspect you might be in trouble with epoxy fillers either from sagging loosening or chemical reaction with the powder coating. Let me know what Caswell says will work, My brothers gave me a powdercoat gun for Xmas. Won't be doing a frame but might like to do some filling on some pieces I will do.

 

Fill it up with lead its the way it was done back in the day. From my experience with powdercoat everything must be metalic for the powder to stick. so jbweld might or might not work.

 

No, fillers do not work well at all. I heard it may work, so we tried it at a friendly local powdercoating afterhours at full temp, full cycle. All the tested fillers failed. We tried JB,Alumifill,and even B stage Polyimide ( Kapton) which is used as a NASA fuel nozzle shield and then a Nomex filled ceramic fine paste which shields to 2100* after cure. All the products either melted and contaminated the area proximate or popped off during cycle. The powder just did not " Fly" to the metal as to begin the bonding process. The most impressive filler was the 2100 Ceram which held the powder but jumped from the chassis since it became harder then metal during cure and did not shrink at the same rate as the metal. The powder has a - charge and the metal has a + charge ( or v-v) at coat application so they attract and attach during cure cycle. It is a weird science that I understand but my stubborness made me try. If a guy really wanted to P C a chassis needing filler, there is always flamespray and then fine sand prior to PC. Big Bux though.

 

why not welder up and grind it smooth it shouldnt take much weld and well i dont think it will be a problem

 

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Eastwood sells a product they call Lab-Metal (hi temp). They say after curing it will be great under powder coating. they also advertise, Evercoat Metal to Metal. I'm soon to call them about both, because I've been trying to figure out the same thing with my frame. I'll get back to ya, after I talk to them.

 

ATCCRACING - Please post back for all of us. I too have an application.
Thanks

 

Lab metal I'm familiar with melts in boiling water. Even a higher temp version isn't likely to stick to other metal. Lead isn't really out of the question tho, It's not as hard to work with as some would believe and you could use a bernzomatic type torch to apply it on metal as thin as a frame.

 

Lab-Metal and Hi-Temp Lab-metal is made by Alvin Products... I talked to them today and they claim good success with the Hi--Temp product... good to 1000° and is a good ground for the power coat work...

little pricey at 60 bucks for a 24 oz can... or 30 bucks for 12 oz. I shouldn't need more than 12.

I've also considered brazing in some brass or just sitting down and welding in the pitting and grind it back down... but that's just a lot of work. It's probably an area about 8" long on top of each frame rail and would have to nearly pad the whole thing with weld and grind it all out... and with my welding skills... some more filling and grinding to take care of the voids

still more thinking to do... I don't think I'm that fond of lead and handling and fumes and whatever nasties are inherent with that work...

let's keep investigating.... there seems to be some general interest... some of you home coaters might try some experiments in your baby ovens

later

john

 

anything you put on there besides weld would jsut be purely visual and sure wouldnt do crap for strength. john now is a great time to learn how to weld. if you lived here i would show you how the right way.

 

If you have an oxy-ac torch brazing wold be easier for filling, just don't use brass tho if you plan on painting over it.