Q: What is powder coating?
A: Powder coating is, essentially, plastic that has been melted onto a metal item. The "powder" is plastic that has been chemically engineered to melt at a certain temperature and cool to a specifically designed surface finish.
Q: Can you powder coat nonmetallic items?
A: All items being powder coated must be able to withstand the temperatures associated with baking the powder onto the item. Concrete and glass items are good candidates for powder coating.
Q: Will powder coating hide dents, dings and blemishes in the surface of my project?
A: While powder coating is generally thicker than paint, powder coating will not cover surface blemishes to any great degree. Very small imperfections such as sandpaper marks will be covered and hidden but rust pits, weld cavities, gouges, dents and other readily visible imperfections will not be hidden. We at COATPRO pride ourselves in taking the time necessary to "clean up" small imperfections and will bring any serious defects in the surface to your attention but any "body work" will be your responsibility. We will discuss the quality of your project's surface with you and give you our professional opinion about what the surface will look like once it is coated but cannot be held responsible if the powder coating fails to hide imperfections in the base metal.
Q: Can internal engine parts be powder coated?
A: In general, moving parts cannot be powder coated. The thickness of the coating would have to be compensated for and the temperatures associated with internal engine parts will melt the coating. Internal parts can be coated with a variety of technical coatings to meet specific needs. We have and apply specially developed coatings for piston skirts, main and rod bearings, piston tops and other parts.
Q: Can I get custom colors?
A: Powder coating colors are engineered into the plastic when it is manufactured. Colors cannot be blended like paint to get a custom color. Although custom colors are available from the manufacturers, they must be ordered in relatively large quantities and take up to 4 weeks for delivery. The range of stock colors available is tremendous and we are sure you will find the color you are looking for at COATPRO.
Q: How do I prepare my project for powder coating?
A: THe only thing you need to do is completely disassemble it and remove all plastic, rubber, electrical and "greased" (bearings, etc.) parts The temperatures involved will ruin any "soft" parts and burn off or "boil" any grease on the parts. The temperatures, although high, ARE safe for tempered parts such as springs. Soldered parts cannot be powder coated since the solder will melt at the temperatures used in the process. Silver soldered and brazed parts are OK to be coated. Don't bother cleaning or sanding anything- that's part of our process and price!