Powder coat frame or por 15 it?

[al's71gmc]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

AL's71gmc what did you use? It looks good! josh

Josh, It's called XO Rust- Basically Rustoleum type product. The main reason I used it was poverty. About $30 worth between the primer and topcoat, and it comes in lots of colors.

[72SWBChevy]

abadsvt...sorry I do not have any pics yet.

[roj2323]

cool pics and info so far. anyone have rust show up after applying POR15? if so where did it show up? thoughts on using 3M seam sealer on the frame to keep the moisture out of the nooks and crannys?

ondrew

[Longhorn Man]

I've never seen rust on car or truck parts... one of the old shop trucks had almost 200,000 rust belt miles on it after I POR'd it, and when i pulled the bed off of it and junked it back in the spring, the rear frame rails looked awsome.

[roj2323]

good to know!

how would someone go about thining por15 for spraying?

and is all else fails has anyone used one of those 4 inch mini rollers house painters use?

ondrew

[Longhorn Man]

It gives instructions on spraying... however, i don't recomend it. When this stuff is suspended in the air it is HIGHLY toxic. We aren't talking filters and masks, we're talking fresh air systems. Plus, it is expensive enough that you don't want to waste it as overspray.
I've always used a regular cheap 25 cent paint prushes. I'd imagine if you thin it just a tad, you would get pretty much no brush marks. You hardly get any as it comes straight outta the can.

[roj2323]

thanks longhorn.

[BubbaGreen]

If you are going to use it as a "driver" I would shy away from powder coating...it chips easily, then water/moisture gets underneath and will start to cause rusting under the finish...then big pieces of the powder coating finish will flake off=ugly. Clean the frame up to make a smooth surface and use POR15, it wont come off. (period) POR comes in a semi-gloss finish, but my experience, it needs to be stirred constantly or it comes out blotchy..ie, an ugly mix of gloss / flat...which looks terrible. You can top coat POR, but follow the directions very closely. I have tried several frame finishes to include ZERO RUST, POR15, and Eastwoods semigloss chassis Extreme Finish and personnally...I ended up using Eastwoods Extreme Chassis in the semigloss finish with their matching primer. I am extremely happy with the results. I also had my frame sandblasted to bare metal. Powder coating has its positives, but it too has negatives. But POR, is an awesome product, be forwarned, if you spray it, get the protective gear needed to so safely.

[crusher311]

ok i am sorry i must add my thoughts to this post. i am restoring a 68 gmc and i work on small bush planes for a liveing in the most unforgiveing place in the usa alaska. for planes i have used bolth products on plane's and i must say powder coat looks the best glossy por 15 is yes the longer lasting but only if the powder coat was not done right( and it is very hard to find a place that honestly does it right) in my exp though i would go por 15 in a flat. a flat frame with glossy parts around it looks bad ass. thay are bolth very durable products but wich one you should go with depends on the envirement around it. if there is no salt then powder coat. if there is por 15 is the best to go by me personaly i am going to do bolth pruducts on my truck. my moveing parts will be powder coated in a semi gloss and my frame will be por 15 in a flat black. dont know the color yet of the moveing parts i was thinking cherry red as cherry red and black is the colors i am doing the truck in but to answer on the durablity i have droped bolth products from a three story building my dad ws pissed at my but what can i say i slipped the powder coat got a scratch in it the por 15 had to get recoated becouse of crapes por por 15 is better in the cold to

[abadsvt]

Yeah i live in california about 20-30 miles inland from the beach. I don't every have to deal with salt. I still don't know what route to go. Most of the people say go with the por15 but i am worried about the finish. When the powdercoating will have a nice finish but might not be as durable. Please keep the comments coming. It is helping. Thanks Josh

[roj2323]

here's my thoughts. por15 in the worst case senerio "big scratch" is fixable whears powder coat isn't.

[Longhorn Man]

Something to remember here on the POR... if the sun is going to hit it, it needs painted over the POR. It is NOT UV safe.

[dmurphy68]

por 15 is the best stuff imo. But do not spray it, it clogs all you filters and destroyes masks etc... here are some of the things I painted with por15. some were brushed on and some were sprayed.

[roj2323]

ok so i ask too many questions but hey that's what the board is for. about how much por15 should i purchase for a long bed frame?

ondrew

[Ram-Man]

Here are my thoughts on por15 I cant say on durability but I bought some and tried it on a couple frame parts to see if it was what I was after and I am not sold on it I think its overpriced slow drying enamel. I am going back to my original plan to have the frame sandblasted then apply a self etching primer and a catalyzed enamel for the top coat. The por15 has such a slow flash off that everything floating in the air ends up in the finish. I still believe that the finish is gonna be only as good as how the metal is prepped. Just my 2 cents worth.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Ram-Man

Here are my thoughts on por15 I cant say on durability but I bought some and tried it on a couple frame parts to see if it was what I was after and I am not sold on it I think its overpriced slow drying enamel. I am going back to my original plan to have the frame sandblasted then apply a self etching primer and a catalyzed enamel for the top coat. The por15 has such a slow flash off that everything floating in the air ends up in the finish. I still believe that the finish is gonna be only as good as how the metal is prepped. Just my 2 cents worth.

My thoughts exactly.

POR15 took way too long to flash-off for a garage/driveway type paint job. I tried using it on some engine parts & had to do them over because they were still tacky after several hours. I also tried to brush it on (using their brushes). It was very 'streaky' & didn't flow well unless it was heavily applied; then it would run + choice places would take even longer to dry.....

Krylon. Easy to apply & touch-up if needed.

[CAL 58 GMC]

I powder coated mine and it was money well spent! Blasted and coated for $450 and when you get it back it's like new!

[jimmydean]

I do my own powder, but my oven isn't nearly big enough for a frame. My truck would get the powder treatment if I didn't have to drive it. Since my truck is a driver, I'm going the POR15 route.

The nice thing about POR15 is the surface doesn't have to be perfect like it does for powder. Just clean it, take a brush to it, and paint. I wouldn't use it on stuff I see, but my floor and frame will be POR15.

[abadsvt]

Hey Cal 58! I want to see some more pics really bad! That looks sweet! Even though everyone is favoring Por 15 route i am still so close to making my mind up and go with the powdercoating. I have talked to a couple different powdercoating places and they all said that it shouldn't chip or scratch. I didn't even hear a hesitation in there voice. I do understand that they are selling me a product or service so they might be a little biased. Maybe i missed this but has anyone commented about personal experience with powdercoating "failures"? Thanks Josh

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

Hey Cal 58! I want to see some more pics really bad! That looks sweet! Even though everyone is favoring Por 15 route i am still so close to making my mind up and go with the powdercoating. I have talked to a couple different powdercoating places and they all said that it shouldn't chip or scratch. I didn't even hear a hesitation in there voice. I do understand that they are selling me a product or service so they might be a little biased. Maybe i missed this but has anyone commented about personal experience with powdercoating "failures"? Thanks Josh

Hey Josh,

It's true, powder coating is strong stuff. It takes a lot and me a lot to chip it, like a hammer and chisel. It will out last any paint by 10 fold. I was going to clean and paint my frame but I am REALLY happy I didn’t and ended up doing the powder coating. I had a bunch of other stuff powder coated such as A-arms, spindles, steering linkage, radiator support, brackets, leaf springs and the rear end. Click on the link in my signature to see pic's of my project.

P.S. My sister use to live in Atascadero, CA. Not to far from Clovis were I live.

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

Hey Cal 58! I want to see some more pics really bad! That looks sweet! Even though everyone is favoring Por 15 route i am still so close to making my mind up and go with the powdercoating. I have talked to a couple different powdercoating places and they all said that it shouldn't chip or scratch. I didn't even hear a hesitation in there voice. I do understand that they are selling me a product or service so they might be a little biased. Maybe i missed this but has anyone commented about personal experience with powdercoating "failures"? Thanks Josh

I've been shooting my own powder for nearly 10 years now and have had a lot of "failures". I have also corrected a lot of other peoples failures.

The main issues with powder is if the surface isn't clean, the powder won't stick. If you use two coats and "cure" the base coat, the top coat won't stick to the base.

You also can't touch-up powder. It's a one shot deal, all or nothing. So if you are shooting a part and miss a spot, or are too light in a spot, your screwed.

If the metal is smooth, then the powder doesn't bond well. The surface should have a profile (less than perfectly smooth surface) so the powder has something to bond to while cooking.

If you take the time to do it right, a double-coated powder frame is all but bomb proof. It won't chip, it won't rust, and it won't get damaged by gas, oil, brake fluid, or cleaners. You can also use a non-abrasive car polish to shin a powder surface.

I have some "fancy" powders that look as good as wet paint. This is a Chevy Orange base with a prizum metal flake. The picture doesn't capture the metal flake as well as I would like, but in person, this frame is stunning:

[abadsvt]

So when i end up getting my frame powdercoated i should ask for a double coating? Thanks for all the info! I will check out your like 58. Thanks Josh

[ampsyco]

one of the guys i used to work with swears my the POR stuff. he says its indestructible. he told me that he coats whatever with the POR then top coats it with clear or a color. he says if its not covered and its in the sun it will come off. but he says he covers it with other paint. i havent seen anything hes done with it yet. but im going to be doing my frame with the POR stuff. powder coating is too much work and expense for an everyday driver. especially if its not garage kept.

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

So when i end up getting my frame powdercoated i should ask for a double coating? Thanks for all the info! I will check out your like 58. Thanks Josh

Some places double coat as a standard industrial coating. Some just coat everything once but heavy.

In my testing, two even coats worked the best for both looks and durability. Some powders can't be double coated like wrinkle powder or hamer tone and other textures.

The key to double coating is to bake the first coat only to the melting point. Let the peice cool, then coat again. Then bake the second coat twice as long so the metal and base coat bond as well as bonding to the top coat.

When you find a shop to do the work, just talk to them about the thickness of the finished product. Also look at examples of work they have done. The finish should be somewhat smooth and very even all over.

[kylejamers]

judging by the supplied information by yourself and all others
i would say to just powdercoat but investigate their technique
prior to choosing
it sounds to me like with all your variables
powdercoat will serve you better
you seem more concerned with aesthetics
over durability or price
plus about 8000 miles in california
annually wont decay your frame in the slightest
even with your water submersion