Powder Coating removal

[steve hawkins]

Okay, anything special we need to know about powder coating removal?

I have spoken to a local firm who do media blasting, who quote £50 an hour + vat for their services.  I mentioned that the frame was powder coated and there was much sucking of teeth and they said that however long it takes that would be the cost.

So since powder coating is quite hard, can we soften it up or use a chemical stripper?

Anyone with any experience?

Cheers

Rev Light

[saintell]

Hi Steve,you can use paint stripper very carefully,you can also take it to a paint stripper specialist who will dip it in a bath till clean,moderate cost,or you can rub it back and re powder coat,cheers Nev from OZ

[Luca]

Try brake fluid!

I used an orbital sander on the thin walled exhaust headers before I painted them with no ill effects.  Just be gentle and let the tool do the work.

[montmil]

Gawk! I despise sanding round tubing. Oh, the horror.

[Luca]

Start on the backbone  

[montmil]

Start on the backbone  

Mine or the bike's?  

[steve hawkins]

I have to say that we are not looking at spending the foreseeable future trying to sanding it all off.

We were hoping that there was a procedure for removal, at reasonable cost and reasonable effort.

Tony is not going to be happy :-/

I will have to try some paint stripper, it used to work.  

But I am no longer sure it has the 'guts' any more - the European 'Socialist B**st**ds' Union keep trying to save us from ourselves by removing all the active ingredients from this sort of thing.

Cheers

Rev light

[Justin B.]

Powder coating is just basically a plastic coating.  The powder is applied and the "baking" process melts it.  Unless it's all chipped up maybe just scuff and use it as a good durable, well adhered, base for your next color?

[steve hawkins]

Justin,

unfortunately, the powder coating is cracked and would not be a good base for further painting.  It has to come off.

On the bright side, I tried some modern Nitromors paint stripper last night and even the modern rubbish stuff does soften it enough to stand a chance of scraping the majority off.  But it is going to be messy.  We should be able to get most of it off, and the residue can then be blasted.

Let you know how we get on.

Cheers

Steve Hawkins

[Dave 2]

I agree with LUCA, just try a little brake fluid and see if it works better than what you are doing now.All in all it sounds like a bit of messy work ahead of you and Tony. Dave2

[EGRG]

You need an airhead apprentice that is in dire need of some cash for his next date with his girlfriend. Its a rite of passage, the messiest job is for the novice.

[montmil]

You need an airhead apprentice that is in dire need of some cash for his next date with his girlfriend. Its a rite of passage, the messiest job is the for the novice.

Good point, Victor!

A recent acquaintance, retired, outside the dating pool range and owner of TWO inoperable motorcycles, has offered to assist me in any maintenance needs with my Airhead fleet.

Planning a driveshaft and final drive oil change. I do hate that sticky gear lube so I'm thinking...  

[Luca]

I meant to mention a helpful little technique when using paint strippers.

If using the jelly type, you can sop it up with rag and wrap it that around parts of the frame.  Help hold the stripper to the underside and also helps to keep it from drying out, allowing more time for the chemicals to work.

If it's a spray type you might be able to keep it in with some plastic wrap, provided it doesn't melt away.

[steve hawkins]

Fortunately we are heading into winter, and currently are barely getting above 10 degrees Celsius.  So the paint stripper is likely to get half a chance to soften the powder coating.

Also I would rather that that is all it does, as if it gets all slimy, its going to be very messy.  I want to able able to scrape it off with a triangular ended paint scraper, rather than wipe it off with a rag.

What we will attempt to do, is to get the vast majority off, then take the frame, sub frame, battery tray and swing are to be blasted.

cheers

Rev Light

[Tony Smith]

Just wondering - A heat gun might soften the powder coat enough so you could lift/peel it off and then use the paint stripper fro final cleaning up