My Willys 3A and 3B Community
3A, 3B, DJ Technical Knowledge Base => "Modifications"-- Technical Questions, Answers, Incites => Topic started by: trijjicon on April 18, 2016, 03:01:05 PM
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Does the powder coating process do the same thing as the sandblasting process...ie...getting the sheetmetal/parts ready to paint? Or is it that sandblasting is part of the powder coating process?
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Sand blasting removes the rust and paint to prepare the surface for a coating. Powder coat is one of the coating options. It is basically a powder paint that is sprayed on the metal and then heated to fuse with the metal and the other powder to make a finished surface.
After blasting, you could just prime and paint the surface.
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In my experience, paint is generally more forgiving that powder coat also. If you mess up paint, you scuff it up and respray it. If you mess up powder coat, it is much harder to remove.
When you powder coat metal and stick it in the oven, the heat of the baking process can bring out oil and grime "buried" in the metal. To avoid this, many people "pre-bake" parts to bring those impurities out prior to coating it. This helps, but does not always eliminate the problem. I tried coating one of my wheels three different times and still did not get good results. I finally gave up and painted it and had no issues. There is also some debate about heating this old metal up and if it weakens it or not.
The good things about powder coat is its durability. It is hands down more durable than most paints. Either method is great for different applications.