How Long To Powder Coat Rims

Not all trends are going to brand a comeback. Thus far, bellbottom pants, eight-track audio tapes, REALLY curt shorts on men, and unfiltered cigarettes have yet to return to the mainstream culture. However, the twelvemonth is young, and the earth is indeed a very foreign place.

Continuing in sharp contrast to these retired trends, is the age-old art of powder coating, a painting technique that borderlines on existence something straight from a sci-fi flick. Cheers to advancements in materials and machinery, powder blanket has made a massive return to the mainstream in recent years, offering those in search of surface protection every imaginable paint.

Nowhere has pulverization coating seen more than success, than in the aftermarket automotive sector. While this chemical rich chemical compound tin can be shot on pretty much any textile that can withstand extreme temps, the popularity of powder coated wheels in detail has actually taken off.

But is this industrial-form, custom pigmented protectant harmful in whatsoever manner? Are there any drawbacks to having a set up of wheels powder coated? And if so, do the pros outweigh these powder blanket cons?

Today, we'll discuss a slew of facts pertaining to pulverization blanket and how it performs on wheels, too every bit the protective properties this procedure provides. We'll also delve into alternative ways to prevent aluminum pitting and corrosion.

Exploring the History of Pulverisation Blanket

Co-ordinate to powder coating pros, this painting technique was originally developed as a surface protectant for industrial and armed services applications in the 1940s. This treatment process proved to be so affective, that by the time World State of war II ended, more than 40% of all steel being used in the construction of bridges was being pulverisation coated.

Back then, the process was far more than archaic, with polymer powders basically being "flame-sprayed" onto metals, an extremely toxic and dangerous application procedure. Information technology was non until High german scientist Dr. Erwin Gemmer's revelation that by creating a "liquid bed" for dipping materials, that airborne powders in fluidized form could be utilized.

Past the time the 1950s rolled around, Gemmer'south "liquid-bed" awarding process was gaining in popularity both in Europe and America. Patent obtained in 1955, Gemmer and his ultra-thick powder blanket were officially going toe-to-toe with pigment for the corrosion-resisting crown, and they were winning.

But Gemmer'southward ascent was short-lived, and his method was before long beingness bested by another scientist's discovery. The year was 1960, and Amsterdam-based Pieter de Lange had simply developed a thermoset pulverization coating substance that could be applied via an electro-static application method. While these processes may seem rudimentary by today's standards, they are strikingly similar to the methods that are withal being used today, cheers to de Lange's utilise of a spray gun.

The advent of the electrical spray method not merely permitted the use of an easy-to-use gun (as opposed to a bathing process), simply it also allowed complex industrial applications to do good from a far thinner coating every bit needed. In no fourth dimension, this evolutionary leap took the industrial coating earth by tempest, and the automotive sector in particular seemed ripe for the coating.

By spraying a grounded metal material with a silty, statically charged pulverization, electro-static spray-on powder coatings were able to comprehend all manner of surface with relative ease. They were also far less wasteful, safer to utilise, and environmentally conscientious.

Today, powder coating is used as a means of corrosion protection on industrial materials, as well every bit in the automotive, nutrient and beverage, fire condom, and outdoor furniture segments. Once cured, this substance looks all the world like regular paint, and most people go their entire lives without knowing that the products they use every day are powder coated.

Quick Nerd Note: Did you know that pulverization coating is often the preferred protective media for many of the items we run across every 24-hour interval? A few of the more than commonly coated products include: Vending machines, microwaves, antennas, basketball rims, refrigerators, fire extinguishers, ovens, patio furniture, cycle frames, and outdoor furniture.

Understanding the Basics of Pulverization Coating

Pulverization Blanket Wheels Photo Credit: Micah Wright

At present that we've gone over a little scrap of powder coating history, it's time nosotros discussed how the stuff works, and why it matters.

Pulverization coating is an electrically-bonded pulverization that when sprayed, sticks to materials via a process called "electro-static attraction." As the the atomized paint molecules are "misted" onto an object, they create a coating that can be baked into the surface via extreme oestrus. This is oft achieved via the use of a kiln, or oven.

Once allowed to absurd, the material is and so coated with a second layer of electro-statically charged media, with this round consisting of a clear coat. The object is then broiled i more time earlier beingness allowed to cool completely, at which betoken information technology is ready for apply. This results in an extremely resilient painted surface that is far more environmentally-friendly than traditional paints, equally it is non loftier in VOCs, and does not crave harmful chemicals for clean-upward.

Quick Nerd Note: Similar virtually whatever coating product, the play tricks to getting powder coat to stick, is having a make clean surface for it to adhere to. This is why most professional pulverisation blanket companies employ some form of acid bath to first strip away whatsoever old paint, protective clear coat, or oil on an object, followed by a thorough sand-blasting process.

Why Practice Car Owners Employ Powder Coating?

In the automotive arena, pulverization coating is widely used on off-road racing vehicles, as information technology protects surfaces from sand, stone chips, mud, desert heat, and other organic ilk. Information technology can also be sprayed in nigh any colour imaginable, and and so finished in various matte or gloss levels, making information technology extremely popular with aftermarket tuners, boat and ATV owners, also equally full-diddled professional race teams.

As for the trend of powder coating wheels, there are typically two reasons why a automobile owner opts for this colorful aftermarket modification. While protection from corrosion, scratches, rock fries, acid pelting, harsh chemicals, and other unsavory stuff are definitely at the meridian of the list in the practicality subclass, it's powder coating's dizzying array of customizable combos that really sucks people in.

Quick nerd Note: For those of you who may be worried that powder blanket may add together a lot of additional weight to those rollers, fret non. While powder coating definitely does add some grams to the overall weight of the wheel, it will non be detrimental to performance or bicycle residuum.

How is Powder Coating Practical?

Broken down to the basics, the powder coating process involves 7 essential steps:

Surface stripping, cleaning, and training
Colored pulverization coating application
First round of baking
Cooling
Clear coating application
Second round of baking
Final cool-down

Tips for Choosing the Correct Powder Blanket

There are two types of powder coating media that are commonly used today: Thermoset and Thermoplastic. While thermoplastic does not require baking, and remains recyclable, it does non offering a lot of protection from impacts and scratches, and volition melt under high oestrus. Thermoplastic media is besides sprayed onto pre-heated surfaces instead of existence "broiled-on," and is commonly reserved for mechanical components, as it has the ability to be reshaped and molded as needed.

Thermoset, on the other hand, is a far more hardcore awarding due to it chemically bonding or "setting" atop a surface. In one case baked for a specific duration of time in a temperature controlled oven, this media forms a super-strong structure, that once clear coated with a secondary layer of thermoset coating, becomes extremely resilient.

That beingness said, when we utilize the discussion "permanent," we aren't implying that a spritz of thermoset is going to last until the end of time. It's just far more resilient than most coatings, and will not melt abroad like thermoplastic. So when in doubtfulness, ask your local powder coating installer what they recommend for the item yous want powder coated, and know that if it'southward a set of wheels, they volition more than likely suggest that yous become the thermoset route.

What Prep Work is Required for Applying Pulverization Blanket on Wheels?

Much like ceramic coatings, proper prep work plays a crucial office in the powder coating application process. Being that powder blanket electrically-bonds to whatsoever surface it strikes, the importance of removing route grime, brake dust, grease, dirt, and every other ground-level contaminant imaginable from a set of wheels is pivotal in promoting adhesion. There's also the issue of removing any blemishes, or "road rash" from the surface, for even those of united states of america with substantial levels of driving skill occasionally encounter the rogue rock scrap or unexpected scuff.

Regardless as to whether they are brand-new, or ratty looking as hell, in order for a set of wheels to be properly prepped for powder coat, they must first undergo the following prep stages. Then acquit this in mind when yous head down to the local pulverisation coating store, because if they don't exercise one (or some) of the following steps you'll desire to take your money elsewhere.

The Chemical Soak

The kickoff prep procedure requires soaking the wheels in a specialized (often heated and agitated) chemical stripping solution. Stripped of remainder and contaminants, along with any paint or coating, the wheel's aluminum blend underside volition become exposed in one case rinsed. While at that place are several kinds of chemicals that can be used for this process, many of the older acid solutions are quite toxic to both humans and the environment. This is why information technology is important to ask what chemicals a company uses for stripping, because not all pulverization coaters rely upon earth-friendly systems like those offered past Greensolv.

Bake & Blast

To help expose any stubborn spots that the chemic dip may have missed, blend wheels are often placed in the kiln after being rinsed off, which besides helps expedite drying times. After that information technology's on to blasting, a process that typically involves the spraying of aluminum oxide through a high-pressure hose to remove whatever droppings that's been lifted to the surface.

Manually Remove Whatever Rash

While blasting will remove near stubborn surface contaminants, it won't do shit for deeply ingrained pitting and corrosion, nor make an impact on curb rash or rock fries. Any rough edges, imperfections, or unpleasant accidents should be shaved off with a polishing cycle, followed by a milder round of buffing.

Tape Time

Deburring and buffing consummate, a thermal tape is brought out to protect anything that should not be powder coated. While some pulverization coaters will spray the whole damn wheel, the best shops mask-off the flat face that bolts to the hub in order to guarantee that the wheels seat properly.

Quick Nerd Note: Wait for shops that but use aluminum oxide in the blasting process. Silica (sand) beads, walnut shells, and other are forms of organic media are quick to embed in softer alloys like aluminum.

The Powder Coating Application Process

While y'all can buy a pulverisation blanket gun online and bake freshly coated parts in your kitchen oven, this is non an advisable DIY approach, and won't accommodate large components like wheels. That said, here's how the pros prefer to powder coat a fix of rollers.

Base Spray

Each bicycle receives a center plug, and a threaded tightening bolt is fed through the air valve hole to allow the wheel to be suspended from a hook in the paint booth. The wheels are sprayed with a base layer of powder coating, which will provide both a core color and a smooth foundation from which to articulate glaze.

The Quick Broil

After the first coating is sprayed onto the wheel in the paint booth, the installer hangs the wheels on a metal rack that can be pushed into an industrial kiln/oven, where high temps will force the blanket to attach to the surface. Broil times for this first round are surprisingly swift, at only about 20 minutes, and temperatures in the oven typically hover at 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius).

Cool Downwardly & Clear Coat

Removed from the oven, the wheels are allowed to attain room temperature, before heading back to the spray booth for clear coat. While satin powder coats typically don't typically turn out well, apartment and gloss clear coats turn out stellar, thus making them the superlative go-to options for powder coaters. 1 interesting note here, is that clear powder coats naturally come up out milky white, and will not turn transparent until broiled.

The Big Broil

Once the wheels take been completely covered with a articulate coat, they head back into the kiln for a concluding bake, which typically lasts between 35-45 minutes at the same steady temp as before.

Residual & Safety

Final bake complete, the wheels are ready bated until they are completely absurd to the affect. At this indicate any high-temp protective tape, hooks, and center hub plugs are removed, and the wheels are given valve steams and wrapped in fresh safe.

Quick Nerd Note: After the chemic dip, gloves should be worn at all stages of the pulverisation blanket process in society to prevent imperfections from forming.

Pros and Cons of Pulverization Coating

Pros

Durable: When a thermoset pulverisation blanket is fully cured, it forms an incredibly stiff bond with the surface, which on wheels volition help prevent things like dings, scratches, and corrosion from forming.

Inexpensive: While pricing varies depending upon the installer, wheel complication, size, and materials used, the average powder blanket chore for a set up of aluminum alloy wheels runs nigh $400-$500 a set. Bang-up, considering how long these coatings typically last, and the aesthetic perks associated with a freshly coated set of rollers.

Low Environmental Affect: Dissimilar traditional paint, overspray within the powder coating booth is minimal, and fumes are practically non-real. Clean-up does non require solvents either, for there is no liquid to remove, which means breaking out an air gun is all that is needed in order to clean-upward the booth between jobs.

Cons

Quality Command: The powder coating market has get adequately oversaturated in contempo years, with many installers providing subpar services and cutting corners via the use of junior products, tools, and procedures. Do your enquiry, expect-up reviews, and just concur to apply a company that has a proven record of producing quality powder coated products.

No Hydrophobic Properties: Pulverisation blanket does not contain hydrophobic backdrop. This ways that brake dust is yet going to stick to a freshly coated bike'southward surfaces, as volition grime, fresh asphalt, route table salt, and every other imaginable form of nastiness.

Price: While paying someone $400-$500 to powder coat a set up of wheels in the color and clear coat of your choosing may sound cheap to some, information technology is completely out of the question for most people. Existence that many "bargain bin" wheel manufacturers are offer entire sets of wheels at these prices, the powder coating arroyo is a tough sale for those looking for little more than a quick aesthetic upgrade.

Is a DIY Ceramic Blanket a Better Wheel Protectant Than Powder Coat?

There'southward this myth that pulverization coating a wheel volition protect information technology against rock chips, curb rash, acrid rain, road common salt, and other blend eating contaminants. This is non true. While it may assist impede the pitting procedure, and keep pocket-size scratches at bay, powder coating is going to scuff-off if striking hard enough or if exposed to corrosive chemicals for prolonged periods of time.

This is why more and more people are ceramic coating their wheels, directly from the manufactory. A high quality, 9H-rated ceramic coating has the ability to repel many of the nastiest contaminants on earth, and when practical to a brand new wheel, volition add a dep layer of gloss that is impossible to ignore.

A nano-engineering science infused ceramic coating is also safe to use on any type of cycle, including aluminum, chrome, carbon cobweb, steel, and more. It tin as well be applied on peak of powder coating, which in many people'due south opinion, provides the nigh resilient one-ii punch for wheels, as road crud and liquids alike just bounce off the surface.

Quick Nerd Note: While there are quite a few different powder blanket producers on the planet, Prismatic Powders and Tiger-Drylac continue to ready extremely loftier standards within the market place. The broad range of color options, pricing, and overall media quality has made both brands a favorite for powder coating powerhouses like Cincinnati-based Killer Koatings.

Departing Shots

So after all these years, it appears that powder blanket still has a home in the automotive earth, and for damn proficient reason. Information technology's an outstanding solution for anyone looking to protect and/or customize raw metals, thus making information technology an platonic awarding for a plethora of automotive components, including alloy wheels.

That said, if you're going to invest in powder coat, you might likewise protect that investment with a layer of transparent ceramic coating. This will not only extend the life of the powder coating itself, merely make the colors information technology contains truly "pop."

At $70 a canteen, ceramic coatings like Armor Shield IX are cheaper than yous'd think, and harness the ability to protect surfaces for 2 to 5 years. The first two years of protection are 100% guaranteed as well, making ceramic coating the ultimate topical pick for those freshly pulverisation coated wheels you lot jus picked up.

Quick Final Tip: When it's tire install time, always use a shop that has a "touchless" tire mounting organization. Amend yet, just take the pulverisation coater install your fresh rubber, considering chances are they have i of these "revolutionary" contraptions on premise. This will remove the adventure of seeing your precious powder coated wheels beingness marred by some clueless technician with a pry bar and an archaic tire mounting machine.