springer coating

[creep]

What should I use to recoat my springer in black.
Thanks
creep

[harleytoprock]

Creep, I like to use Centari pitch black acrylic enamal with a hardener. Others might suggest a newer urethane single stage paint. Another choice is to have it powder coated. Powder coating is not the way to go if the metal needs any filler for rust pits or imperfections. In any case you'll have to sandblast all the old finish down to bare metal for the best job. Good Luck!

[bobdo]

Springer coating

Hello Creep,
I'm in the process of painting my frame & springer now. I'm using Centari Acrylic Enamel. Its the closest thing to original & it looks great. I put two coats of DP 90 black primer, wet sanding in between. Then three coats of Acrylic enamel. It looks as good as powder coating to me. I'm told the Dp 90 etches into the metal & the harderner in the enamel makes the final coat durable. I like the fact that if I get a stone chip, ( IF ), the black primer won't look as bad as the red lead I used to use.
Also, there is a product made by Devcon, Titanium putty #10760. It will hold up to powder coating I'm told, haven't tried it. I used it on my frame because I thought I might powder coat, but chose Enamel spray route instead. Real nice hard filler, also black color, but expensive. It will hold up to 350 degree heat.
www.devcon.com you can purchase it through Grainger www.grainger.com
I plan on using Centari Acrylic Enamel on my sheet metal also. I got it through Antique Motorcycle Supply in order to get the correct color. Hope this helps, Bob

[swall]

I'm a metallurgical engineer and work for a spring manufacturer that also does powder coating. Powder coating works just fine for springs and readily covers inperfections such as pits, as long as you put 3 or 4 mils (.003-.004")of coating on. Parts need to be rust free, down to bare metal just like any other paint process.

[Kojack]

I've heard of guys getting car gas tanks powdercoated and having the solder melted out of the seams so I wondered if the temps required to cure powdercoating would affect the temper of springs. It's nice to know that it won't. Of course, that doesn't really matter on most of a springer front end. My biggest objection to powdercoating is that , despite what powdercoaters claim, it can be damaged and when is, it can't be touched up. You have to strip the whole part, which is tougher than with painted parts, and start over. Don't laugh, but I know a guy who paints all of his frames with black Rustoleum spray bombs. He does the prep work right and they look great. He likes the Rustoleum because it's really easy to touch up.

[AdminGuy]

JB weld can be used for powder pre-pit fill. Shapes/files/sands real easy.

I think powder baked on at 350? Spring formed at something like 12-1400. Hot roll.

I use high temp brake caliper paint - black. For frames. No primer. Baked on in the sun hangin from trees or clothes line. or smaller parts in the oven. Tough stuff, doesn't crack, chem./oil resis. I do this because I'm always finding something after the fact, something needs alteration, and generally my restorations happen very slowly as time/money permits. So it's a good feeling accually being able to show myself some sort of progress. As opposed to stareing at a lump of rust for a number of years. I can take that newly aquired part -fit it, blast it, paint it and bolt it on -in the same day. Ok, so I like casting imperfections. Doesn't bother me. It is -what it is.

Besides -I'm a hack, I make mistakes. I have to correct stuff as I go. Yes touch ups from rock chips also. fit engine, woops scratch frame. Always happens, even when padded out and taped up. Cutting powder a pain from over spray. Refitting parts and nicking or scratching them. Always happens to me.

Powder is good. You just have to be organized. Hate having to go back w/ a few parts in hand.

An old hand would probably say no problem w/ powder as it saves time. And it does if you have a completed build.

You'll hear an endless supply of pros and cons for powder. I'm just not a big fan. And the stuff that I do have powdered - I just touch it up w/ black caliper paint. I'd be too nervous riding around on something that was show room perfect. It would take alot of the fun out of it for me. Again, a personal thing. I 've got enought to worry about. I don't need an ulcer from thinking about a paint job as I'm riding.

I'm real happy I did rims and hubs in powder. They took a real beating just putting them together. You have to look real close to see anysort of difference between the powder black and the high temp caliper paint. Paint has a little bit of spray texture to it. Bakeing it on is best I think. Even to pre-heat parts before spray for better flow, then back into oven at 150. Let fully cool before you touch it.

feeewww... I'm all yaked out.

[Kojack]

That's good to know about the JB Weld. I heard that All Metal brand body filler will take the heat too. I think that most solders melt in the 300-400 degree range. I knew that steel is formed at higher temps but tempering, which changes the characteristics of heat treated steel, can occur at as low as 400 degrees. Steel doesn't start turning red until about 750 degrees. I guess there's nothing to worry about. It doesn't sound like powder coating ovens would need to get hot enought to do any damage.
I also like to do a few parts at a time. I've got the equipment to do a proper spray job but, again it's hard to beat the convenience of spray cans for small lots and touch ups. I've tried baking the parts. My results seem to vary depending on the brand and even the color of paint. I seem to get best results if I paint the part and then just let it hang and not even touch it at all for a couple of days. Spray cans take longer to dry properly than automotive paints with a hardener.

[swall]

Powder is baked around 400F, solder begins to melt at 360F, so there you go. Springs are stress relieved after coiling at 650F to 750F depending on the wire type.If the springs are shot peened, they get an additional stress relief at 425F. So, the springs will stand up to the powder coat baking; the solder obviously won't. As to brittleness, I would rate powder coat about the same as acrylic laquer.

[AdminGuy]

Thank-you!!!