Potential Idiot Alert - Can you powder coat springs ? .. ..

[DaveMorris]

.. .. or does it ruin the "spring" in them.

 

If I can't powerdercoat then can they be painted ?

 

If not painting then I presume that plastic coating would be fine ?

 

X-flow(er) power now resting. Trying Vx for a change.

[Sheds Moderator]

PC is way cooler than tempering, it's about 150 C. This will not even dent a spring. Go ahead to your heart's content.

 

Paint is OK. Plastic coating is just PCing without melting the stuff.

[Nick Chan]

Dave,

 

I hope you can powder coat the springs or you might have a problem with the VX 😬

 

Nick

 

The BEC has gone - now onto an R400!!

[DaveMorris]

I did warn you about the "Potential Idiot Alert" 😬

 

Thanks for that.

 

Second idiot question - If I paint them, do they flex to the extent that the paint will immedtiately crack ?

 

[Nick Chan]

Why not have them coated in the colour of your choice instead?

[Setok]

Dave, wouldn't one of the POR-15 products cover that? After spilling some POR-15 itself on a plastic bag I find it to be extremely flexible and really doesn't crack. Maybe their top-layer paint stuff is the same.

 

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Kristoffer Lawson

[Dickie Normuss]

Dave

 

I stripped mine over the summer and re-painted with Hammerite which was a good match for the original blue, so far so good

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Watch out, whatever hits the fan will not be distributed evenly

[Brucey]

Dave,

 

Don't mess abut trying to paint them. You will only ruin your hard work when you use spring compessors refitting them!

 

Take them to your local powder coaters who will shot blast and coat them to a colour of your choice. I had mine shot blasted, zinc powder coat primer and black top coat for around £20 per pair. They look like new and you can hit them with a hammer without damaging the paint!

 

Bruce.

[Sheds Moderator]

New generic springs aren'e a lot more than £25 a pair though.

[DaveMorris]

Thanks for the input

The springs don't need compressing much - just unwind the adjusters on the Billies and off they fall, so I hope not to damage them before I even get the car rebult and back out of the garage.

I've got about 2 barrowloads of stuff that needs blasting and powdercoating so I think that the springs will get lost in the overall volume (unless I go for a colour other than black).

 

X-flow(er) power now resting. Trying Vx for a change.

[Roger King]

I'd just like to say that I don't think this is an idiot question at all.

 

OK, the answer this time is that it doesn't matter, but you wouldn't believe the amount of grief and expense I've seen people cause themselves by not checking on fundamental engineering issues.

[DaveMorris]

Roger,

thanks for the vote of confidence. (possibly )

I asked the question becuase although I know a bit about tempering/annealing and potential impact on springs I know sod all about powder coating and the temps involved.

With a little knowledge being a dangerous thing .. .. etc

Dave.

[Nick Chan]

Dave,

 

From past conversation with Kelcoat, nylon coating is around 400 degrees C and suitable for anything steel and powder coating is around 200 degrees C and suitable for alloy items. Obviously you can powdercoat the steel items but not vice versa...!

 

Still got to check if they do kawasaki green nylon coating

 

Nick

 

The BEC has gone - now onto an R400!!

[DaveMorris]

Still got to check if they do kawasaki green nylon coating

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AND get it done in time for Santa to wrap for me