Bare metal suspension parts - THIS THREAD IS OFFICALLY OVER

[JS29]

That is from the lack of static electricity that you get in the normal paint process. I like to ground the object when possible. 

[dodj]

I don't have powder coat stuff but I find this has been a pretty interesting thread.

[HEMICUDA]

That is from the lack of static electricity that you get in the normal paint process. I like to ground the object when possible. 

The lack of static?   I have a battery jumper cable in my paint booth with a 4 ft. ground rod going thru the floor to make sure there's zero static build up in either the body or parts being painted.

[JS29]

This doesn't pertain to this thread, but i have better results using painters plastic over paper as well. It keeps the over spray clung to it, resulting in cleaner jobs.   

[pink aar]

Ok Jingle Mike. You wouldn't have gotten those finger prints, if you would have used that rubbing ALCOHOl I told you about.

[HEMICUDA]

Ok Jingle Mike. You wouldn't have gotten those finger prints, if you would have used that rubbing ALCOHOl I told you about.

What are you talking about Jay, wipes right off with quick detailer.

[Cuda Cody]

Those are some great looking parts Mike!  Nice job. 

[cuda hunter]

Those are some great looking parts Mike!  Nice job. 

Really have enjoyed this thread.  Makes me want an oven. 

[ratroaster]

What do you use to cover the ball joints Mike? Is it heat resistant?

[Mr Lee]

Just so I don't get beat up here lol,  I will first say that when I did all my suspension components, I powdercoated many of them including the rear axle and K frame in black.  I used two part paint to do most of the other suspension pieces in cast grey (I'm not restoring a hemi car btw so I'm not gonna be anal on everything) ... Then came up with the idea to do my driveshaft and upper control arms in a flat clear powdercoat, and man what a difference! They look so good.  I wished I had done more parts like that in the flat clear powdercoat because there is no beating the raw metal appearance.. and durability. 

That said, in the very rare circumstance that I did rattle can a part or two on the car somewhere, I sprayed it and then hung it over my barbecue for 20 minutes cooking it at a medium heat..  and let me tell you.. what a difference it made in the durability.  Baking that paint dry, even if its out of a rattle can makes the paint so much more durable than just air drying. Not saying its as good as the obviously better methods, but if you have to rattle can something, bake it after.  Try it.   

[HEMICUDA]

What do you use to cover the ball joints Mike? Is it heat resistant?

It's a hi-temp tape commonly used in the powder coating world.  The hi-temp tape, plugs for holes and caps to cover threads can be found, pretty much, anywhere.  A simple search on eBay will give you an idea how much is out there.

I would have to say, it's worth the small investment for the "average" enthusiast to purchase what's needed to powder coat the exterior parts even if it's only for one car.  The results and longevity makes the expense well worth it.  If you do the math, used oven  $100, Harbor Freight gun $70, powder is around $15-20 per pound (maybe 2 lbs. needed for one car, flat clear & semi-gloss black) and an additional $50 on tape, plugs and caps.  So, for under $300 you're in business. Not to mention all the interior parts that can be done.  The parts you will not be able to do in a small oven will be the leaf springs, rear end housing, k-member and torsion bars.  Remember, deduct all the paint, primer and epoxies you now don't need to purchase from the investment of the powder coating materials and now the investment is negligible as long as you have a blasting cabinet.  Heck, I know of a "so called" restorer that doesn't even have that, you'll just have to pay someone else to blast the parts.

In my case, as a professional restorer, it was well worth the investment to purchase a powder coating oven large enough for every part on a car as well as a much higher end gun and powder in bulk.  I can now offer a "true" OE "style" restoration to my customers on their car that can be driven and still look sweet and easy to clean for a very long time .  With all the huge  advantages to powder coating over paint, the best part is, I don't have to charge the customer any extra for it.

[HEMICUDA]

I have used "real" cosmoline on my personal cars in the past, these lower control arms are done with a Krylon Battery Protector spray.  The color is super close and the way it runs when sprayed is very close to cosmoline except that it dries to the touch so you won't have to worry about everything sticking to it.

If you notice, the dip line is parallel to the floor in relation to how they were hung.  The dip lines were at different heights back in the day based on how much cosmoline was left in the tank, these were done based on the rust line.

[HEMICUDA]

This doesn't pertain to this thread, but i have better results using painters plastic over paper as well. It keeps the over spray clung to it, resulting in cleaner jobs. 

Since you posted it, I will give you my

What you're saying is counter intuitive, you're correct, it's the static build up in the plastic and car body the develops from spraying that attracts the over spay for sure.  However, any professional painter will tell you that's a bad thing, every tiny piece of anything floating in the air as well as over spray, will not only be attracted to the plastic, will also be attracted to your top coats.  It's no different than rubbing an air  balloon on you hair and stick it on the wall, not good.

We also use a bunch of plastic when bagging up car bodies for paint, we don't have an overspray problem with our down draft heated paint booth.  As mentioned earlier in this thread, grounding the body to prevent static build up is very important for clean top coats.

[larry4406]

Mike - very informative thread here, thank you.

Can your provide some info on the powder coat oven you have?  Things you like, dislike, what to look for, etc?  Obviously size is key for large items like rear ends, leaf springs, k-frames, etc.

Powder coating is one of those things I have thought about over the years.  I can see a purpose built oven to be better than an old used kitchen electric range.

[HEMICUDA]

Mike - very informative thread here, thank you.

Can your provide some info on the powder coat oven you have?  Things you like, dislike, what to look for, etc?  Obviously size is key for large items like rear ends, leaf springs, k-frames, etc.

Powder coating is one of those things I have thought about over the years.  I can see a purpose built oven to be better than an old used kitchen electric range.

To be totally honest with you Larry there's nothing about my new oven I don't like.  I would still recommend using the small oven when the parts will fit.  Generally, I'm filling up the big oven with a big load or large parts. 

Like anything else in life, there's cheap junk and there's quality (I never buy cheap).  After extensive research, I decided to purchased mine from Ted at Ted's Fabrication in PA.  He's the guy that started it for this size oven for the average guy and has been building them for over 15 years.  Send him an email, super quality and great guy to deal with, hit his lead time on the nose.

I opted to have my oven on wheels so I can move it around the shop when not in use and I built the cart here that holds the parts rack.

Here's the contact info, tell him I said hello.

http://www.tedsfabrication.com/tedsfabs/