twertsy
Well-known member
Can I get some advice? Is it ok to powder coat a vise? Any risks like too much heat?
Powdercoating a vise?
- Thread starter twertsy
- Start date
Askme42
Well-known member
Heat shouldn't be an issue. I think powder coating is only done at like 400f
Last edited:
Kirbot
Well-known member
It sounds like a good idea.
It should hold up to random oil/grease/chemicals better than most paints too.
It didn't take me long to find out even a little bit of ATF will strip Rustoleum right down to the metal....
It should hold up to random oil/grease/chemicals better than most paints too.
It didn't take me long to find out even a little bit of ATF will strip Rustoleum right down to the metal....
Askme42
Well-known member
I know the temps
Have been getting lower because there are plastics being powder coated now.
randomtwinkie
Well-known member
Just bake it to the specifications of whatever specific coating you purchase....
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
I would. In fact now that my new shop has sooo much more room, my powder coating oven will be accessible again. So I think I'll be PCing my vise too. Although now I need a grit blast cabinet again. I've had 3 over the years. May go use a buddies grit blast cabinet for the time being.
We played a joke on a buddy once. He needed some weight lifting plates to hold something down. My other bud had some and was giving them to who him. Only, he came to me and said lets powdercoat these Pink before we give then to Earl. So I powder coated them all pink lol. He really needed them too, but didn't want to go buy new. He still took them but was none too happy about the girly pink color all his neighbors were going to see lol!!
We played a joke on a buddy once. He needed some weight lifting plates to hold something down. My other bud had some and was giving them to who him. Only, he came to me and said lets powdercoat these Pink before we give then to Earl. So I powder coated them all pink lol. He really needed them too, but didn't want to go buy new. He still took them but was none too happy about the girly pink color all his neighbors were going to see lol!!
Fretters
Well-known member
Readily doable. It's worthwhile dropping CudaChick a PM and asking her advice. Ain't seen her online for a while, but she's well tuned on the intricacies of powdercoating.
montanafordman
Well-known member
I would probably stick with paint. Powdercoating will chip and peel and as it wears I think it would look worse than paint that will simply wear away. As the painted finish wears it gains "patina" and as the powdercoating takes a beating its just going to look like sh#&. Powdercoating will be a bigger PITA to remove if you decide to do it over also. JMHO.
bsaint
Well-known member
Yes when powder coat chips you cannot touch it up and now it becomes a edge for it to continue to peel up. I would stick with a heavy duty enamel.
Also it would take SOOO long for the vise to get to temperature for the powder to gloss over.
Also it would take SOOO long for the vise to get to temperature for the powder to gloss over.
You can build up the chips with nail polish.
southalabama
Well-known member
Don't see why not.
Anyone ever seen cerakote on anything but guns??
Ceramic type paint coating.
Seems it's hit this area and assault rifles are being coated in mass.
Got me to thinking what else could benefit from this tough coating. Has to be small enough for an oven.
Anyone ever seen cerakote on anything but guns??
Ceramic type paint coating.
Seems it's hit this area and assault rifles are being coated in mass.
Got me to thinking what else could benefit from this tough coating. Has to be small enough for an oven.
I send my stuff to a company in Houston called PolyDyn. They do an "oil-shedding" coating (I think it's baked-on industrial teflon) that is tougher than powder coating. And it sheds oil and grease so yours stuff looks new ALL the time with just an occasional wipe-down from a dry rag/paper towel. Prevents rust too!
ANy company that teflon coats commercial cookware can do the same thing. But PolyDyn can be found here:
http://www.polydyn.com/performance_coatings.htm
ANy company that teflon coats commercial cookware can do the same thing. But PolyDyn can be found here:
http://www.polydyn.com/performance_coatings.htm
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
You're suposed to hit the part in the vise, not the vise lol. A vise should not take a beating if you use it right. In fact no tool should if used right. Powder coating it hard to chip. It will mar and can be chipped of course, mostly on sharp edges but will hold up far better then paint for much longer. Radius all sharp edges. If you get a chip as has been said, get some Testors model paint or nail polish and fill it back in for a touch up. Although I don't know anybody who worries about a scratch in their vise so much. It's a tool, not a custom car. It is going to see use and possibly abuse if that person is careless.
It remined me of the same argument with grade 5 and grade 8 bolts. Some will say grade 5 is better because it will bend before breaking so you know there is a problem where a grade 8 will snap off without warning because it's harder.
A grade 5 will bend and snap or shear clean off before a grade 8 will even have an issue. Grade 8 are better then grade 5 bolts on every level. Just like PC is superior to paint depending on the application and use of said product. And you can feather sand out a chip as well and recoat powder coating. The vise doesn't need to get to 400 degrees. It's the plastic powder that needs to reach 400 degrees to wet out and bond to the grit blasted surface. Only takes 20 to 30 minutes to wet out the plastic depending on surface area. A larger parts can take longer to wet out.
I've powder coated wheels, brackets, , A-arms for a 66' chevelle, Aluminum, steel, dozens of parts in my oven and have learned a bit about the process. Sharp edges are not good to paint either. And paint can chip as well with far less impact. Powder coating can be applied rather thick without running as well, like paint of course will rather easily. I prefer to PC almost everything. I've even heard it's also used in the bodyshop industry these days as a great undercoat to paint over. If the paint gets scratched, the powder coat is so thick it usually doesn't get to bare metal.
You see cheap powder coating done on ALL KINDS of products that does not hold up. Thats due to zero surface prep and a thin wafer layer of PC and the fact it was probably made in China. My Tuffy center consol for my 73' K5 was powder coated new. It stayed stored in my dry garage for a couple years. I pulled it down one day to fing a HUGE bubble in the PC on one side. I broke through it and pealed if off. Underneath was rusted bare ungrit blasted sheet metal. I doubt they even cleaned the sheet metal well at all even much less didn't grit blast it at all. I had it professionally powder coated after I took the time to prep all sharp edges. Now it is so nice looking. Had the top pad reuppolstered to match the color of the blue I had it powder coated.
Attachments
Last edited:
CudaChick1968
Member Emeritus
I got your PM Twertsy. Thanks for thinking of me! 
Keep in mind (as was posted earlier) that the metal's temperature is what controls when your curing time starts, not the oven temperature. If you don't have an ultraviolet temperature gun yet, get one -- it'll save you a lot of rework on under-cured parts. Follow the curing instructions for the powder you choose.
You won't want to coat the slide, any moving parts or the screw threads, and consider masking off the active / used portion of the jaws too. Though any uncoated metal will invite rust (and possible "creep" later if unattended rust runs under your powder), a light coat of Pledge, WD-40 or PB Blaster on a rag once in awhile will keep it at bay.
zkling gave the best advice here! Not only is cast iron porous (so it traps a lot of air and gunk which comes to the surface when heated), just by its nature a vise is subjected to all sorts of stuff and chemicals over its lifetime. I'd disassemble it, initially clean the grease off (or it'll end up all over your oven), lay the parts out on a sheet of aluminum foil and outgas them at 500 degrees for at least a couple of hours. After that, mask off your slide and blast everything with a suitable media to prep the metal right and help ensure your powder work lasts.
rdn2blazer's comments about commercial powder coating are spot on too -- I've seen quite a few pieces in my day where the finish came off in sheets just like on his console, and unblasted rusty metal was always underneath it. "Clean production pieces" are what should be presented for coating ... but I think those places are more interested in getting a few thousand of them out the door rather than concerned about a quality finish. It's deplorable what so-called craftsmanship is these days.
Thanks for the mention Fretters! I've just been bustin my **** and trying to keep up.
Twertsy, please feel free to give me a call if you have other questions or need a quick answer -- the chain from my work bench to my ankle isn't that long and I don't get out too much.
Keep in mind (as was posted earlier) that the metal's temperature is what controls when your curing time starts, not the oven temperature. If you don't have an ultraviolet temperature gun yet, get one -- it'll save you a lot of rework on under-cured parts. Follow the curing instructions for the powder you choose.
You won't want to coat the slide, any moving parts or the screw threads, and consider masking off the active / used portion of the jaws too. Though any uncoated metal will invite rust (and possible "creep" later if unattended rust runs under your powder), a light coat of Pledge, WD-40 or PB Blaster on a rag once in awhile will keep it at bay.
zkling gave the best advice here! Not only is cast iron porous (so it traps a lot of air and gunk which comes to the surface when heated), just by its nature a vise is subjected to all sorts of stuff and chemicals over its lifetime. I'd disassemble it, initially clean the grease off (or it'll end up all over your oven), lay the parts out on a sheet of aluminum foil and outgas them at 500 degrees for at least a couple of hours. After that, mask off your slide and blast everything with a suitable media to prep the metal right and help ensure your powder work lasts.
rdn2blazer's comments about commercial powder coating are spot on too -- I've seen quite a few pieces in my day where the finish came off in sheets just like on his console, and unblasted rusty metal was always underneath it. "Clean production pieces" are what should be presented for coating ... but I think those places are more interested in getting a few thousand of them out the door rather than concerned about a quality finish. It's deplorable what so-called craftsmanship is these days.
Thanks for the mention Fretters!
I've just been bustin my **** and trying to keep up.Twertsy, please feel free to give me a call if you have other questions or need a quick answer -- the chain from my work bench to my ankle isn't that long and I don't get out too much.
Last edited:
angrystroker
Banned
Yeah great idea,
plenty of shades and little sparkly things can be added, turn it into a real deva vise.CudaChick1968
Member Emeritus
Yeah great idea,
No need for nail polish to accomplish that! These are all powder ...
Fretters
Well-known member
Good to see you back online again CC.
senlow
Well-known member
CudaChick1968 provided an excellent rundown on coating in post #24. Follow her advise and you will not be disappointed.
I do have a couple of further suggestions. Consider using an epoxy powder. Epoxy is typically more chemical resistant than polyester powder. A zinc phosphate or iron phosphate pretreatment will promote even better adhesion than a clean media blasted surface.
I do have a couple of further suggestions. Consider using an epoxy powder. Epoxy is typically more chemical resistant than polyester powder. A zinc phosphate or iron phosphate pretreatment will promote even better adhesion than a clean media blasted surface.
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
I had my 8' parts washer I built a few years ago powder coated. It's held up exceptionally well to the industrial grade solvent I use in it. I built this spicifically for cleaning axles so I don't have to ruin my driveway with degreaser and all the gunk and grease that comes off and out of an axle when you have to do a driveway cleaning job on one.
Not to mention the flash rust you get when you wash the degreaser off with water. Of course you get ZERO rusting after a degreasing in a solvent tank. It also makes a great work bench. But the pita is when I need to clean stuff and it's got tons of **** on it lol. I try to keep it totally clear most the time. It will be for sure in the new shop. Strictly for cleaning. NOT a work bench.
These are of course before PC.
Not to mention the flash rust you get when you wash the degreaser off with water. Of course you get ZERO rusting after a degreasing in a solvent tank. It also makes a great work bench. But the pita is when I need to clean stuff and it's got tons of **** on it lol. I try to keep it totally clear most the time. It will be for sure in the new shop. Strictly for cleaning. NOT a work bench.
These are of course before PC.
Attachments
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
After...Has a removable center lid support bar. The M channel underneath the lids make it hella strong for just sheet metal. I have stood in the lids without issue. When the lids are closed they make contact on all four sides of the lids. Center removable support bar supports the inboard lid edges. I'm sooo glad I welded in the tool traught on the front side for nuts bolts tools whatever.
Attachments
Last edited:
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
rdn2blazer, that is a thing of beauty! Now I know what I'll be building next in my shop. I have a very small parts washer that I built (read: cobbled together) but it has no pump; I designed it to hook up to my air and, with the regulator set correctly, it works perfectly. Now I just need to build one on a bit larger scale!
bsaint
Well-known member
Cuz nail polish is heavy duty lol
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
Apparently you've never seen two women fight. Nail polish holds up pretty well in a cat fight lol!!!
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
469 runner
Well-known member
I have something similar I've been considering getting powdercoated, but the cost is scaring me away. If you don't mind my asking, what did this cost to have coated?
Leanna, I forgot to thank you for the tips! They baked for 3 hours today at 500 and sweated a veritable mess! To be safe, they're going in for another 3 tomorrow before I powder them. Luckily, the shop next door is an appliance repair shop. I have a nice big Viking double oven in my shop, for free!
CudaChick1968
Member Emeritus
<< curtsey >> My pleasure sir! I'm happy it's going well so far. Keep us posted on your progress!
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
I believe it was about $450 and I had my M-Tech tubing bender PCed the same orange too.
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
It's a TM2P toolroom mill very well optioned. Base is $38k. Optioned to $55k. Upgrades are a 20 tool tool changer over the ten tool changer, rigid tapping, chip auger, larger coolant tank, And...I don't remember what else lol. I believe there was additional upgrades. By just asking if they would work any kind of deal I got almost $2700 off the top of the price. That paid for our tool holders just about and we got a discount on those too.
Sorry, hijack off. Lets get back to PC talkin.
