Painting over powder coat

[lochgilphead]

Evening swaggers.     I have been given an older bed frame that has been powder coated green.  It is a bit scratched but the boss thinks it will fit our décor very nicely if it was painted white.    I had a thought that a light rub back with wet and dry followed by undercoat and some white gloss from spray cans would do the trick to bring this up like new.   Am I on the right track or is there something in  powder coating I am missing that will make it difficult to cover up.  Any advice greatly appreciated.  Mac 

[tracker]

I think you need to use acrylic paint over powder coated surfaces from memory. Water based.

                  Cheers Tracker.

[b1]

Its bloody hard to get paint to stick to powdercoat.

Declared interest 1 - I do work at Dulux
Declared interest 2 - I work with decorative paints. Powder coat is a whooooooole other ball game.

Painters often come is wanting to change the colour of aluminium windows, Dulux will only warrant their paint by -Need to abraid surface, 2 pack undercoat followed by 2 pack topcoat. Sounds like it would be overcapitalising though

If it were me I'd probably try the Dulux Precision Maximum Strength Primer maybe followed by Aquaenamel (Waterbased enamel). No guarantees

Link below on the 2 pack if interested

http://www.duluxprotectivecoatings.com.au/technotespdf/4.3%20Painting%20over%20Powder%20or%20Coil%20Coatings.pdf

[whitey1]

Most colour coded roo bars are painted over black powder coat. Must be sanded to remove the shine, then 2 pack primer and paint over that.

[lochgilphead]

Thanks guys, I think I'll give it a miss.  Seems like a lot of hard work with no guarantee of a good return.    Mac

[prodigyrf]

Well said b1 and I recall investigating the very question quite a few years ago and Dulux tech were the best help and now have that handy caveat emptor advisory you linked to. As they point out 'powder coating' is a generic term for a more complex chemical cocktail nowadays-
http://linetec.com/POWDERCOAT/Types_of_Powder_Coat.html
The bottom line is there's a tradeoff with these coatings. They're designed to outperform traditional paint for various conditions and applications, but their very toughness and resilience makes them a bugger to replace/recoat when they do break down. It's a familiar tradeoff within engineering and manufacturing and you seldom get something for nothing.

[Bird]

get it sandblasted...  then paint with anything you like.

[Joff]

Most colour coded roo bars are painted over black powder coat. Must be sanded to remove the shine, then 2 pack primer and paint over that.

That is not regular powdercoat. It took ARB a very long time working with the powdercoat manufacturers to come up with the right formula so they could then paint over it (after sanding back) and be able to reasonably guarantee luster and longevity.

[tracker]

get it sandblasted...  then paint with anything you like.

abrasive sand blasters don't like doing powder coatings ...because it burns it off not blasts off...uses a lot of grit....and time

[muzza01]

Many years ago I bought some really nice second hand rims that were powder coated white in colour. Very happy with the condition of the wheels but the colour was wrong. I scuffed back the powder coat, applied to coats of super etch and then sprayed them the same colour as my car. The finish was great, the colour never flaked or peeled but about 18 months later I had an accident where I was t boned from the side (guy didn't give way) I was doing 80kmph lost control from the impact and hit a power pole head on. Car was written off.

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Many years ago I bought some really nice second hand rims that were powder coated white in colour. Very happy with the condition of the wheels but the colour was wrong. I scuffed back the powder coat, applied to coats of super etch and then sprayed them the same colour as my car. The finish was great, the colour never flaked or peeled but about 18 months later I had an accident where I was t boned from the side (guy didn't give way) I was doing 80kmph lost control from the impact and hit a power pole head on. Car was written off.

Did your paint job hold up after the prang?

[muzza01]

Did your paint job hold up after the prang?

Haha
Can't really remember one wheel was totally stuffed but I bought the wreck from the insurance and re sold the wheels, gearbox and engine, the rest was stuffed.

[tanz]

That is not regular powdercoat. It took ARB a very long time working with the powdercoat manufacturers to come up with the right formula so they could then paint over it (after sanding back) and be able to reasonably guarantee luster and longevity.

So, does this mean an ARB powder coated bar can be painted over? I ask because my 4 year old bar looks very ordinary and have played with the idea of painting it.

[Joff]

So, does this mean an ARB powder coated bar can be painted over? I ask because my 4 year old bar looks very ordinary and have played with the idea of painting it.

Yep. Rub it back first and use quality automotive paint.