Redo powder coating on bull bars

[ChiefTRDSport]

I know this is not an Entune item but I wore off some of the powder coat off the top of my bull bar and now need to redo the whole thing. Guess it wasn’t a good idea standing on it. Anyone know of a good paint or method to make it nice and black again. Does not have to be shiny, but no crinkle.

 

[toyotafan]

Moved to its own thread.

Most towns have a powder coating shop that would be glad to do it. How bad is the wearing? Can you share a pic?

 

[ChiefTRDSport]

Moved to its own thread.

Most towns have a powder coating shop that would be glad to do it. How bad is the wearing? Can you share a pic?

Thanks for the reply. Here’s a picture.

 

[toyotafan]

Thanks for the reply. Here’s a picture.View attachment 8645

I had worked for a company with a hot rod shop that had a powder coating business built in.

You'll have to take it off, take it in and they'll refinish it for you. Cost might be an issue. You can try to refinish it with a spray paint with texture on your own (cover everything else) and get back to something that looks good.

 

[tbplus10]

I cant tell from the picture, is the powder coat scuffed or worn through to metal?
If its scuffed and scratched you could try buffing it back to glory. If its worn through Id have to give thought to how I plan on using this truck, If its future has rough use ahead Id find a good durable coating like Duplicolor and coat the whole bumper, this leaves it easier to refinish in the future.
If its gonna be more of a street queen id spend the money for powder coating.
One thing that puzzles me is powder coating is normally more durable.

 

[toyotafan]

I agree. The cost and labor are going to be a lot. Suggest just repainting. Is that tied to your bumper or a separate bolt on unit of some sort? There's a lot of different pieces that can be called a bull bar.

 

[kennythewelder]

We have a few local guys l, that do powder coating on the side. They charge a lot less that a pro shop. You will have to pull the bull bar and maybe even bring it to them, but you may want to look for powder coating on facebook in your local area.

 

[ChiefTRDSport]

It’s basically worn. I really didn’t think about it and used it to step on when cleaning the hood, etc. The truck will spend nearly all its time on pavement. Any off road would be places for fishing or exploring, nothing really serious. The unit bolts on to brackets so can be easily removed. I’ll take it off and give paint a shot first. Thanks for all your inputs.

 

[toyotafan]

It’s basically worn. I really didn’t think about it and used it to step on when cleaning the hood, etc. The truck will spend nearly all its time on pavement. Any off road would be places for fishing or exploring, nothing really serious. The unit bolts on to brackets so can be easily removed. I’ll take it off and give paint a shot first. Thanks for all your inputs.

Do a step-by-step with pics if you think about it.

 

[Tony TRD]

I know this is not an Entune item but I wore off some of the powder coat off the top of my bull bar and now need to redo the whole thing. Guess it wasn’t a good idea standing on it. Anyone know of a good paint or method to make it nice and black again. Does not have to be shiny, but no crinkle.

DuPont Imron if it is still available is an awesome paint. I personally like it better than powder coat hands down. Scuff and scratch resistant so much so that I painted the front door of our house. Kids have not destroyed that Imron finish to date. Available in black. Check with an auto body supply house in your area.

 

[ChiefTRDSport]

DuPont Imron if it is still available is an awesome paint. I personally like it better than powder coat hands down. Scuff and scratch resistant so much so that I painted the front door of our house. Kids have not destroyed that Imron finish to date. Available in black. Check with an auto body supply house in your area.

Thanks! That sounds like a winner.

 

[Tony TRD]

Thanks! That sounds like a winner.

I would consider it over powder coating anytime. Personally I have never had any luck with powder coatings. Lost a camper frame that was factory powder coated, lost a fuel tank that was factory powder coated, honestly I believe it is total garbage and a fad. Everything powder coated has peeled and rusted away to total junk. Use a top rated self etching primer under DuPont Imron and it will hands down out perform powder coating.

 

[toyotafan]

I would consider it over powder coating anytime. Personally I have never had any luck with powder coatings. Lost a camper frame that was factory powder coated, lost a fuel tank that was factory powder coated, honestly I believe it is total garbage and a fad. Everything powder coated has peeled and rusted away to total junk. Use a top rated self etching primer under DuPont Imron and it will hands down out perform powder coating.

Either way, keep us updated on what you do.

 

[MuddyTacoma]

dumb question, how do you know if it's power coating vs spray-on paint?

 

[Tony TRD]

dumb question, how do you know if it's power coating vs spray-on paint?

The powder coatings I have seen begin to bubble then peel off of the metal it was sprayed on with massive rust damage underneath.

 

[MuddyTacoma]

So I looked up the definition of powder coating ... why is essentially baking powder better than spraying?

pow·der-coat ... /ˈpoudərˌkōt/ ... verb
gerund or present participle: powder-coating

1. cover (an object) with a polyester or epoxy powder, which is then heated to fuse into a protective layer.

 

[Tony TRD]

So I looked up the definition of powder coating ... why is essentially baking powder better than spraying?

pow·der-coat ... /ˈpoudərˌkōt/ ... verb
gerund or present participle: powder-coating

1. cover (an object) with a polyester or epoxy powder, which is then heated to fuse into a protective layer.

Good question that no one I have spoken with can give a chemically correct answer

 

[toyotafan]

Good question that no one I have spoken with can give a chemically correct answer

That's my question as well. Is there supposed to be a stronger bond? Does it cure faster?

 

[toyotafan]

Just read a pro- powder coating article that says that the process can be cheaper in industrial settings.

One of my kids is very sensitive to voc's so I like stuff that creates less pollution. But that doesn't mean that it makes a better finish.

it

is better on the environment compared to liquid painting finished that consists of solvents that are known to be pollutants of volatile organic compounds, also referred to as VOC’s. However, powder coating does not contain any solvents, and it only releases very negligible amounts of VOC’s, if any within the atmosphere. This means that finishers no longer have a need of purchasing and maintaining expensive equipment for pollution control. Read powder coating vs painting & which one is better.

 

[toyotafan]

Actually. That same piece said this also.

Disadvantages Of Power Coating
Although powder coating has many advantages, it also has disadvantages as well, including:

• Hard to achieve thin coating layers
• Will break down if exposed to UV rays
• Color change difficulties
• Start up costs are high
• Difficult to touch up
• Part has to be grounded in order to powder coat
• Less control over the speed and amount of powder coating applied
• Requires baking
• Less control over smoothness
• Must be painted electrostatically
• Requires a powder coating over, spray gun and booth