Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Paul: What is powder coating and to what extent is it used in the guitar industry? Can you tell me a bit about its history?

It's the white stuff you see on donuts and on the front of cop's shirts.

...and Al Pacino's face in "Scarface."

...and on my front yard any day now...

wise guys

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/diaz/222/hmr_cops.wav

hi

Oh Paul where are you? This thread has been hi-jacked by comedians. There is an interesting question that remains unanswered.

Hey, nobody said which Paul had to answer it!

That is an interesting reference Paul. I had never really considered this process before, that is

"the technique of applying dry paint to a part."

I got all charged up reading about this. Very clever. I wonder what the downside is. Perhaps the heating process may weaken parts as John Hall mentioned in another post.

You know Peter, You got me on that one. I used to build bicycles for a major company and the products are mostly powder coated. The stuff is hard as a rock. It seems like the perfect solution to applying paint to metal frame work.

Sorry, guys, I've been out of office the last couple of days, attending a hazardous materials knowledge certification seminar.

You guys know all you need to know about powder coating. Eastwood company (they sell automotive restoration supplies) and some other vendors sell kits for home use on small parts.

However, it must be sprayed from a spray gun, and when it is oven-baked, there are some funes to contend with.

It's not a panacea for finishing metal, because it will chip, which allows moisture and rust into the substrate over time.

But it's far superior to any kind of enamel. It cannot be rubbed out and levelled, so the painter should know his stuff so it flows properly.

Can't use it on wood or plastic.

Mmmm . . .

Powder Coating Wood

Another Wood Powder Coat Story

It's certainly not ready for a wood guitar though.

Yes, I believe it will be a long time before it will be capable of producing a finish as glossy and smooth as CV does. But is has to be a good alternative on MDF (it looks like a highway sign or perhaps a tabletop being sprayed in the photo).

But I had a good laugh at the reference in the first article to a "24 Hour Ketchup Test"!