George wrote,
>>Bob and Ann, with the greatest respect I must disagree. You were very
lucky. I would not recommend powder coating the posts! The posts are cast
and are full of air bubbles which when exposed to the intense heat of powder
coating has a distinct tendency to crack and break.
George - you can disagree with us anytime, I think exchange of information is
a key part of the newsgroup. :-) You are absolutely right that the post are
cast and are subject to out gassing during the powder coating process. Anyone
that wants to pursue this option needs to be careful in their selection of a
powder coater and work with them in order to get good results. When looking
for a powder coater we found that there are two different methods being use
for coating in our area. The most common is a process that has been used for
some time and puts 6-7 mils of coating on. The other process, after cleaning,
"pacifies" the surface before coating and puts about 3 mils of coating on the
part. We used the latter and they preheated the post before coating. This
improves the success rate on the post. If I remember correctly we also sanded
the post down after the first coating and then had them recoated. Not all
coaters are willing to work with you to this extent. Having a big order (lots
of parts) helps, it also is more cost effective
Bob and Ann
60 Sprite.
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