Aluminum: Polish then Powder Coat?
 

Hey All,
I am in the process of polishing my Greddy IC pipes and they are looking pretty decent so far....I have some polished parts already and can't help but notice how much maintenance is required to keep the bling factor on high.

Has anyone polished aluminum then clear powder coated it? Seems like it would be super easy to clean and to keep the soft aluminum from being scratch or scuffed up.

Just a thought.

me

I have never done it, but I do know it's a common practice.

I would think that as long as your polishing compound has no wax protectant you would be OK. If you did not want to go to the expense of clear coating you could use a final polish by hand with some SimiChrome - it has a clear protectant already built in that will hold oxidation at bay for quite a while. When it does dull you just take a dab and a microfiber cloth and it looks like new with a quick wipe. Just about any clear "coat" will start to yellow and dull over time.

If you buy the SimiChrome get a tin - it will cost about $25.00 but will last for years. You need very little to make everything shine like purty.;)

Where would you get SemiChrome?

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=SimiChrome :)

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=SimiChrome :)

The only concern I have with clear powder coating aluminum is that the overall finish may darken somewhat. A key part of PCing is the baking process, which may tint the finish.

Not a big deal if everything tints consistently, but if you clear PC thin alum IC tubing along with the (thick) manifold (the two different thickness requires each to be baked for different times, thicker = longer) - you may get different results.

I had one PC place advise against me from doing all my polished engine pieces for this reason.

Another alternative is POR 15 Glisten PC:

http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/Perm...COATS.html#GPC

I did only my suspension arms.

I found it to be very tough, and maintains the original shiny finish well. It supposedly can be sprayed on, but I had problems with it in it's original form - too viscous to make it thru the paint gun hehe. (says it can be thinned with POR15 specific thinner)

Since the POR 15 thinner had to be special ordered, I said screw it and just brushed it on. Made a mess, but it came out ok. I'll go back and wetsand and polish the Glisten PC coating later.

I left the engine pieces bare though, and have found POR15's metal polish to be excellent. Makes cleaning up polished parts almost fun. Don't know that it adds a protective barrier though.

http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/Perm...DUCTS.html#AMP

*edit* sorry about double post, forum wigged out

ACE. And it's SimiChrome. If they don't have the tins in stock special order it or you'll pay through the nose for the small tubes.

It think it's the best metal polish I've ever used. It think it's made in Germany.... and you know how anal the Germans are:D

Seriously, I think this is the best route for consistent - and cheap - bling.

Kool...I will go check it out tomorrow...Man, polishing is hard...I was just outside for 4 solid hours polishing my IC piping...not a hard job but hard on the body and extremely time consuming...Giving it a rest till tomorrow...

Thanks for your help RonKMiller :D

lets see some progress pics apneablue..what's your name btw?

progress
 

So after 4 hours (just polishing....I had about another 4 hours of sanding :rolleyes:) and one hell of a stiff neck, this is where I am at...

You can see the second pic I just couldn't complete it...Tomorrow I will put the final bling on them

http://www.apneablue.com/rx7/photos/forum/progress1.jpg

http://www.apneablue.com/rx7/photos/forum/progress2.jpg

David Lee

cool, you post enough...would rather call you david :)

<---brian

polish those end tanks!

Powder coating takes something like 20 minutes to cure at a temp of 400 deg. I thought about doing it to the steel and rotor housings but was concerned about warpage.

oh yeah, and pics look awesome :) can't wait to see it all come together