Powder Coat Or Anodize????

[707-CREW]

I have a ton of parts off of my sanger flat that i want to have finished in purple. (plate, turnbuckles, pedals, olson wing ect.,ect.,) What is the better way to go???

[BILLY.B]

That really depends on your own likes. I did my boat in powder coating (purple) only because I couldn't stand to look at my installation that was fading by the day. Purple anodizing is also one the quickest to fade due to the dye. Anodizing colors are rated on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the least to fade all the way up to 10 which would be the quickest. Purple I believe falls some where between a 7-8. Red is also a very bad color for fading. Black is one of the strongest. Wouldn't you know that all the cool colors are also the worst for fading. If you choose powder coating you'll have to go back when you get the parts back and re-drill all your holes and sand down to the aluminum where pieces come together where tolerences are critical (v-drive center plate, engine clips etc). I personally like ano, but I also like the way powder last. Hopefully you have a powder coater that can do the job without alot of orange peel which can ruin the look also.

[SOCALDETAIL1]

I have a ton of parts off of my sanger flat that i want to have finished in purple. (plate, turnbuckles, pedals, olson wing ect.,ect.,) What is the better way to go???
I like powder coating, it defently lasts longer. Ano gets real thin around the edges, Also ano will fade with any harsh chemicals as powder will resist it better. But I do like the way ano looks better.

[SOCALDETAIL1]

That really depends on your own likes. I did my boat in powder coating (purple) only because I couldn't stand to look at my installation that was fading by the day. Purple anodizing is also one the quickest to fade due to the dye. Anodizing colors are rated on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the least to fade all the way up to 10 which would be the quickest. Purple I believe falls some where between a 7-8. Red is also a very bad color for fading. Black is one of the strongest. Wouldn't you know that all the cool colors are also the worst for fading. If you choose powder coating you'll have to go back when you get the parts back and re-drill all your holes and sand down to the aluminum where pieces come together where tolerences are critical (v-drive center plate, engine clips etc). I personally like ano, but I also like the way powder last. Hopefully you have a powder coater that can do the job without alot of orange peel which can ruin the look also.
Hey Billy I got to detail this Fountain a few weeks ago painted by you. The paint job was awesome. Mark

[Racey]

Anodizing is superior to powdercoating IMO, but for purple like the above mentioned posts, anodizing will fade quickly unless you wax it constantly. Red as well, we just stay away from those colors, Dark Blue on the other hand will last for decades with little maintenance, and wont chip like powdercoating when exposed to fasteners etc.
This Boat (http://www.raceyindustries.com/Projects/Schiada_22IO/Schiada_22IO.php) Was rigged by us 10+ years ago and is still looking brand new, and it lives at arrowhead, which is notorious for eating anodizing. The Dark Blue holds up almost as well as the black, better in some cases because the black will turn a deep burgundy which is very noticable where the blue will only slightly fade a little lighter.

[adjones419]

Anodize, like Racey said. But mine is a trailer queen and only gets wet at the dragboat races. The rest of the time, it sits in the garage. I guess if it is more of a lake boat, powdercoat would be the way to go.

[BILLY.B]

Hey Billy I got to detail this Fountain a few weeks ago painted by you. The paint job was awesome. MarkHell Mark you did a job for that "Jack Off":D . Gene is a cool dude. I painted that boat back in the late 89 or 90 I think. He takes good care of especially for sitting outside all the time.

[RUSHIN ROULETTE]

Go ano, looks the best on aluminum and won't add any material thickness. Even though it can fade, still better a better choice in my opinion..:D

[SGettmann]

Can parts be re-anodized? My dad's boat has some faided anodized aluminum that I would like to have freshened up, but wasn't sure if it can be stripped and redone.
Thanks!

[Rexone]

Can parts be re-anodized? My dad's boat has some faided anodized aluminum that I would like to have freshened up, but wasn't sure if it can be stripped and redone.
Thanks!
Yes but the parts should be stripped by an anodizer (most will do it for free if you're taking the job back to them), then rebuffed and colored (polishing terms), then reanodized. You can "usually" skip the belting processes if the stripper doesn't get carried away in the etch tank. Some anodizers do their own polishing, some do not. Personally we do our polishing outside of the anodizer because I think we get better quality. What Billy and Racey stated above is pretty right on. Purple (actually called violet in the ano dye world) and Red are 2 colors with the worst colorfast rating. I have a Schiada with red ano hardware that is pink after years of use. When I redo it it's going to be black or pewter. Pewter holds up well too as far as fading and as Racey said blue is good.
As far as powder it's very popular these days and if done properly will hold up well. It also has brighter color selection. Part critical clearances can be a problem though as the powder will add .005 to as much as .015 to a surface depending on the application. It is basically baked on paint rather than plating like anodize. Anodize will only add a fraction of a thousanth to the surface (hard ano will add more). The one other shortcoming to powder is "if" it gets chipped the opportunity for corrosion is now present particularly in salt applications. If salt or hi alkali water gets at it it will get underneath and can actually corrode the part away as well as flake the paint off. Doesn't happen too often but I have seen it. Powder is hard to chip but it will chip if hit hard with a sharp object or on a parts sharp corner. Other issues are proper prep of the parts and dirt and dust, or oils on the part before shooting. All the above will cause problems in the finished product. However it can be colorsanded and polished just like paint if its thick enough.
They both have their issues and positive features. We still sell more anodized hardware than powder, probably partially because we're one of the few billet manufacturers left that offers anodize I guess as a regular stocking line of product.
Heres a link from our website also on the subject. (http://www.rexmar.com/page19.html)

[sanger mike]

this is the point im at also, ano or powder ?. all my parts are ano and faded and i would like to redo them. i think ill go with the ano, im in norcal, does anyone know of a good shop up here or should i just send it down to L.a.

[TonkaDriver]

I am working on a project boat. I understand that there are clear powdercoats now. I guess my question is twofold. First, Does clear powdercoat preserve the shine of a plated part and second where do I look to get parts copper plated depending on the answer to clear powder preserving shine.
Kurt

[Racey]

We've Done several Cav-Hardware Re-anodizing jobs for customers with older boats, The parts are acid stripped, re-polished, then re-anodized. The process works great and the parts will look brand new unless they have been corroded to the point of pitting, in which case the polisher can only take so much out.
Remeber Powdercoating is just fancy paint
Anodizing is an actual dye that penetrates the surface of the metal.
I think powdercoating looks cheesey on aluminum, but that's just my opinion i'm not knockin anyone for it, i just don't like it. If you can anodize it why powdercoat it?!?! But to each his own
Now for steel parts or other non anodizing metals powdercoating is your only option, and therefore acceptable :D

[Rattle Can Lou]

Hey Racey..thanks for the compliments on my boat and the photo's at the Castle Rock deal. I forgot to mention it. I wish we could have met up...I too am a fan of your work. Maybe another day or at the Parker 300.

[Cs19]

I cant stand to see my parts come back a different size after powdercoating and the powdercoat flaking off drives me crazy.. I like anno for all the inside hardware, powdercoat for things like a jet-drive,etc. I just had all my hardware done in hard black and a new process called hard red, its not supposed to fade at all and its very tough, hard to scratch or ding the alum. when working on the boat.

[Racey]

Hey Racey..thanks for the compliments on my boat and the photo's at the Castle Rock deal. I forgot to mention it. I wish we could have met up...I too am a fan of your work. Maybe another day or at the Parker 300.
I might come down for the 300, not sure yet, if i see ya there we'll have a couple beers. You boat is beautiful btw, very very clean, and done right.

[mostly crue]

Great points all around. Depending on the location of the part is the biggest reason for the plating process. Like SoCalDetail stated, if there are hash chemicals present, I'd powdercoat. Fading on ano is okay, it just gives us a reason to restore/modify/ or change what we have. It beats buying another boat.
Jeff

[SOCALDETAIL1]

Hell Mark you did a job for that "Jack Off":D . Gene is a cool dude. I painted that boat back in the late 89 or 90 I think. He takes good care of especially for sitting outside all the time.
Yea Gene is pretty cool. For sitting outside it's in pretty good condition. We had guys stopping by all day to check out the paint. Mark

[superdave013]

pretty easy to see who owns a milling machine in this thread. lol
I'm with Racey and CS19 on this one.

[Racey]

I cant stand to see my parts come back a different size after powdercoating and the powdercoat flaking off drives me crazy.. I like anno for all the inside hardware, powdercoat for things like a jet-drive,etc. I just had all my hardware done in hard black and a new process called hard red, its not supposed to fade at all and its very tough, hard to scratch or ding the alum. when working on the boat.
Can you post some pictures of the hard red, is it satin like hard black is compared to regular black??? I'm interested to see this.

[Cs19]

I will get some pics next time I get it out of the shop in the sun.. Ive noticed some of the fuel teams have the hard red on their cars at NHRA, its really dark, its like a violet/dark purple. I did half of my hardware hardcoat black and half hardcoat red.

[JOHNNY44]

I love both. This year when we re-rigged our crackerbox we went with powdercoating because of time constraints, but the red color looked just like anodizing. It held up really well all race season. We had Eddie Marine do it and they did a great job, with the anodizing color you couldn't tell the difference. If you do decide to go with powdercoating find someone who really knows what they are doing or else it will look like crap.

[VDRIVERACING]

A top notch powder coater can make cast aluminum look great, much less billet. Powder colors are plentiful and brilliant, but will not stand up to the handling abuse of ano.
For a race boat, I'm pretty careful where I'll use powder, cause we're always taking things apart and putting them back together. Ano is great for that. You can scratch ano and keep going. Scratch powder, and it's going to start flaking off.
Powder - Durable color, sensitive to abrasion: Valve covers, blower drive covers, out drives, etc
Ano - A lot of sun will fade it, will withstand frequent handling and bolt surfaces: Mounts, installation harware, brackets, and so on...

[707-CREW]

Ok......thanks for all of the input....I think i will go ano. The boat stays in the garage and only gets wet a few times a year. I don't think it will be in the sun long enough to fade and it only hits fresh water. I am in the sf bay area (vallejo)....Who is my best bet to get the job done? It's a flat so i want to do all of the cav hardware, motor mounts, rails ect. I JUST WANT A GOOD JOB DONE. Any help would be great.........I have heard of pk select and advanced metal in auburn....Who is the guy to go with???????
thanks