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/Proje...hiada_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" . 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..

[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)