C3 Shark Tank

Just got the latest Eastwood catalog in the mail, you know, the one that once you buy from them you'll have millions of catalogs. :jester

Anyway, on the front cover they have new high temp coatings for the powdercoating guns. It says they can withstand temps to 1000 degrees, and comes in Satin Black, Stainless Steel, Factory Gray and Silver. It's about $25 per 1/2 pound. So if you buy a powdercoating gun for $200 and a pound of powder that's a heck of a savings over the ceramic stuff. The only problem I can see is how to bake a set of headers...unless you have a BIG oven or buy some thermal lamps. Just thought I'd alert the do-it-yourself types.

Smokehouse69

I saw it too, but I don't think that 1000 degrees is hot enough for headers, if a car is running a little lean, then the surface temperature of the headers will go over 1000 degrees pretty quickly. Techline Coatings sell a water based ceramic coating that is sprayed on with a touch up gun or an airbrush. It then requires an oven that will go up to 500 degrees for an hour.
I did some valve covers and a couple of other small parts with the stuff, it works pretty darned good, but really looks no better than a very good paint job.
The secret to powder coating or ceramic coating is absolute cleanliness and a smooth flawless surface. If you have any grease, oil, rust or paint on the surface you are coating then it won't turn out right.

C3 Shark Tank

Good point about the headers, never thought of that although I didn't know how hot they got. I was considering doing my sidepipes in black, I've seen a couple cars with silver headers and black pipes and thought it looked good. I did see the pics of the parts you did, thought they turned out pretty nice actually. I may do that with some of my smaller parts.

Scott78

Next Time I take the vette to work I'll attach a couple thermal couples to it and measure the temps. I've got 2- 8x10x16 foot ovens that run at 500 we use to cure the coatings we put on. I might have to try the Eastwood stuff.
Scott

gdh

Quote:
The only problem I can see is how to bake a set of headers...unless you have a BIG oven or buy some thermal lamps.

Will have to go to my brother-in-laws workplace - it is where they do all of the product testing in Canada for things like paint and most other products including engines. They also are one of 2 places in N.A. where they actually can simulate the sun - pretty amazing to see it in operation.


[Modified by gdh, 11:09 PM 4/11/2002]

Smokehouse69

One of the other forum members suggested it wouldn't be too hard to build a temporary oven out of cinder block, and the heating element out of a gas water heater. If I had the time and the energy I'd try it, as it is, it is probably easier and more cost effective for me to just buy some ceramic coated headers.