Powder Coat Question

[HYRDGOON]

Is it possible to have a vinyl decal made and then powder coat to a colour to have the decal impression left bare metal? I guess my question is will the decal just bake and shrivel during the process?

This is a pic of the Valve Cover off the murder nova I'm thinking of a look like that but obviously with more personal lettering.

Goon

 

[64SF]

Is it possible to have a vinyl decal made and then powder coat to a colour to have the decal impression left bare metal? I guess my question is will the decal just bake and shrivel during the process?

This is a pic of the Valve Cover off the murder nova I'm thinking of a look like that but obviously with more personal lettering.

Goon

View attachment 309180

Interested in knowing this as well...

 

[super-bee_ski]

Ask CudaChick (Leanna)
She owns a Powder coating business

 

[HYRDGOON]

She owns the BEST powder coating business!

I would be shipping to Leanna if it wasn't cross border. Hopefully she sees the question and can still chime in with an answer though unless there is someone else in the know

 

[slepr1]

My local powder coating company says you can only powder coat metal. Since the baking process involves temps as high as 200 degree Celsius the plastic will not only shrivel up but virtually disappear.

How about getting an aluminum plate engraved and powdercoated, then attach to the top of the valve cover?

 

[Hemirunner]

Those are typically done by powdercoating, then machining the logo or text into it.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Thanks first for the mentions above! I appreciate your confidence in my abilities more than you can ever know guys.

I suspect the Murder Nova's custom script there was not left in bare metal. (If it was, it'll eventually oxidize and he'll have to clean it up in the future.) I believe what you see there is in fact a vinyl decal applied on TOP of the coating job.

Contrary to what slepr1's local place thinks, you should all know that custom decals can in fact be made out of high temp vinyl that WILL withstand the heat of the cure. I've done this a number of times on various parts and the only ones that don't work out are white like those pictured above -- they'll discolor a bit and look kind of beige instead of bright white. That's why I'm inclined to believe the Murder Nova's are on top, just like the ones on this racer's memory box ...





On this Magnum's lower control arm, the decal -- a Harley tank decal my customer purchased on eBay -- was embedded in between the base coat of Illusion Lite Blue ...



... and then covered in a candy topcoat of Peeka Blue ...

..




This is another example of a custom vinyl decal installed on top of the powder work.



If you're working with an existing design such as a manufacturer's decal that came on the parts, it will either have to be removed, saved and reinstalled -- which is difficult -- or recreated from scratch. (A good powder coating job cannot be applied and expected to last without properly prepping the metal which involves abrasive blasting. And NO DECAL will survive that.) Just get good close up pictures of it first.

Whatever you think of CAN most likely be done!!! Just make sure your chosen coater is qualified and experienced. You dream it up ... and I'll make it happen.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Gee CudaChick!
I love this quote of yours...."You dream it up ... and I'll make it happen. "

I'M DREAMING GIRL!

LOL

Thanks for answering the above questions.
Great to know you can do it!

 

[CudaChick1968]

She owns the BEST powder coating business!

I would be shipping to Leanna if it wasn't cross border. Hopefully she sees the question and can still chime in with an answer though unless there is someone else in the know

As timing would have it, these one-off custom Old School Edelbrocks with their speedboat style metalflake are getting boxed up today to go to Ontario. I work for motorheads all over the world.

This is what they looked like to start with.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Gorgeous!
Leanna, simply beautiful!

 

[rumblefish360]

M1 Tunnel ram small block in Alien Silver, thanks Leanna.

 

[j1tuck]

sure you can, there is high temp tape but not sure how wide you can get it to cut it out. you can have someone cut it out. or use a stencil and clear coat it.

check out team z motorsports

 

[HYRDGOON]

Thanks Leanna,

Great info and as always the examples of your work are top shelf

If I had the foresight of what I was going to do I would have shipped new valve covers directly to you before sending them over the border to me but I'm afraid going back and forth with international shipping is just more than the project is worth to me.

 

[Hemirunner]

Those are typically done by powdercoating, then machining the logo or text into it.

and most of them are left with no protection for the aluminum although I have known a few who clear them afterwards. They aren't decals and most racers wouldn't accept a decal. I've machined a bunch of them over the years.

 

[MOPOWER871]

Leanna rocks, a true artist

 

[usaroadrunner]

You put vynil on the valve covers with the heat cycles and long hauls, I've never seen it hold over time. I will ask my sign supply about hi-heat vynil. Just my experience.

 

[conv67bdere]

Gorgeous!
Leanna, simply beautiful!

So here I am scratching my head and wondering if the Bee-Ski is talking about the valve covers, or our own wonderful Leanna ! ? ! ? ! ?

Or maybe both ! ! ! ( smile )

 

[HYRDGOON]

So here I am scratching my head and wondering if the Bee-Ski is talking about the valve covers, or our own wonderful Leanna ! ? ! ? ! ?

Or maybe both ! ! ! ( smile )

He was talking about me I think

 

[Wylde1]

As timing would have it, these one-off custom Old School Edelbrocks with their speedboat style metalflake are getting boxed up today to go to Ontario. I work for motorheads all over the world.

This is what they looked like to start with.

Those Eddy's are gonna look sweet on my Demon! You rock CudaChick!!!!! :love4: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumleft: :3gears: :headbang:

Wylde1.

 

[CudaChick1968]

You put vynil on the valve covers with the heat cycles and long hauls, I've never seen it hold over time. I will ask my sign supply about hi-heat vynil. Just my experience.

Yes sir. I've been at this since 1999 (started on my own stuff) and opened the shop in 2007. To date, not a single customer has notified me of any problems with the embedded decals so I must assume they've held up fine.

Besides, valve covers themselves don't really get that hot. They experience a*lot*more direct heat from the powder cure cycle(s) than from operation. I wouldn't recommend using vinyl or cosmetic powder coating on your exhaust applications though.

- - - Updated - - -

So here I am scratching my head and wondering if the Bee-Ski is talking about the valve covers, or our own wonderful Leanna ! ? ! ? ! ?

Or maybe both ! ! ! ( smile )

Ya'll make me laugh!!! I love this place.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Leanna,

Great info and as always the examples of your work are top shelf

If I had the foresight of what I was going to do I would have shipped new valve covers directly to you before sending them over the border to me but I'm afraid going back and forth with international shipping is just more than the project is worth to me.

You're quite welcome! Most buy used ones on one of the forums or Craig's List, and have them sent to me directly ... it saves one leg off the shipping charges and saves you a TON of money versus buying brand new castings.

The old beat up used ones can be restored just as well -- and usually better -- than brand new covers (see Wylde1's up there) ... the metal is a better quality, and they ALL need bodywork anyway. And it's been my experience that the new ones need a lot more of it.

It's not unusual to spend 5-10 HOURS cleaning up new castings, or several hours blasting off the factory's thick wrinkle paint. It's a lot more cost effective to pick up some old ones for $50-100 versus the $150+ for new ones and then spend another $300+ making them suitable for a multicolor powder job.

The way I see it, you can spend the savings on other cool stuff for your car, or groceries, or gas, or dance lessons for your daughter instead.

Then, when your $65 used CL valve covers come back from me, you can sell the ones on your car now and recoup even more.

It might be hard to believe, but I'm a lifelong motorhead too who's in it for the love of the cars and to keep this cool old stuff around for a few more decades instead of for the money. It's my legacy to the automotive world ... and I hope my work long outlives me.

< curtsey >