can you sandblast springs?

[jcote75]

Hi,

 

Looking to have powdercoated my coil springs.

 

Would sandblasting affect the rate?

 

I know this have been answer somewhere but can find the post now that I need it!

 

Thanks,

Joce

[Clifton]

Maybe if you were an F1 team it would matter. I would blast then acid dip and still not worry.

[Careless]

take some Circa 1895 (i think) vertical paint stripper for wood furniture, and use a dollar store paint brush and slather it on there. shove it into a garbage bag and seal the bag with a knot.

 

come back in 5 hours and use a stainless steel brush or wire wheel on a power drill to clean the flakes off.

 

I do that for everything I paint because the sandblaster traps too much moisture in the gun because I did not install my moisture trap. It doesn't take long and it leaves it nice and smooth. Sand blasting will leave a texture.

 

It's the heating of the powder coat that will change the spring rate if anything!

[jcote75]

Thanks for the advise.

 

So should use another way to paint it then.

 

What type of paint would you recommand to have a decent solid paint the would be hard enough to stay on those springs?

[Filmjay]

You COULD have it media blasted (instead of sand). The softer blasting media will only remove paint and not pit or texture the metal.

 

But using stripper, as mentioned, is WAY more cost effective.

[Careless]

Thanks for the advise.

 

So should use another way to paint it then.

 

What type of paint would you recommand to have a decent solid paint the would be hard enough to stay on those springs?

 

the elasticity of the paint is of most importance. I'm not sure what kind of binders or hardeners are mixed in with POR15 or Rust Bullet.

 

talk to a powder coater who sounds like he knows his stuff, rather than "sure, i'll do ya some springs! what colour ya wanna'um? Pink!?"

[jcote75]

Good advise.

 

I'll contact my powdercoater tomorow to see his opinion.

[kiwi303]

the elasticity of the paint is of most importance. I'm not sure what kind of binders or hardeners are mixed in with POR15 or Rust Bullet.

 

talk to a powder coater who sounds like he knows his stuff, rather than "sure, i'll do ya some springs! what colour ya wanna'um? Pink!?"

 

 

I know through experience that POR15 when you hit a rock with a live axle, with squish not chip. so it's fairly elastic.

 

But I agree, talk to a painter who's done it before and done it properly.

[Clifton]

Thanks for the advise.

 

So should use another way to paint it then.

 

What type of paint would you recommand to have a decent solid paint the would be hard enough to stay on those springs?

 

Hypercoil and Eibach, and I'm sure just about everyone else powder coats. VHT and Krylon makes good paint. VHT engine paint resists chemicals better than Duplicolor engine paint.

[Careless]

I'll second the VHT comment. I used both, and I like the VHT better. Even VHT's caliper paint is rated higher than their engine paint, and it sticks better and is good for twice the temperature for only like 2 bucks more!

[Filmjay]

I just remembered...when I did my first respray on my old Chevy about 10 years ago, I used this stuff called "Aircraft Stripper" to take off the old finish first.

 

It will eat away ANYTHING but not harm the metal. Most custom shops swear by the stuff.

 

It's not a brand name, as many manufacturers make it. The best place to look for it would be your local auto parts store. It won't be found at Home Depot or Lowes.

[tec280zx]

+1 on the Aircraft stripper, its what I use on all my valve covers.

[jcote75]

I've tried the varnish stripper. No effect at all.

 

I suspect these springs all already powdercoated.

 

They're 8 inch blue spring.

 

Don't know the brand since they we're install efore I got the car.

 

Is sandblasting is the only way to remove powdercoat? I'll try the aircraft stripper this week to see the effect.

 

Joce

[calpoly-z]

I use a paint stripper that comes in an aerosol can from McMaster-Carr that works great. Its about $5 a can and it will strip paint and powdercoat in a few minutes. Plus you spray it on, so need to ruin a brush every time you use it.

 

I wouldn't worry about the heat used to cure the powdercoat affecting the spring rate. You're springs will only be at around 400 deg for 10 minutes max. And thats only the surface temp. This is not long enough or at high enough of a temperature to affect the metalurgical properties of steel.