Cub Cadet powder coat

[DeltaCub]

Cub Cadet, John Deere and others back in the day when powder coating was was new to them had issues with poor adhesion. Simplicity has used powder coating for about the same amount time as the others but did not experience the same problems. I was told it was the mfg cleaning and prepping process. Metal prep is extremely important for any painting process. Deere changed their method of prepping and it worked very well for them.
Every part of my 72 that has been powder coated was taken down to bare metal then cleaned and prepped. Olds45512 can shed my more light on this subject since he offers powder coating at his bodyshop.

[olds45512]

Originally Posted by Shrewcub

I would think powder has an infinite shelf life in a vacuum?

The problem is that it starts to clump, even though I have to put it in an oven at 385° the powder will start to clump at a much lower temp.

[olds45512]

Originally Posted by finsruskw

I sure hope that stuff sticks better for you guys than it does for most manufacturers that use it, Like CCC decks etc.
Recently purchased some truck camper tie down equipment and after 1 year, it needed repainting while the 3 year old paint on the truck frame still has a shine to it.
Also my seldom used 2011 GTXLE deck is flaking off chunks of the stuff as well as my neighbor's farm store garden cart.

The big difference between manufacturers and guys like me is prep. They are working with new metal that is cleaned with chemicals and then has a chemical sprayed on it to create adhesion, they are basically relying on a chemical reaction to hold the powder on. When I powder coat everything gets sandblasted and the texture left behind is what creates adhesion the same way using sandpaper would. It might be the same product but there are two very different ways to apply it.

[ol'George]

I've never been a fan of powder coating because of the peeling problem.
if that is solved, then that is a good thing.
I think it was pushed on us because it was more enviro friendly they say.
------Rarely does the first shot hit the target.
I've seen more than my share of peeling powder coat,
so I avoid it like a poison ivy.

[yeeter]

I spent a fair bit of time getting samples from prismatic powders, matching, coating. Somewhere here I posted the prismatic numbers that I found matched best (it was a pretty good match because some parts were side by side with painted parts and color match was excellent)

Some observations:

Not all powder is the same.

Sandblasting, not too smooth, gives it a better 'bite'

Powder coating is just another way to get a film (vs solvent evaporation).

You still have to do proper prep, and I even did an oxide on some the parts before powder coat. Prep prep prep (else rust will happen again)

This includes degreasing. And you are heating to 400F (ish), so keep that in mind for any bushings bearings seals, etc. They all have to be removed.

There are different types of powders. Some FADE more than others (and faster than paint). My IH White/935 match seems to have faded more than the paint beside it.

I havent seen any fading. But a couple areas I got it thin so rust is coming through already (crevices and corners are tricky because the electrostatic charge of the powder hits the nearest available surface). I did a fair bit of hot coating, where I heated the part so the powder would stick on contact.

Having said that, it was a lot of fun and I liked some of the special effects (used a 'hammered' silver/black for some of the parts). If I was just doing a restoration of the tractor and not wanting to play with powder coat specifically, I would choose a good primer/paint combo.

I will dig up the exact powder codes I used. They were standard prismatic colors so available in 1-3# qty which didnt break the bank.

[yeeter]

Copied from previous thread on the subject, these were the codes I used:

--------------------------------------------
Here is what I came up with from prismatic powders:

IH Red: P-105S/Solid Tone
CC Yellow: PSS 4571/Solid Tone
CC Beige(935): USS 2242/Solid Tone
CC Implement: PSS 3043/Solid Tone
Epoxy Primer: ESS-6518

These colors were matched via an archive search, from fresh Martin Senour Paint samples that I sent to have archive matched. They are pretty close (from my eye). If my paint wasnt mixed properly then they could be off, and certainly if you were matching existing paint they likely wouldnt match due to the old paint being faded.

[finsruskw]

Even some trailer dealers I have spoken with admit the PC sucks on their own trailers they are trying to sell.
Many are rusting on their lots, mostly in hard to reach areas like corners and inside channels.
I figured proper prep was lacking big time in the mfg. process.
I bought 6 new class 8 road tractors over the years, 6 Pete's and one KW. They ALL had frame rusting issues with in 18 months. mostly around bolt /rivet heads and anyplace that had been touched by oily fingers it seems.
I usually sandblast everything that I paint as well.