Stripping powdercoat

[Kevin B.]

I'm tired of gumming up wirewheels. I'm trying muriatic acid right now, because it's what else I had. Anyone had any luck with anything else off the hardware store shelf?

 

[Greg]

Sand blasting is the best.... 🤷‍♂️

 

[Greg]

Powder coating is bonded by essentially melting the coating onto the part... and the parts are usually sand blasted to prepare for the coating, so it has a good bite. So removing it is very difficult, it adheres very well... which is why it's so popular.

 

[crosbike]

Try heating it up with a torch and burning it off

 

[The_Lobbster]

Aircraft stripper works wonders with powdercoat.

 

[Greg]

Aircraft stripper works wonders with powdercoat.

Didn't know that!

 

[Kevin B.]

Apparently gasket stripper peels it right off too, but you can't get it in the US anymore? Klean Strip Premium Stripper is supposed to work, but it's $50 a gallon.

Muriatic acid is not working quickly. I'm leaving it in a bath overnight and if it ruins the piece then I didn't want to finish this project anyway.

 

[Gravy]

Aircraft stripper.
Wait.
Pressure washer.
Repeat as necessary.
I did a motorcycle frame earlier this year.

 

[Hickey]

I get better results with paint stripper if I score the paint first.

 

[Kevin B.]

I get better results with paint stripper if I score the paint first.

Yah, the muriatic acid didn't even start to work until I scratched up the paint and even then was taking forever.

The Klean Strip worked much faster. The video I saw said you have to leave it in a bath, but I bought an aerosol can, sprayed the parts down, and left them in a plastic tub with the lid on to minimize evaporation. Worked pretty good and not too messy, but I wish I had money and space for a little blasting cabinet.

 

[Kevin B.]

Curious; are you just painting the item after the powdercoat removal?

If so, powdercoat hit with some scuffing-of-the-surface makes a very excellent base layer for paint application anyways. It’s like the ultimate pre-primer. Provided that any area they flaking off is obviously removed.

I had to take a bunch off to reweld a spot anyway and the rest of it was chipped and rusty and would have probably kept flaking away under whatever paint I put over the top. Stripping it down seemed like the thing to do.