Powder coating radiator?

jay15857

Would powder coating a baseray cast iron radiator be a good alternative to just painting it?

Jamie Hall

If you've got the money, honey…

hot_rod

Usually sandblasting, then powder coat. The oven runs above 400F to bake the powder. So all connections or rubber seals need to be able to withstand that temperature.

I know for a fact it can melt soldered joints :(

jay15857

Yeah, that's what I meant. I should be ok, no solder or seals. Just push ripples and bolts that hold the sections together. Now that I think about it, if I go that route I'll probably have to disassemble the sections.

Jamie Hall

Not necessarily — depending on the processes used the shop may be able to do it without disassembly.

I will admit that a powder coated radiator is pretty fine to look at — but in my humble opinion, unless you have unlimited funds there may be other places to spend money on functional excellence…

hot_rod

The shop I use for powder coating charges about the same to spray paint.

The cost is labor. They have an automated conveyer system in the blast booth and the bake booth. Stuff goes in dirty on one end, blasted clean as it exits, they inspect it, then it gets sprayed with powder the runs through the oven.

The powder coating just adds the oven time, the paint or powder costs are not that much different. Spray painting involves a primer, then final coat, so one more step.

Sandblasting is the only way to get radiators completely clean. If that is the look you want.

If not, just "rattle can" over the years of accumulation that you cannot wire brush away :)

jay15857

I'm just tired of looking at it as it is now. It's an eyesore. I attempted to wire brush and paint it before, when I updated my bathroom. I used white paint that turned yellowish and flaked off leaving surface rust. I want to be sure that this time it will stay nice.

RTW

I had a place nearby that did Soda Blasting thats less abrasive than sandblasting and takes it down to bare metal. I did all radiators followed by ferrous metal paint thats still fine over a decade later

Regards,

RTW