Painting Springs

J

JoeP

New member
So, almost every time I ask about this people tell me its a waste of time and wont really work. I am looking to totally strip and re-paint springs. I assume the factory paint is some sort of powder coat that allows for flexing? Has anyone ever done this at home? I am not looking to do a cheap temporary job, but really figure out how to get a durable factory-like finish. Any ideas? I have plenty of paint stripper and similar chemicals so I can definitely get to bare steel with no issues, but thats where my knowledge ends...
 
imthatguy

imthatguy

Putting it in "H"
Yes, it's a powder coat. Unless you've got a booth and proper PPE, I wouldn't powder coat at home. You could try Cerakote, but I don't know how flexible that would be.
 
J

JoeP

New member
imthatguy said:
Yes, it's a powder coat. Unless you've got a booth and proper PPE, I wouldn't powder coat at home. You could try Cerakote, but I don't know how flexible that would be.
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In that case, I guess it's just one of those things that I will have to find the exact color I want from a custom shop. Is it pretty much the same situation for plastic parts like chassis or would I be able to do a long lasting paint job on those? I've read about people using RIT dye. I have a lot of experience painting plastic models but I guess it's all different when you're talking about moving parts that are likely to see wear.
 
imthatguy

imthatguy

Putting it in "H"
Rit dye works only on white or gray parts, it won't have any effect on black, which, is what most chassis are. Paint on plastic is always a crap shoot. It's always going to show scratches, no matter what.
 
J

JRC

New member
Just clean the shit out of them and prime with Tamiya primer. Then shoot generously with with Tamiya paint. As long as you let it cure and harden your fine. I have tons of painted springs that held up well. The flex is no problem. I usually let them cure for a month or more in the summer.
 
J

JoeP

New member
JRC said:
Just clean the shit out of them and prime with Tamiya primer. Then shoot generously with with Tamiya paint. As long as you let it cure and harden your fine. I have tons of painted springs that held up well. The flex is no problem. I usually let them cure for a month or more in the summer.
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Do you strip the original coating off and go to bare metal?
 
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