Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

[welterracer]

I might have a line on a bunch of small dirt bike pipes that need ceramic coating (this could be a major customer for me)

I have done quite a few snowmobile exhaust pipes in ceramic and the black is a piece of cake.. But this damn Ceramic chrome is a Pain in the ASS..

I always have dry spots, or its too heavy and runs or i miss spots.. Its just soo hard to spray..

I am using a Cup fed small gun (sucks from the bottom) is this the problem? should i go to a gravity fed gun?

The paint doesnt seem to want to come out of the gun consistantly sometimes its heavy and sometimes it comes out thin, weak or spitting..

Ive tried running the pressure from anywhere from 5psi all the way up to 35 and it doesnt seem to a matter of pressure..

Its also hard to tell just how thick it is.. and what is too thick?

Thanks

Brian

[welterracer]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

Common.. I know there are guys doing ceramic coating on this website..

[roadsterdude]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

hi brian.i have sprayed tech lines ceramic chrome coatings a couple of times and i had no troubles, worked great. i used my small hvlp touch up gun,mixed the ceramic up in a blender for three to four mintues, set air pressure at 40lbs.psi.they recommend only a small amount of coating on each parts.i spray two even coats of ceramic on the parts. baked them at 500 degrees,than polished.

[welterracer]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

Is you gun a gavity or suction fed cup?

[JTW37]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

I use the same ceramic and a gravity touch up gun as well as an air brush. Put on two light coats. If you get any runs, leave them and cure it. After you cure it, then you can sand off the run (very gently) and buff when your done with that. Also, you can clean off the coating before buffing with a glass bead blaster. But you need to turn your air way down, like 25 psi or you will knock off the coating and have to blast it and re do it again. You can use steel wool, but that's really dirty and very time consuming. But it will work.

[welterracer]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

Last parts i did.. i had some runs.. and after backing them the runs CRACKED..

Ive found it very difficult not to put the coating on so thick..

[JTW37]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

Yea, it's a bear sometimes. You just have to slow down and turn down the amount of ceramic you are spraying. You can not have it very thick. Use and air brush if you have one. Pretty much the way roadsterdude has it outlined. If it isn't looking right, only choice you have is to rinse it off b4 baking and dry it and start over.

[welterracer]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

Do you spray the parts warm or cold?? I found that doing them warm helped keep me from running the parts.. but also cause the dry textured problem..

[JTW37]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

No, never sprayed them hot. The last set I did came out real smooth.

[Zpider]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

The main thing to remember is that the coating should be applied as one wet covering layer. If you try to build in layers it will cause runs and they will crack when curing. The coating works best with a gravity fed gun, and we always heat the coating to about 35-40 degrees celcius before spaying. We also use basecoat under as it protect further and makes it easier to see how the topcoating is applied. It can be a pita to get it perfect when its complex headers, and it takes a few pipes to master. Done right it should look like this:

[SCOTTRODS]

Sweet

The main thing to remember is that the coating should be applied as one wet covering layer. If you try to build in layers it will cause runs and they will crack when curing. The coating works best with a gravity fed gun, and we always heat the coating to about 35-40 degrees celcius before spaying. We also use basecoat under as it protect further and makes it easier to see how the topcoating is applied. It can be a pita to get it perfect when its complex headers, and it takes a few pipes to master. Done right it should look like this:

That manifold looks awesome! Nice work Zpider.

[Zpider]

Re: Sweet

The manifold is polished in our vibratory polisher, without one the result is very hard to reach. You can polish manually, but it takes time...

[SCOTTRODS]

Re: Sweet

The manifold is polished in our vibratory polisher, without one the result is very hard to reach. You can polish manually, but it takes time...

Oh,... Now you tell us.... Still an awesome finish.

[welterracer]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

What can you rub on it with a rag that would help it along?

[Maxcoolpenguin]

Re: Need Help with Ceramic Coating..

The main thing to remember is that the coating should be applied as one wet covering layer. If you try to build in layers it will cause runs and they will crack when curing. The coating works best with a gravity fed gun, and we always heat the coating to about 35-40 degrees celcius before spaying. We also use basecoat under as it protect further and makes it easier to see how the topcoating is applied. It can be a pita to get it perfect when its complex headers, and it takes a few pipes to master. Done right it should look like this:

I know it's probably a little too late but, I operate a small ceramic coating business in southern Indiana. And I do put on more than one coat. in fact, The first coat goes on very dry and thin. I have found this coat to be most important. Then a really heavy second coat goes on. There are some other things I have found to be soooo very important. Humidity must be above 40 percent or it will come off every time. Or you wont get a consistant shine, no matter how much polishing you do. Feel free to email me or check out site at httpcoolcoat.org