[climbhike]

Anyone ever try gloss finish powdercoating a steel centerboard? This will be a fresh water trailer sailer. Thanks, Dave G

 

[harmonic]

I would think it would scratch off on the casing,powder coating doesnt take knocks or scratching well,maybe a hard 2 pot epoxy paint it would be a lot cheaper and you could do it yourself.

 

[RainDog]

Powder coating is surprisingly cheap. I just had 2 hatches sandblasted and powder coated for $80 total. I was shocked how cheap it was.

 

[Faster]

Powder coating is surprisingly cheap. I just had 2 hatches sandblasted and powder coated for $80 total. I was shocked how cheap it was.

That's good to know.. but I suppose small items are easier/cheaper to have done.

 

[RainDog]

When I saw the price I was hoping to get my mast done, but the largest item they can coat at the place I went was 30', so no luck there. I am going to get my binnacle done. The hatches I had done were 2' square hatches, so opened up they were 2' x 4' each. They also had the gaskets on them still, so they had to remove those. When you think about how long surface prep for two hatches would take if I did it, the deal is especially sweet. Wish I could say the same for the risers, machine shop, and Lexan bills for my hatch project

 

[rhr1956]

Powdercoat is very durable, much more so than standard paint. I'm not sure how the durability compares to two-part paints, but I would think they should be similar. I made a spinnaker pole out of thin-wall aluminum tube and had it powdercoated white. The finish has held up well under the extreme beatings a spin pole is subjected to.

 

[Alex W]

Powdercoating is extremely durable because is thicker and less brittle than paint, but it is also prone to corrosion behind the powder. This can easily happen on a centerboard if the centerboard is grounded. That will allow water behind the powdercoat and that can spread as corrosion which causes the whole coating to fail and flake off.

I think powdercoating is great for objects that live out of the water, but wouldn't recommend it for objects in the water.

My powdercoating experience is primarily with bicycles. I make bicycle frames and racks as a hobby and have had roughly 10 bicycles and 20 or 30 racks powdercoated.

 

[Faster]

My powdercoating experience is primarily with bicycles. I make bicycle frames and racks as a hobby and have had roughly 10 bicycles and 20 or 30 racks powdercoated.

and you don't ride underwater???

 

[capta]

I had an engine room vent grill done 3 years ago and it will need to be repainted soon. Granted, it's on a saltwater boat, but on the other hand, it only gets spray, it is not immersed in water.
I would probably go with hot dip galvanizing, to protect the steel, then paint only for looks, if you choose. Probably just as cheap and much better for protecting the steel.