50077

Stripping powder coating  

September 23, 2008

I am restoring a 1955 panhead the shope that powder coated my hubs also coated the bearing surfaces what is the best way to get the powder coating off.

Chuck Cain
hobbyist - Fridley, MN, USA

Here is how I do it. I use a paint stripper with methylene chloride in it . This stuff is dangerous to work with. If you get it on your skin it will burn like heck. If you get it in your eyes you have to start flushing them out with water immediately while you have someone take you straight to the hospital.
I prefer the liquid because the paste type does not get into the nooks and crannies very well. I pour the stripper into a stainless steel bowl. Then place the hub in the solution for about an hour. Then remove it from the solution and rinse it thoroughly. At this point the powder coating may start coming off or at least begin to blister up. It depends on how tough the powder coating is. Then I bead blast as much of the loose coating off as possible. In some cases I have to repeat these steps quite a few times before all the powder coating is removed.
If you really want to try you can buy paint strippers with methylene chloride in them at most hardware stores. But without a high output Bead Blaster [link is to product info at Amazon] it could take a very long time and a lot of work to strip your hubs. Be very careful and follow the directions that come with the paint stripper. Especially the directions about safety.

Frank DeGuire Triangle Plating Co. St. Louis, Missouri, USA