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I powder coated all steel parts - control surface linkage parts, jury strut linkage parts along with door hardware, rudder pedal hardware and control sticks / yoke.
In the cabin is where powder coating will really shine - super tough, wears well and is easy to clean (actually resists dirt better than paint).
I HATE painting things! I LOVE powder coating. Comes out beautiful every time.
Allegedly, yes, paint will show cracks sooner, since it's thinner. It's for that reason convention wisdom says to paint, not powder coat, the engine mount.
Protect the threads with duct tape. Protect the inside of the front wing support (top of the cage) .
Dave, I would also prefer powder coating. Are you doing it yourself or are you sending the parts out? If you are doing it, can you explain the process and mention if it is more or less expensive than painting with polyurethane? Thanks.
David, I had a bunch (if not all) of the steel parts powder coated. Check my photos here on Zenith.aero.
It's not cheap, but it is pretty tough.
I suggest you cover things that should be left bare (such as threads, hinge areas on the pedals frames, etc.).
I forgot to cover a couple of things, and removing the paint was very difficult.
Holes are easy to clean (using the original size drill bit, for instance).
You will need high temperature adhesive tape for this.
Depending on where you live, you might need to buy it online, or hopefully the paint shop can provide you with some.
Good luck.
Carlos said: I forgot to cover a couple of things, and removing the paint was very difficult.
I found it was a pretty easy job to remove powder coatings with a wire wheel brush on a cordless drill.
One thing to remember is that prep is EVERYTHING with powder coating. Steel parts need to be thoroughly sandblasted down to bare metal. Oily parts should be baked first and then sandblasted. Sanding a part with sandpaper will NOT do, the coating will fail. Also powder does not get into small crevasses, so parts that butt and are not seamlessly welded will rust and chip.
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