Sandblasting Bare Steel Rock Sliders?

Hey there guys,

I have a set of bare steel rock sliders that I just received.

They'll be used mostly as steps and door-ding protectors (won't be doing any actual rock crawling).

Also I live in Colorado where snow & salt are very real issues.

As such, I wanted to go the powder coating route over spraying them myself.

I am planning on wiping them down with acetone beforehand, but is it necessary for the shop to sandblast before coating?

I've received mixed answers from different shops.

 

They look fairly clean and I would ASSume that since they were welded that the fabricator cleaned the mill scale off. That being said why don’t you call the powder coater and see what they recommend?

 

I've received different answers from different shop as I've called around.

 

I am not a powder coater but one of my best friends is. I have learned quite a bit from him over the years and I have successfully coated a ton of stuff. Powder will stick to the metal just the way it is but you will get much better adhesion if it is sand blasted first. By sandblasting first you provide a texture for the powder to grab on to. Whenever we powder coat anything we always do the following: 1. sandblast 2. clean the metal with acetone or similar solvent. 3. pre heat metal in the oven. 4. apply powder and then bake. Sometimes using multiple coats if needed. If you skip the sandblasting you run the risk of the powder coat separating from the finished product. I hope that helps.

 

Very much appreciate the info! These are weld-ins too, so want to make sure I'm doing it right the first time.
Also didn't want to jus throw cash away on sand-blasting if there was zero to slim improvement, but it sounds like it's worth a few extra bucks.

 

get a good rattle can and diy. easy to touch up too.

 

Also never use Rhino lining materials, dirt and mud stains the lining. I have to scrub them down, then repaint with black spray paint, Rustoleum, just minutes to do with cardboards. Almost every month.

Every one, power coating is the best way!
Bottom picture repainted yesterday.

 

I would aire to the side of caution and say then sand blasting will probably yield a better “sticky” surface as long as it’s cleaned properly.

 

Weird, mine never get stained. Blast it off with the pressure washer and on my way I go.

 

You got Rhino lining and no problems with dirt stain? Lucky for you.

I live on dirt roads, rains a lot, gets real muddy too. I once borrow my friend power washer, made no difference. Maybe I should paint it brown? Nah.

I have a small chip, mostly from hitting rocks.

 

Just curious, where the brackets?

 

That’s a good question

 

Just not welded on yet haha.

 

Ok, Glad you have all the parts. I like the TRD logo on the rock sliders!

 

I am considering re-coating mine since they are starting to show the slightest bit of surface rust at the welds. Do you have any advice or tips on how to make them extremely durable?

 

Based on lots of guys powder coating flaking and rusting very early on in their life, I would 100% sandblast. Im pretty sure when these guys get factory powdercoat, they arent blasting them... Just my observation, I dont know for sure. I opted for the rhino lining. Not stoked with how shiny it is, but I think long term will be better.

 

Here in Colorado we have a crapton of MgCh sprayed on the pavement and dirt roads.
We have very very little road salt used in the roads. I grew up in Nh and I know what that stuff does. Co uses very little road salt mixed into the sand to keep the sand from freezing solid.

Scuff the metal up, wipe down with paint thinner, acetone, rubbing alcohol, and apply your favorite paint/tar/FlexSeal and go.

 

From my experience the real trick starts in the preparation. Sandblast thoroughly and pay special attention to all the little nooks and crannies. Any contaminated metal has got to be blasted clean. After blasting, wipe it down and get it clean. CLEAN!! Something as simple as touching it with your bare hands will leave oils on the surface. I always wear rubber gloves and I always do a final wipe down with solvent after I hang the item up. We use a 8x12 container as our oven and we have an overhead rail that we built to slide items in and out once they are hung. They say cleanliness is next to Godliness and that is definitely the case with powder coating. After you have thoroughly blasted and cleaned the item you are now ready for pre-heating. A lot of people skip this step but I have found it that it gives a much better result. Get the item up to about 160 - 175 degrees and then hit it with the powder. Be prepared to do multiple applications. Focus first on the tight spaces. Work slowly to get a good coating up in all the little pockets and don't really worry about the rest yet. Get it in the oven and bake for a good 15-20 minutes. Pull it back out and coat the rest focusing on even coverage not necessarily trying to get it to full thickness yet. Back into the oven for another 15-20. Pull it back out and hit it again with the powder. When applying multiple coatings like this you need to move efficiently so as to not let the metal cool down too much. Pay close attention to any visible variations in the color as this will show you where you need more product. You will notice that when the powder is sprayed on it will have a dull matte finish but when the heat gets to it it will melt in and start to gloss up. When you apply in multiple coats you are giving the powder the ability to get melted in even at the base layers. This always makes it stronger and it will make it look better in the end. There are a lot of hacks out there that will just spray it to final thickness in one session and then bake it. When you do that you might not get a good heat soak all the way through. If you want a lasting and durable finish then this is how you do it. Remember - thorough sand blasting, CLEAN, when you think it's clean enough wipe it down again, pre heat, multiple coats. When done right it will take a beating. It will be very abrasion resistant. It will be flexible - we powder springs for instance. It will last. Like anything worth doing it just takes a little practice. I am decent at it but my buddy is a damn pro! Hopefully these tips help you out. Good luck.

 

Seems simple?

 

thanks for the education! Definitely going to be looking for a shop that does the right job. My sliders have a matte and somewhat gritty finish. If I’m trying to repeat that, is that just powder color and application technique?