DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

[Agileguy_101]

So I LOVE the 70's Crybaby I picked up this week - it's amazing - but the shell is worn, and I kind of want to refinish it. I really don't care about resale, as 1) I'll never sell it unless I really need to, and 2) I'd be damn lucky to get $100 as is. I could probably sell it for that much even if I had it powder coated.

Anyway, I've never had good luck with rattle cans being at all durable, so I want to get it powder coated, but that can be pricey. How difficult is it to powder coat something yourself? Are there any special tools I need? If so, it'd probably just be easier to get it powder coated professionally, as there's a place only 30 minutes from me that should be able to do it.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

I thought about it but turned out way more complicated and costly to set up for my tastes... If you find and easy and affordable way please keep me posted!

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

I watched a video on a guy who had a "DIY" powder coating setup - it seems like you can't do it without investing quite a bit of scratch in tools, notably a powder coating gun and the powder.I'm going to do a bit more research, but I'm probably just going to get a local shop to do it for me. That way it will be perfect.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

I'm guessing a professional powder coat job would be affordable if you find out what colors the shop already has in stock and pick from among them.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Really? I thought it would be on the more expensive side, like $80-100 or so. I do want to learn how to properly spray paint, but if getting it powder coated isn't that much, I might go that route just to save myself a buttload of time.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Rattle.can will be the best option
Unless you have a buddy with booth

It's gonna cost almost the price.of the pedal

The manufacturer's cost is less cuz he sets up a couple of dozen and shoots and bakes them all at once

You local shop may have something they can throw it in with

If you know someone with a paint and body shop
They might be able to spray an acrylic and clear
If they already have the gun set up

Or you can rattle.can it with a coat of.clear over the top

If that doesn't look right drop.it in a bucket of acetone and start over


*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Even easier, you can buy a pre-powder coated enclosure and move your wah guts into it....

http://www.mammothelectronics.com/wah-pedal-enclosure-s/158.htm

I've had a bunch of wahs custom painted over the years (currently having another one done actually) so you could go that route too. As long as it's painted like a car or modern guitar and not rattle can stuff it will hold up very well. The part that will take some learning on your end is fully disassembling and reassembling the enclosure since you need to remove every part from it for paint or powder coat. You have to drive the pin that holds the treadle to the bottom of the enclosure out, drive the pin out that holds the straight gear to the treadle, remove the rubber tread and all the rubber feet and so on. Also if you're going to do it you might as well upgrade from the metal strap to a modern torsion block so you can fine tune how loose or tight the treadle is and give it an overall smoother feel than the old style metal strap.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dunlop-...500?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2311fe3024

So that said since you're dealing with a vintage wah, odds are I'd just stick it in a new enclosure to save a lot of effort.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

I watched a video on a guy who had a "DIY" powder coating setup - it seems like you can't do it without investing quite a bit of scratch in tools, notably a powder coating gun and the powder.I'm going to do a bit more research, but I'm probably just going to get a local shop to do it for me. That way it will be perfect.

Yeah, that's what discouraged me in the first place. I built myself a small spray-booth, bought a 10$ oven-toaster and just go with rattle cans. It's definitely not as durable but guys gig my pedals and the only damage I've seen is the clearcotaing, the color staying quite nicely so far...

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Spray paint the color you want, clear *epoxy* over that.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Thanks guys, there's plenty of awesome advice here.

Mike, do you know if that torsion block will fit on my shell without any modification?

Are there any paint brands you guys recommend for this project, or should Krylon be fine?

Dominus, you've done a buttload of spray painting - what brand would you recommend for a particularly deep and vibrant purple metallic finish?

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Thanks guys, there's plenty of awesome advice here.

Mike, do you know if that torsion block will fit on my shell without any modification?

Are there any paint brands you guys recommend for this project, or should Krylon be fine?

Dominus, you've done a buttload of spray painting - what brand would you recommend for a particularly deep and vibrant purple metallic finish?

Krylon is usually enamel. Lacquers are better as they lay flat. (Each coat melts into the one under. Enamel coats sit on top of each other.) If in doubt, check the recoat times. "Recoat anytime" = Lacquer. "Recoat within 1 hour or after xx days" = Enamel.

Pic of a Schecter in purple here:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/sho...ster-s-the-word-as-the-demons-take-their-fill

I'll be doing another guitar in that color soon enough.

Oh yeah, and I tried the DIY powder coating once. Still have all the powders. It's crap.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Mike, do you know if that torsion block will fit on my shell without any modification?

You'll have to drill a mounting screw hole for it. I just googled it to see if anyone had pics since I never bothered to take any when I added them to wahs and sure enough someone has a how to...

http://powerdragon-powerdragon.blogspot.com/2011/06/adjustable-torque-clutch-mod-for-big.html

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Dominus - that stuff looks nice. It says you don't need to prime or clear coat it - is that true? And do you need to sand/bake between coats or at all? Seems like a n00b question, but I want to be sure I'm doing it right. Also, do you think one 3oz can is enough for the whole wah shell, or should I get 2 cans?Thanks a bunch for that Mike, I'm getting that part now.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Thanks a bunch for that Mike, I'm getting that part now.

No problem, it's a real easy mod and IMO well worth it since it makes the wah smoother and easier to dial in the tension of. If you're going to paint and mod a vintage wah, might as well drill a hole in it too lol. Make sure you put the pin in through the loops on the wah and torsion block to align it for when you drill the mounting hole so it's not crooked or too far back or forward. Also make sure to get some white lithium grease and grease any points of friction where the pin goes and on the wah gears (clean off the old undoubtedly hair and dust covered junk from the gears first). This stuff...

http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-80345-White-Lithium-Grease/dp/B000HBNV58

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Dominus - that stuff looks nice. It says you don't need to prime or clear coat it - is that true? And do you need to sand/bake between coats or at all? Seems like a n00b question, but I want to be sure I'm doing it right. Also, do you think one 3oz can is enough for the whole wah shell, or should I get 2 cans?Thanks a bunch for that Mike, I'm getting that part now.

You do want to have a primer coat on anything. I've used silver and white lacquers for primers. That way it hides any scratches, then the color goes on top. If you want to have a hard finish, put the epoxy resin on top of the color. I've been able to do an entire guitar body with a 3oz can but usually it takes me a can and a half. For a wah pedal, I'd expect that you could get away with one can.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Awesome. Should I just go for testors primer and clear or would you recommend another brand? And do you know if a testors can will fit in one of those spray paint gun things?

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

Awesome. Should I just go for testors primer and clear or would you recommend another brand? And do you know if a testors can will fit in one of those spray paint gun things?

Technically any primer will work. I'd probably go for Dupli-Color primer and Deft clear lacquer.

And no, those 3oz cans are tiny, they wouldn't fit in one of those gun things. Just use your fingers. I've painted tons of guitars, sometimes a few at the same time. If your fingertips can't handle pushing down the nozzle.... That and those gun handles don't work for crap.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

I'd go with Duracoat, myself. You can get the shake & spray version and once it's baked on, it's really tough.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

making an old crybaby 'pretty' to like like the rest of your new modern pedals is what I had initially had feared. lame.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: DIY Powder coating - anybody tried it?

making an old crybaby 'pretty' to like like the rest of your new modern pedals is what I had initially had feared. lame.

Shut up Jerry. I don't care if you don't like it. It's my wah and I'll do what I want with it. There are a buttload of these wahs out there. I got this for $70. Don't act like I'm refinishing a 50's strat, it's just a beat ass Crybaby.

Speaking of which, here's what I've done with it so far.

I stripped the powdercoat (ugh, I hate stripping powdercoat so much) and sanded down to 600 grit. It's pretty damn smooth, and at this point it's ready for priming. I'm just waiting on the supplies I ordered today to arrive. I have all day Saturday set aside to paint this bad boy. In the mean time, I'll be upgrading it to (soft touch relay based) true bypass and adding LED indicators. I'm also going to visit my friend Paul Trombetta later this week for a hangout/jam session, so I'll see if he has any suggestions for mods. I would like to be able to get a bit more bass response sometimes, but not if I have to sacrifice the awesome tone it already has. Ideally I'd put a switch under the treadle that switches between the stock value and a potentiometer that's pre-set for a slight bass boost. We'll see how that goes, though.

BTW, thanks to everyone that's given me advice and help with this project. It may not seem that hard - it's just painting a pedal - but I really want to do a killer job, and I feel pretty confident that with the tips and trick I've learned and the method I'm using I'll be able to achieve the results I want. So thanks to everybody!