Removing Power Coat

marshg246

marshg246

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I have a thread going where I was seeking help to correct a 69S center stand. That's all resolved but I did a lot of welding on it. It was powder coated. I tried several things to get the power coat off so I could redo or paint it. Today's reasonably priced chemicals don't work. Blasting with glass abrasive, glass beads, and used garnet didn't work. I cleaned out the cabinet and refilled with fresh #80 garnet. That "worked" but was clearly going to take MANY hours.

When I have a small flat steel part that I need the powder coat off of, I heat it will a torch and scrape it off. When most is gone, then I blast. That works fine. Does not work on round parts.

What finally worked was torching an area until the power coat started smoking and making yellow flames. Then the fresh garnet would remove it easily. Still took over an hour to get is all off, but at least it worked.
 
marshg246 said:
I have a thread going where I was seeking help to correct a 69S center stand. That's all resolved but I did a lot of welding on it. It was powder coated. I tried several things to get the power coat off so I could redo or paint it. Today's reasonably priced chemicals don't work. Blasting with glass abrasive, glass beads, and used garnet didn't work. I cleaned out the cabinet and refilled with fresh #80 garnet. That "worked" but was clearly going to take MANY hours.

When I have a small flat steel part that I need the powder coat off of, I heat it will a torch and scrape it off. When most is gone, then I blast. That works fine. Does not work on round parts.

What finally worked was torching an area until the power coat started smoking and making yellow flames. Then the fresh garnet would remove it easily. Still took over an hour to get is all off, but at least it worked.
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A good paint stripper is best to remove polyester powder coat....just a little messy
 
KiwiShane said:
A good paint stripper is best to remove polyester powder coat....just a little messy
Click to expand...
That may well be true in your country, but there is no such thing as "A good paint stripper" here now since the methylene chloride was removed and even before it was, it was not like removing paint, it mostly made a goo to be dealt with and took a very long time.
 
marshg246 said:
That may well be true in your country, but there is no such thing as "A good paint stripper" here now since the methylene chloride was removed and even before it was, it was not like removing paint, it mostly made a goo to be dealt with and took a very long time.
Click to expand...
When I had a powdercoat business I had a sealed container filled with methylene chloride to remove the baked powder off the hanging hooks to maintain a good earth to insure good transfer efficiency...no goo that way but as you say good chemicals are hard to get these days
 
What about an abrasive flapper wheel on angle grinder? Or those abrasive stranded "brush" attachments for power drills? I have a used commando license plate bracket which appeared to be powder coated but needed some repairs/re-paint. While cleaning it up I found simple brake cleaner was causing the coating to get tacky and stick all over the rag I was using. Abrasive disc work got alot of this off but after awhile gave up and just whacked paint over top....afterall only the edges are visible once installed.
 
Tornado said:
What about an abrasive flapper wheel on angle grinder? Or those abrasive stranded "brush" attachments for power drills? I have a used commando license plate bracket which appeared to be powder coated but needed some repairs/re-paint. While cleaning it up I found simple brake cleaner was causing the coating to get tacky and stick all over the rag I was using. Abrasive disc work got alot of this off but after awhile gave up and just whacked paint over top....afterall only the edges are visible once installed.
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Yes, heavy grit sanding will work but you're certainly not getting into all the nooks and crannies of a center stand. On small flat parts, I'm done in a few minutes - faster than any paint stripper or sanding can do.

I often power coat rather than paint. Powder coating requires clean metal.
 
This guy just heats with a torch until it bubbles/carbonizes. Then it will wipe off:

 
This stuff seems to work well and price is reasonable:



generalchem.com

General chemical

Strip away wet coatings, powder coatings, and more with our StripPaint 9900. This strong paint remover chemical works on multiple types of metallic surfaces.
generalchem.com generalchem.com
 
Tornado said:
This guy just heats with a torch until it bubbles/carbonizes. Then it will wipe off:

Click to expand...

Different type of powder. When I used a torch, it smoked and then started burning with a yellow flame while the torch flame was on it but extinguished as soon as the torch flame was removed. It would not wipe off but like I said, it did blast off pretty easily after burning. Some powders in a 600-700 degree oven will actually turn to ash like he's saying.

I would heat and area to dull red which is WAY hotter that he was talking about.

I don't know what type of powder was on the center stand. The polyester powder I use will become liquid around 500 degrees and can just be wiped/scraped off.

There is another video with a guy showing acetone to remove it - BS - unless it's some weird formula.

On interesting thing, I documented in one of my builds was a set of barrels that has been powder coated with high-temp powder but not properly cleaned so it was flaking off. I expected to have a real mess to work with - that powder blasted off with glass abrasive almost as easy as paint.
 
Tornado said:
This stuff seems to work well and price is reasonable:



generalchem.com

General chemical

Strip away wet coatings, powder coatings, and more with our StripPaint 9900. This strong paint remover chemical works on multiple types of metallic surfaces.
generalchem.com generalchem.com
Click to expand...

Would take a gallon, tank, heater and power washer - I'll stick with my way :)
 
Should have let me know. I've got about half a quart of the good stuff left. Enough for a center stand, but not much more

This would make for a good science project. I'd start with heating vinegar (and maybe some pine sol for good measure :cool: ) in a metal trashcan
 
My powder coater recommended MEK as a remover, although I never got a chance to try it. Should be able to get it with acetone and denatured alcohol.
 
nonsense said:
My powder coater recommended MEK as a remover, although I never got a chance to try it. Should be able to get it with acetone and denatured alcohol.
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MEK is a really good cleaner and thinner and if you have a bit of time (fully emerged) it will compromise the powder enough to be able to remove it completely by scrapping etc
I wouldn't hold my breath though
A methylene chloride tank worked for my company for small components for many years
Powder literally fell off like burnt skin.
 
Last edited:
Official ban takes place on the 23/,November.I believe...meanwhile its still being used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry
 

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KiwiShane said:
Official ban takes place on the 23/,November.I believe...meanwhile its still being used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry
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Nope, long gone for consumers:

2019 Regulation Addressing Consumer Paint and Coating Removal​

In March 2019, EPA issued a final rule to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution of methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal. EPA has taken this action because of the acute fatalities that have resulted from exposure to the chemical in consumer paint and coating removal. After November 22, 2019, all persons are prohibited from manufacturing (including importing), processing, and distributing in commerce, including distribution to and by retailers, methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal. EPA is also requiring manufacturers, processors, and distributors to notify retailers and others in their supply chains of the prohibitions and to keep records.

What you found is getting rid of it for industry (I think).

It was possible to buy remaining stock for a while in 2019 - I bought the last can of the good "Aircraft Stripper" that my local Home Depot had. Checked the other three stores in my area and they had none. Wasted that whole can to get powder coat of a few small poorly done parts and all it really did was make goo I could scrape off.
 
I've had ok luck with the newer stripper, it just takes a bit more time. Helps to coat it with stripper to soften the powder by letting it sit for 10 mins, scrape lines into it, followed with another application of stripper. A steel bristled brush goes a long way, or better yet, a cup brush in a drill.

Burning that junk is not good for you. Might as well heat your home with a tire fire.
 
marshg246 said:
Nope, long gone for consumers:

2019 Regulation Addressing Consumer Paint and Coating Removal​

In March 2019, EPA issued a final rule to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution of methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal. EPA has taken this action because of the acute fatalities that have resulted from exposure to the chemical in consumer paint and coating removal. After November 22, 2019, all persons are prohibited from manufacturing (including importing), processing, and distributing in commerce, including distribution to and by retailers, methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal. EPA is also requiring manufacturers, processors, and distributors to notify retailers and others in their supply chains of the prohibitions and to keep records.

What you found is getting rid of it for industry (I think).

It was possible to buy remaining stock for a while in 2019 - I bought the last can of the good "Aircraft Stripper" that my local Home Depot had. Checked the other three stores in my area and they had none. Wasted that whole can to get powder coat of a few small poorly done parts and all it really did was make goo I could scrape off.
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Ok i see banned (U.S 2019) for use as a paint stripper... but still in use for the pharmaceutical industry ...got ya
 
Heroin is banned too, but down at the corner of Willow and Main you can get it. I'll have to ask for some Methyl Chloride, I know they do have the Meth! :-)
 
Onder said:
Heroin is banned too, but down at the corner of Willow and Main you can get it. I'll have to ask for some Methyl Chloride, I know they do have the Meth! :-)
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The article i read was up dated this year hence the confusion from me.
 

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