Paint or powder coat?

Original plan was to paint (Raptor line) the Lo-Pro bumper (shipped bare steel) but with winter looking like it won't end, I'm toying with the idea of having a shop powder coat it. What is the experience of the collective? Pro's and cons?

 

I prefer powder coat but Raptor liner holds up really well.

For sliders and bumpers I'm not welding I get them powder coated. Touch up with Steel-It when needed.
For my rear bumper I welded up I just used raptor liner. Holding up great so far.

 

Steel-it?... https://steel-it.com/?gad_source=1&...hfAV-fKOjyKMPO1XaMRoCiuAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

... good to know. Thank you.

 

Powder by a reputable shop.

 

Whichever route you go (personally I vote for Powder Coating) don’t let that bare steel go unprotected for too long!

I know, that remark wasn’t helpful so let me pose a question … have you looked into powder coating services in your area? My basic understanding is that it is a multi-step process with emphasis on article preparation. Prep should include a through cleaning, surface prep (sandblast or sanding), degreasing and finally a pre-heat prior to spraying on powder…all this needs to be done for optimal results both finish-wise and longevity. With so much emphasis on surface prep is why I’m saying to protect the bare steel. Not to be alarmist about this but since corrosion starts superficially (there are other types too) if you miss one spot it can fester under the powder coat finish causing blisters until finally breaching the coating. Having lived in a marine environment I have seen this happen on a number of ‘poorly’ executed powder coats. Just an FYI…

 

Steel it is a spray paint that is weldable, you can weld thru it / over it. It works great, lotta people are using it on Desert race chassis due to needing to constantly weld up cracks and not having to repowder all the time. It allows you to weld right over the old paint, and then spray another coat over the weld and everything matches. Its nice stuff.

I personally prefer powder coat by a good reputable shop, one that knows how heavy to put it on and does good prep work. Cheap powder will lift and flake off allowing rust underneath that makes a mess and requires maintenance. Painting with good primer, and good industrial based epoxy paints are not a terrible idea, i just did one such project last summer and am currently in the "lets see how good this works" stage.
Sherwin Williams has an etching primer that supposedly seals the steel, and an epoxy enamel black that hardens like an egg shell. I painted the exposed steel in a big steel building, all the purlins, beams, and bracing last spring/summer. This is supposed to be a 10-20 year paint on steel when used how they prescribe, so far it looks good and hardened just like they said. Its not sticky like paint in the hot sun in the summer, its hard and slick and you cant dig your fingernail into it. Its way different than the Rustoleum Industrial paint in the tall spray can i've always used.

 

I have treated/covered the bare steel, but i will treat it prior to paint. Powder coat shops are few in fly over country, the one that i feel is most reputable is a 2 hour drive.

 

If that's the case I'd just stick with raptor liner or bed liner. Just use a good rust inhibiting primer first.

 

I went the powder coat route…

 

When I was researching I to what bumpers that I wanted I also took into consideration whether they came raw or powdered. The front was a no brainer since it was available on a huge sale and came powdered. For the rear bumper I went so far as to drive 2 1/2 hrs to the manufacturer here in the Sierra foothills of California, had a nice chat with them and toured the facility. When I saw the powder coating booth and what preps they took I was sold…ordered it on the spot.

While there is a reputable powder coating shop in my old hometown I was biased towards pre-coated bumpers which caused me to whaffle back and forth ad nauseum.

 

Powder coat for sure, much more durable.

 

Powder coat is a good coating if done perfectly.
Surface prep is critical. Remember spraying any coating has issues: sharp edges get thin coats, weld zones can be lumpy and usually in corners and also get a thin coats. These areas rust first.
So smoothing (breaking) sharp edges and smoothing weld zones can dramatically increase the time before rust starts. Selecting the grinder papers, metal files, power discs etc. for this prep requires some experience. I would see if the powder painting company will provide this extra service.

 

I knocked down the sharp edges, not sure what i can do for the welds, but they look quality.

 

Probably welded by a MIG process with inert gas flowing thru torch and the weld wire auto feeding.
The start and stop weld zone sometimes can be lumpy depending on skill of welder. Usually a quality shop does lots of prep for you the customer.
Your smoothing of sharp edges is probably all you can accomplish.

 

Powder coat it is. Did the four hour round trip and dropped it off. Now the waiting continues.

 

Finally had a chance to pick up the bumper from powder coat... It looks fantastic.

 

Pics!

 

It's just black C4 winch bumper that's taking me four months to install. Still need to ceramic coat it before i install the light and winch.