"Alan Frisbie" wrote in message
...
I am getting ready to weld up a fence for my home and
am considering powder coating it. Unless I get ambitious
and build a giant oven (thanks to the great design pointers
I've seen here!), I'll probably have the sections done by a
local company that is equipped for large items. I've
heard prices between $5 and $10 per foot for fences and
railings, which sounds reasonable.

The problem comes during installation: after welding the
sections together, I would need to touch up the powder coat.

Is this feasible? What heat sources would be suitable?
Can you get a good match (assuming the same powder) between
the original and the touch-up? What do the "big boys" do
on jobs like this?

As an alternative, what brand and type (available in
California) of paint would be best for this kind of
outdoor use? I don't want to have to be repainting it
every few years.

Thanks,
Alan



Powder is nice stuff BUT it can be interesting to work with. The BIG
item is surface prep. Any oil/grease rust MUST be removed and the
surface cleaned real well or the powder will fail. That is the number
one reason for coating failures. As for touching up powder it can be
done but is not easy. What you would need to do is get a small amount of
the SAME powder they use to coat the parts. Then in the areas your
planning on welding grind the powder back an inch or so then weld. Dress
the weld and clean the area real well. Mask off the areas next to the
coated spot to keep any loose powder from sticking during the touch-up.
Then use a high temperature heat gun (NO TORCHES, they will leave
contaminants or moisture on the surface) to heat the area up to 250-300
degrees and apply the powder ( one of the cheap powder guns from HF will
work fine or you can just blow it on from your hand IF your careful)
Then keep the area at 250-300 (watch the powder, it will melt and flow
out at the proper temperature)
Keep it at that temp. for 20 min. or so. That will cure the powder and
it should match the original since it is the same stuff. Make SURE they
use a good UV stabilized Polyester powder since the Epoxy powders and
most of the blends will chalk in a year or so.
Another option is a flame spray coater, they can do powder or metal coat
in an exterior setting without a problem. But it is more expensive than
oven baked powder and I don't think it is as durable.
If you want to go with a conventional paint, a GOOD coat of Catalyzed
Enamel base with a heavy clear would hold up 10 years or more.




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