Anodising or Powder Coating

[john73]

Got a another used Tanaplan chassis for the Procat but was not happy with condition




Just got these chassis items back from sand blasting (decided to get a Topcat chassis done at the same time)



Fancy getting them and gearbox side plates done purple to match other available Schumacher items (shocks, turnbuckles, nuts etc)

Big question, what is better Anodising or Powder Coating ? is there a big difference in cost ?

Was going with anodising until i seen 8rad's powder coated Topcat, now not sure

Thanks for any idea's

John

[8rad]

Neither is "better" than the other but there are differences.

Powder coating will cover up imperfections in the metal. Discoloration, corrosion, scratches etc. It can also be done over top of anodizing. It is also more durable.

However, anodizing is good if your piece is clean and scratch free. Since you have sand blasted those chassis I think you will be fine with anodizing. Anodizing also conducts heat better so if you are doing motor plates anodizing is probably better. It also looks better I think.

I think most shops charge a minimum per colour. But if you ask nice they will usually throw your stuff in with a larger order as long as the colour you want is coming up. As far as cost goes I paid a hundred bucks for 4 chassis plates, 2 motor plates and a RC10 nose.

Good luck with the decision!

[Lowgear]

I'm really not a big fan of powder coating on R/C parts. To me it always looks like something was spray painted with about 30 coats of paint. Why is it more durable than anodizing? Is it because its so thick that it takes longer for the damage to reach the surface of the material when scratched?

[kaszal]

I got my plates "grained" first and then anodised. Looks nice...

[john73]

Thank you for the replies. Will go with anodising, so i am going to see if i can find a local company where i can pop in and talk to someone, get some advice and info (inc prices). Will report back with progress.

Cheers

John

[Coelacanth]

Can you even properly powdercoat aluminum? I don't think that's an option. I've only seen metal & iron parts powdercoated.

[Asso_man!]

Can you even properly powdercoat aluminum? I don't think that's an option. I've only seen metal & iron parts powdercoated.

YES you can and AE even offered powdercoated aluminium tubs BITD

[Coelacanth]

Can you even properly powdercoat aluminum? I don't think that's an option. I've only seen metal & iron parts powdercoated.

YES you can and AE even offered powdercoated aluminium tubs BITD

I stand corrected (somewhat)...did some further research on this and although it *is* possible to powdercoat aluminum, there are additional challenges to overcome to avoid outgassing and blemishes from forming, these challenges are not as inherent with anodizing. Proper chemical pre-treatment of the aluminum is essential to get good results, and high heat is also involved--which can potentially weaken & over-age the aluminum. (Probably a non-issue with RC car tubs.)

These reasons are probably why powdercoating aluminum is less prevalent.

http://www.finishing.com/379/58.shtml

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tires-and-wheels/60659-clear-powder-coating-aluminum-rims/

http://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-glide-models/591470-powdercoating-issues-joe-jrk5892-or-powdercoater.html

[Hotshotman]

I agree with Kaszal. I regard powdercoating vs anodizing sort of like painting oak or other quality hardwood kitchen cabinets) vs staining and refinishing. I think powdercoating is fine for a scratched up tub that cannot be redeemed otherwise for a runner. Otherwise, tough to beat the looks of real metal gleaming up under the ano. Just my two cents...
Brian

[QuackingPlums]

Coming in late to this discussion but I recall when anodising our paintball guns was all the rage; an anodised surface is much better at resisting corrosion but is more brittle. It scratched more easily and under temperature (like you might apply to break loctite) the anodised surface would crack. Also it played havoc with threads, but I doubt you'd have a problem on an RC car chassis.

To use the above analogy, I'd stain and refinish an antique Queen Anne bandy-leg occasional table, but I'd paint an oak toybox for the kids' nursery...

[RedScampi]

I'm really not a big fan of powder coating on R/C parts. To me it always looks like something was spray painted with about 30 coats of paint.

I agree. I've considered it on several occasions but I've always been put off by the final appearance. It's shiny and all, but looks like a door in an old house with too many coats of paint. The parts lose their crisp, sharp edges and the flat surfaces appear too textured for my taste. This effect is magnified because of the scale we're working with. On a 1:1 car you don't really notice it but in 1/10th scale the coating looks like it was painted with a roller. Anodizing always looks great when done properly.