# Powder Coat - polish to bring it back to life? Or to ruin it?



## starship303 (May 16, 2006)

I've got an Intense 5.5EVP frame which is powder coated black. While the powder coat is in good condition in regards to scratches and chips its now *very *dull in some parts while not dull in others. Its inconsistancy stands out quite a bit and i was wondering what i can do about it. I've searched the net on powdercoat care without any luck.

Is there anything i can do to bring back the deep colour and shine?

Is it possible to use a hand polish, like a high quality low/non abrasive car polish such as Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish and/or Quick Detailer Mist & Wipe?? (i have these at home for use with my car).

Or what about even black shoe polish?? (getting desperate now  )

I am currently preparing to rebuild it (its partless at the moment) so now is a great time for some TLC. I was thinking of removing the stickers, hand polishing the powder coat then possibly finishing it off with a machine buff (hand orbital sander fitted with a buffer pad) and then applying new decals. Will this work or just ruin my frame?? 

Cheers,

*BTW* I am currently not prepared to totally strip the powder and get it redone due to lack of funds, ...although that would give me the opportunity to change to a cooler colour like Intense Orange or Baby Blue.... :idea:


----------



## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

THe Turner guys have lots of experience with PC. The factory PCer is Olympic Powdercoating, just as an FYI.

I love the Turner PC and after a few years, it does get a bit beaten up, but it is very easily restored using tissues and wax. For very dull areas, simply use a clearcoat safe finish restorer, made by several companies. WHat you don't want is a cleaner/wax because the wax tends to seal in the finish, no matter how incomplete the restoration job is. Turtle Wax has a new line of polishing compound (safe for clearcoat). Once this is done, you need to put a couple coats of good quality wax and it's set.

I've also used Gliptone hard wax, which also has mild polishing agent in it and it worked very well.

There is no reason to strip the PC and one of the beauties of it is how easily restored it is.


----------



## Dangeruss (Jan 24, 2006)

Gut feeling says you'd be fine doing that. Gut feeling also says that because you're trying to smooth out (through progressively finer abrasion) an abrasion resistant finish, you've got your work cut out for you.

Perhaps just a thin clear coat might do the trick.


----------



## Dangeruss (Jan 24, 2006)

Listen to the Jerk


----------



## Cyclopod (Mar 14, 2006)

BTW, I'm always tempted to strip and have my frame powdercoated with a different color. Only catch is that, because of the process, doing so my void your warranty.


----------



## starship303 (May 16, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. Looks like its possibly more a slightly abrasive wax that i should be looking at as opposed to a full on polish. 

As for re-coating it in a shnazy new colour i've worked out that would cost me in the order of US$230 including stripping, coating, postage & new decals...tempting but not sure i can stretch for it just now, tho it would look good...


----------



## starship303 (May 16, 2006)

*Update for interests sake...*

Well i decided to give insides of the chainstays a polish to see what car polish really does to powdercoat and they came up rather well so continued with the rest of the frame (didn't remove the stickers tho). It definitely doesn't cut back the marks and scratches like on paint (you can tell by the lack of frame colour on the polish application pad, which normally goes the colour of the paint your polishing) but it does give a noticable new lustre to the powder and helps to give it a more consistant look. The microfibre polishing terry towel makes a bit difference to the finished look especially.

Cheers,


----------

