At 02:08 AM 10/29/2003, you wrote:

>I looked into powdercoating mine blue to match my Caravelle. For the
>3 handles, about $11.00US!
>
>Does the finish last longer than the factory black (anodizing or paint?).

I suggest absolutely, powder paint is hard as a rock. I had a powder coated
exhaust for a BMW motorcycle. The thickness of the paint was a problem for
the slipping of the pipes together. No problem, I'll just sand it off for
the joint. Absolutely laughed at any abrasive I put to it. Not a single
scratch. No progress at all with 80 grit. Like trying to cut steel with
plastic. I had to use a chisel and hammer and took all afternoon a tiny
chip at a time to remove it. Very impressive. After several years of use
you could wash with standard car wash procedure and it was clean and bright
gloss black as new, not a scratch.

If you ever want to paint your wheels, have them powder coated. It will
surely hold up to curb rash better than anything you could put on there. If
it is put on there properly, it will not crack or chip, and the depth of
shine on that black muffler was reminiscent of a 20 layer hand rubbed
lacquer show car after 5+ years and 30,000 miles of use. My impression is
it will outlast industrial machine enamel 5 to 1 at least.

I am setting up a shop for custom fishing rod construction. I just
convinced myself that my downrigger and trolling rods with have slick butts
powder coated. You can slide them in and out of the rod holders in a
saltwater environment and they will wipe up clean and new years later, no
chips, no scrapes, no scratches, stable no fade colors. Far better than
typical anodizing that will lose it's color in the sunlight in a few years.

The only issue is tolerances. It's a thick coat, and on a door handle you
may find a problem with pivots too tight. Some clearancing at these points
will probably be required. You either will have to allow for the thickness
with a few strokes of a file or mask such areas. Your powder coater should
be able to advise finish coat thickness so you can make allowances for
certain parts. And on wheels, make danged sure you mask off the bearing
surfaces, both the back that bears on the hub and the lug nut/bolt seats.
You just do not want to ever have to remove it as it would take machine
tools with diamond bits or at least carbide to cut the stuff.