Molecular oxidation under clear powder coat on steel

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I have found under a clear powder coat finish on steel a squiggly line of what looks like rust.
I brought it to the manufacturers attention and they are claiming they do not know what it is.
I run my finger over the area and donot feel the rust nor does it leave a rust residue on a piece of white paper.
Now short of sending the entire piece back to be stripped and prepped for another coat I was wondering if anyone elese has this issue and how they addressed it.
I was hoping for a simple solution to this issue where I can leave this 12 foot long AV wall cabinet in place.
Do I get the single hair brush out and a can of paint or the gray crayon out?
ron


Rich Waugh's picture

Sorry, there's just no way

Sorry, there's just no way you can successfully touch up or repair powder coat - that's precisely why I refuse to use it for anything. I'd send it back.

Rich


Ries's picture

Yup. Faux finish touch up is

Yup.
Faux finish touch up is the only onsite solution.

Clear powder coat is very finicky.
I have had rust fingerprints magically appear 2 or 3 months after a piece was clear powdercoated. Silver pencil, sharpie, and even regular pencil can suddenly be very noticeable, UNDER the finish, as well.
Had a chair that was clear powdercoated peel like a bad sunburn, with tons of rust under the finish, after about 1 year on a back porch in downtown San Francisco- under cover, not in the rain, just from the salt air.

I used to do a lot of powder coating for indoor products, but I never warrantee it for any outdoor piece, and always recommend against it outdoors.
Powder is pretty tough, but once rust starts underneath it, its over.

And even getting it stripped and refinished is a bear. If your coater doesnt have a burnout oven, big enough to bake the whole piece at 1200 to 1500 degrees, then sandblasting alone is the only alternative, and that often doesnt work very well.

For any paint finish, you need to be able to recoat. Powder is a one shot, disposable finish for our disposable world, but its a lousy finish for high quality stuff you want to last 50 years or more.


ronu's picture

thanks guys

aloha,ron