StealthElephant

Whats involved in ceramic coating? Is it possible for an individual to do it or does it require large/expensive equipment.

deadbird

It can be done at home but you'll want a few items to make things easier on you. It's recommended to have some form of sandblaster though, prepping parts to coat can be done w/o one.
You'll also need
-an oven you won't be making food in or something that can get close to 500° and retain and even temp across the part.
-A detail paint gun or airbrush and a form of air supply.
-Patience.
The coating I'm familiar with will sand and polish out similar to aluminium. A vibratory polisher would be a big mess & time saver.

StealthElephant

Where do you get the supplies for the ceramic coating? I mean, is there anything special some places do that makes their exhaust ceramic coats better?

deadbird

I like to use Cermakrome made by www/techlinecoatings.com
I don't really do enough of coating parts to try others.
Using a vibratory polisher will net much better results (shine) on headers then trying to hand polish them.
I think it's TPI383 (sorry if I got that wrong), you could PM to ask about other brands. I vaguely remember him or someone asking about other brands of coatings.
This is how Cermakrome turns out with a half-hearted polishing...



That's using a red scotch brite pad (which you're not supposed to do..), 400 wetsand and a quickie using Eagle alum polish with the white rouge in it. The coating doesn't have to be olished out to protect but, even half-azzd polishing looks better than the chalky grey color it cures too. Polishing also makes it easier to clean grubby hand prints off. Even if I had wanted to do a really nice polishing job, a vibratory polisher will still do a better job and it can get in all the hard to reach spots.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

CERAMAKROME done inside and out 100% and vibratory polished.



I'll have Pic's of some Hooker SuperCOmp LT's I did 2morrow.

This set was HORRABLE..... so rusted and pitted... that before is after a good peen blasting also. and still not prepped for coating.


Feel free to e-mail me if plan to attempt to do your heads yourself.
Its honestly a wate of time and $$ if you don't get 100% of the inside..

chris@cecoatings.com I'll tell ya all I know. I'm not like other people who wont let secrets out.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

These look a little orange peelish cuz they were so rusty beforhand they have little pits. nothing you can really do about that

and the complete inside is done also

bEtUr4dRustang

I've seen a lot of chris's (TPI383) ceramic coated stuff in person. Infact, those long tubes he posted used to be mine and i can vouch for their previous condition before he coated them. The before and after was most striking with the edelbrock TES's though.

His powdercoating is good too, no detail spared.

I hope to have a nice forced induction setup for him to coat sometime this summer.

StealthElephant

So if I get an oven, compressor, spraygun I should be good equipment wise?

I mean, whats involved in the process? Is it similar to powdercoating? The cermaic is sprayed on the part then baked on?

Thanks for the info.

deadbird

The 1st time I ever tried using Cermakrome a quite a few years back, I used a Testors airbrush from Walmart and the propellent (sp?) that goes with.
Along with discovering why the airbrush is bad, I found out why it's a really bad idea to use the oven in the house.
The finish (as far as protecting the metal) came out fine and lasted 3 yrs (sold the headers after that).
Using the most primitave methods, thinners to remove black protective paint, scotch brite pads to scuff metal, testors airbrush and home oven, the Cermakrome still withstood the elements very well considering the applicator and his methods.
IF I weren't the frugal person I am, I'd certainlyh have someone like TPI383 coat my headers due to the fact he has the equipment and, well, it's his profession. Pics are proof he does a very good job.

spartyon

what was wrong with the airbrush? just curious.

deadbird

The Testors airbrush is designed mainly for painting model cars. The Cermakrome is considerably thicker than model paint even if you thin it with the recommended amount of water. Also, the propellent can will freeze over (I'm guessing it's propane or something similar that freezes with consumption.. it's been a long time since i used it) with the extended amount of use needed to coat a pair of shorty headers. I would imagine using a real airbrush with a small 5gal compressor (like a flooring brad nailer air compressor) would probably produce more desirable coating coverage. I found better results with a cheapie automotive siphon detail gun. Application depends on what you like to use. I used my Cobalt HVLP when I coated my Hooker headers (pic'd above) this last time.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Thanks for the kind words guys.
This is not my Professions so to say. I am a Aviation tech. the coatings is a side job/company I decided to start myself for something to do.. Power,ceramic and Thermal coatings.

I use a nice Sharpe automotive detail gun. Price was $300something. I wanted a good gun for good quality. You can use a cheap $80 hvlp gravity feed if you wanted.

A home oven will work as long as Its not your primary oven. the thing with ceramic is you need 550* for 1h.

If you never worked with ceramakrome id do some small test pieces 1st. Its not hard to get use to shooting but Don't learn on your headers. If you have done automotive painting before you can shoot this stuff. Pre bake the part and prep it good. shoot the coating on while the part is warm. then bake it at 125-175 till you see it dry. Then crank it to 550* ( NOT THE OVEN TEMP. it MUST be the PARTS at this temp.) use a lazer temp gun)

I cant give away all my secrets....lol. but its not to hard to do once you do a few sets etc..

The hardest part with you doing em is gonna be getting 100% of the inside. and polishing em . When they come out of the oven form curing they are gonna be like a chalky grey residue that you need to lightly glass bead off. #12 glass. OR steal wool off with 0000 then polish em with white rouge..

Well I'm done with my mini novel here.. Hope some of this nonsense helps..

spartyon

how would you position them in the oven without letting the paint touch the oven. can you give away that tip?

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Hang em off hooks

spartyon

pretty simple. i was thinking of propping them up but hooks would work well.

Parts4sale

how do you like it? how good has it been lasting? and what brand type ect did you use.... and can you coat the inside the primemaris easy and get 100% coverage??

Parts4sale

bump....

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Techline is a good product. Ive redone New headers right from the factory that have already been coated. Ive redone stuff from jet hot, I do basanni and super trap stuff.

techliines product is a profesional ceramic. All you need is a HVLP gun to sprat it and a oven to cure at 5-600*

Yes you can get 100% of the inside.
The big down fall for the DIYer. is you done have a vibratory polisher to burnish the inside which I feel is a big part of how long the final product lasts.

Its easy to do em. Im sure ive posted how above. I dont recall. If not shoot me a e-mail. and I'll go over it with ya.

link for some of the stuff Ive done
http://www.cecoatings.com/images/coa...ramicCoatings/

tuckintaco93

i see this is old but would someone who has coated some headers want to do mine for some $$$$$ ?

tuckintaco93

they are smc huggers im in florida but if not to much ill ship