VMC enclosure..dreaming of an easy repaint option...help

laggeddag · Sep 24, 2020

KIWA 510

I have the enclosure completely disassembled (had to for moving and fixing the machine anyway)

Now the mill itself is up and running great. Strangely turns out the spot I put the machine in the garage also has room for the enclosure to be installed as-is!! What!!

This means I am only an enclosure-assembly away from a functional VMC.

The enclosure is a) filthy and b) has typical paint destruction from 25 years of use.

Whats the latest in 2020? Do I have an option here for a) degreasing/cleaning b) paint prep c) painting that is at all compatible with doing in a garage/driveway, relatively inexpensively (<$500) that will yield a result that has any sort of durability? Or would I just be better off scraping whats loose (which will be ALOT) and then degreasing and putting it all back together?

Garwood · Sep 24, 2020

I half-ass straighten out then drop off at an outfit that blasts/powdercoats. Pick up in 1-2 weeks and install.

Bake oven works fine too.

laggeddag · Sep 24, 2020

Garwood said:
I half-ass straighten out then drop off at an outfit that blasts/powdercoats. Pick up in 1-2 weeks and install.

Bake oven works fine too.

are you talking about a full VMC enclosure? how much did that cost you

if the price is right that would actually be pretty easy for me since I have it all disassembled and could load it onto a uhaul no prob

thing is I would also like to paint the mill....(yes Im adding that dream)

Bobw · Sep 24, 2020

If you want it to look good for years and years and years, blast and powder.

I have not a clue what that would cost you in the real world. I could have that done
tomorrow morning for a 12 pack, and then they would fight me about the 12 pack, its too much.
This is a really good customer of mine that I think I treat really well, and they treat me the
same.

MAYBE... MAYBE.. Garage machine.. Use this as an opportunity to find yourself a new
customer? My customer makes their own stuff, and you would have no idea they had the
capability to powder coat your little sports car, the entire thing, all at once.

Or get out the sander and fire up the rattle cans. Or clean it and say F* it.

vmipacman · Sep 24, 2020

I just had about 15 big (4x6) pcs of sheetmetal blasted and powder coated for ~2300$.
I would think you could get a 20x40 sized machine done for 1k. I do not think you will get it for 500 though.

Take pictures of your sheetmetal, go to a powder coater, apologize for coming off cheap but and ask if they could maybe do it for 500 since that’s your budget.
That’s really your best option. You won’t regret spending a little more if you have to. It’ll sell better anyway when you are done with it. And you will be proud of it. Don’t forget to take pics of all the decals with a tape measure and have them remade once the sheetmetal is painted.

laggeddag · Sep 24, 2020

vmipacman said:
I just had about 15 big (4x6) pcs of sheetmetal blasted and powder coated for ~2300$.
I would think you could get a 20x40 sized machine done for 1k. I do not think you will get it for 500 though.

Take pictures of your sheetmetal, go to a powder coater, apologize for coming off cheap but and ask if they could maybe do it for 500 since that’s your budget.
That’s really your best option. You won’t regret spending a little more if you have to. It’ll sell better anyway when you are done with it. And you will be proud of it. Don’t forget to take pics of all the decals with a tape measure and have them remade once the sheetmetal is painted.

Okay this is sounding interesting. This machine is a bit smaller than 20 x 40 so maybe I'm in a ballpark.

Also, I only have an idea how bad the enclosure metal is from memory. I think the exterior of the panels are fine as would be expected.I'm not sure how bad the interiors really are.

The machine itself has very little intact paint left in the kill zone where any kind of coolant or chips would make contact. For that I guess I'm on my own. I suppose I could do some experiments with a pint of epoxy and see how it goes.

If I could sand it and spray paint it I would but that will dissolve so soon it wouldn't be worth it right?

kazlx · Sep 24, 2020

Where are you in CA?

vmipacman · Sep 24, 2020

Use an epoxy primer and alkalide paint like PPG ALK 200 on the casting, but imo powder coat all the sheetmetal if you do one pc. Old white won’t match new white and you will with you had.
Problem I always have is with the electrical enclosure. Can’t remove it easily and painting in place isn’t a fun option.
I’ve always wanted to have the enclosures wrapped in vinyl like a car. I think results would be good and easier than prepping and painting.

laggeddag · Sep 24, 2020

kazlx said:
Where are you in CA?

inland empire near temecula

13engines · Sep 24, 2020

Sandlasting is too iffy and prone to distortion if your metal is on the thin side. Find a place that does paint burn-off. You may not find one listed, but ask your local powder coaters because they will know if one is around. Burn-off prep = absolutely zero. No cleaning necessary. The only cleaning you might need is to have the panels clean enough to see if they need any dents beat out or straightening done. The etch? or cleanup bath the burn-off uses makes your panels keenly ready for paint. I had every single panel of a dismantled-down-to-the-castings standard 40 X 20 fully enclosed for HPC VMC with Pallet Station and coolant tanks picked up, burned and delivered to the painters for an even 1000 bucks. Can't recall what the urethane powder coat paint cost me, but is was a lot of panels and 3 colors.

Use two part urethanes on castings and things too heavy or objects you don't dare to let others handle. Including plain ole local transports. The urethanes, like any good paint, have isocyanates in the catalyst that are not something you want to be around every day. But a well ventilated one-off with a descent mask is not going to kill you.

EmGo · Sep 24, 2020

I did an enclosure with Polane once. Just in case you think of that, don't.

Worked fine but I am lucky to be alive. That stuff is beyond nasty.

aarongough · Sep 24, 2020

Yeah I considered painting my machine with a 2 part urethane, but ran away after reading all the warnings, even though I own a full-face respirator with the correct cartridges. My workshop at the time had zero ventilation...

I run my machine without coolant, air blast only. I re-painted the saddle, column and base with rustoleum alkyd paints from home depot and they've held up perfectly, but I don't think it would stand up to long-term coolant exposure.

You can have a car paint place make rattle cans for you that have custom colors in them. The paint in the car rattle cans dries WAY better and harder than any home depot style rattle-can paint. I think it's because they're not afraid to use the *good* solvents

Just be aware it is much more prone to runs than homeowner grade rattle cans.

For the enclosure, definitely powder-coat if you can afford it. Will last for way longer and look way better than any home-brew paint job. Seconded on avoiding sandblasting the panels, they will probably distort.

Badbascom · Sep 25, 2020

Normally I would say grit blast with 240# al2o3 and then apply a off brand automotive paint but that still wont get you under $500. Harbor freight pressure blaster for about $150, paint $400, supplies $300. And no you will not distort or warp your sheet metal. For about $300 you can hand prep and spray with Sherwin Williams DTM paint. If you really wanted the cheap, hand prep and roll on hammered paint.

vmipacman · Sep 25, 2020

FYI, I have never has issues with panels distorting from blasting. Not heard any first hand horror stories of it either. Enclosures are fairly heavy gauge anyway and usually have some reinforcing bends in floppy areas.

gustafson · Sep 25, 2020

Anything I was going to post would be basically treat it like a car, clean it scuff it clean it again, epoxy primer, acrylic urethane[not polane/imron]

SO I was thinking, what about paint protection film?

Coolant by its nature is a slow motion paint stripper, it is designed to get right in between molecules and lube it up, so abrasion from metal chips gives it a way in.

What if you put film on it? Coolant would peel from the edges, so you would have to get the edges out of the coolant spray

Or what if you didn't paint it ans wrapped the whole thing, maybe a nice metallic blue

laggeddag · Sep 25, 2020

so sort of a list so far:

truck bed liner?

garage floor epoxy coatings?

plasti-dip (people have painted cars with this stuff apparently)?

rattle-can automotive paint (2k?) (someone mentioned this)

rustoleom hammered?

appliance "epoxy" by rustoleum (I've used this and was not impressed..maybe I didnt prep right)

cerakote air-cure

I'm looking for something a) easy to acquire b) somewhat inexpensive c) usefully durable

Since I have the panels off. I should be able to do a pretty good job prepping to bare metal for the interior surfaces

vmipacman · Sep 25, 2020

gustafson said:
Anything I was going to post would be basically treat it like a car, clean it scuff it clean it again, epoxy primer, acrylic urethane[not polane/imron]

SO I was thinking, what about paint protection film?

Coolant by its nature is a slow motion paint stripper, it is designed to get right in between molecules and lube it up, so abrasion from metal chips gives it a way in.

What if you put film on it? Coolant would peel from the edges, so you would have to get the edges out of the coolant spray

Or what if you didn't paint it ans wrapped the whole thing, maybe a nice metallic blue

Sounds like you are hinting at a hydrophobic clear coat?
I love the idea and would like to try it. At one point Lowe’s carried a can of it maybe from rustoleum. There was some higher end stuff I looked into for a work project, but I like the theory of it.

cgarr · Sep 25, 2020

I used the garage floor paint 2 part worked out great and nothing touches it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

laggeddag · Sep 25, 2020

cgarr said:
I used the garage floor paint 2 part worked out great and nothing touches it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nice!! do you have coolant/oil exposure on a regular basis to it?

curious: was your situation like mine, where the exterior of the panels was in good shape, but the inside was basically stripped to bare metal?

also curious: did your garage paint have the "chips" in it and does that look weird? which garage paint did you use exactly?

laggeddag · Sep 25, 2020

wow..umm same-day response from cerakote tech support:

Hello,

You could certainly Cerakote your CNC mill enclosure with our C series. It's an air cure product. So you would still need to prep the parts that you want to spray but you wouldn't have to oven-cure or even sandblast them. You'll need to degrease them, and then etch them with red scotch-brite so that the Cerakote can have adequate adhesion.

Check out our C series on the website: Cerakote Air Cured Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples

Thank you for choosing Cerakote!

Technical Support Advisor
CERAKOTE | Innovation of NIC Industries, Inc.
7050 6th Street | White City, OR 97503
Ph: 866-774-7628 or Direct 541-826-1922 ex. 290
Email: [email protected]
Cerakote.com | Cerakote Trim Coat | PrismaticPowders.com

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