- Thread starter
- #21
First time used I-90 Express. This time I am using Novation. Will follow-up with the results.
Updated with pics of recoat! Pics added Real time input please Poor powdercoating-need advice. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter 40Man
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First time used I-90 Express. This time I am using Novation. Will follow-up with the results.
When I lived in Spokane I used Novation to coat literally hundreds of parts. They always did a fantastic job!
...this was about 15 years ago though. Can wait to see the updated pics!
- Thread starter
- #23
Update: the new coater was excellent. He told me everything that was wrong with the prior job, as did others here.
1. Poor prep, not pre heating hot enough or long enough.
2. Poor powder. Evidently the chrome powder used is horrible, everyone has problems with it.
3. Too thin of a coat.
4. Coat was undercured.
Based on this information, I have requested a refund from the first coater. We'll see how they respond.
Based on recommendation, I chose to go with a more silver rather than chrome metallic. They would not guarantee no outgassing bubbles, but told me it would be very minimal if any. Very happy with the way it turned out, with no outgassing issues @KingAir Driver , Novation is highly recommended if you need powder coat in Spokane. Pics of the recoated cover attached.
1. Poor prep, not pre heating hot enough or long enough.
2. Poor powder. Evidently the chrome powder used is horrible, everyone has problems with it.
3. Too thin of a coat.
4. Coat was undercured.
Based on this information, I have requested a refund from the first coater. We'll see how they respond.
Based on recommendation, I chose to go with a more silver rather than chrome metallic. They would not guarantee no outgassing bubbles, but told me it would be very minimal if any. Very happy with the way it turned out, with no outgassing issues @KingAir Driver , Novation is highly recommended if you need powder coat in Spokane. Pics of the recoated cover attached.
Looks light years better than the last job! I'm glad to see that Novation is still doing quality work!
KingAir Driver
SILVER Star
Awesome! Glad to know there’s someone doing quality work town.
- Thread starter
- #26
I had Wheelman do one wheel (chrome fj60 wheel blasted and coated an almond) as well as Les Schwab (shipped to Portland). Both did a great job. My office partner had his Porsche wheels coated by Wheelman and they turned out great as well, so we also have good Wheel options in town.
A few of the other shops also had good reviews, but their lead time was pretty far out (one was 12 weeks). Evidently people have been finishing projects during Covid...
But Novation will be my go-to for non-wheel coating in the future.
KingAir Driver
SILVER Star
Yes, I’ve used wheelman for Porsche rims as well. Looks like the original place I used for my first 40 rims is now a Tesla Service Station. 
- Thread starter
- #28
Yes, I’ve used wheelman for Porsche rims as well. Looks like the original place I used for my first 40 rims is now a Tesla Service Station.
Les Schwab is ok, and used to be awesome. My first set of wheels was $30 a wheel from them a few years ago. Now they are $60+. Still cheaper than anyone else, and decent quality. They won't coat over chrome however. We need to have our 40s meet each other sometime. IIRC, you are pretty close to me.
KingAir Driver
SILVER Star
Definitely! It’s less than a mile. There’s another 40 under restoration across the main road from me. Really nice guy, not on mud.
- Thread starter
- #30
Is that the white one without windows in the top?
- Thread starter
- #31
Okay, so some more drama (prepare for a rant):
As a recap, when the poor coating was done the original coater told me:
"There is a chance sanding it and re coating will not fix it. it is cause from impurities in the metal gassing off while it is heating up during the curing process. We often see this in cast products and is out of our control (bold for emphasis). Coating it a second time will be another $95 charge. Do we have your approval to more forward?"
As discussed above, I ultimately decided to take it elsewhere. I was waiting for the result before contacting the original coater. I sent them the following message today (with above finished pics):
"So I am following up on this. I took the valve cover to a new powder coater. He told me that the outgassing occurred due to poor prep and improper preheating. Something the first shop didn't warn me about when I agreed to have the work done. He also said the chrome powder I-90 recommended is horrible, and everyone has problems with it, which likely contributed to the bubbling. He also said the coating was too thin and vastly under-cured, as the powder was easily removed with 2000 grit wet sand paper while the primer remained. Overall, I am very dissatisfied and am requesting a full refund for the valve cover, as I did not get what I paid for, and no longer believe the excuses you gave. I am also attaching pictures to show that the coating could be and was done with no outgassing issues. Thanks."
The owner called me and told me they know what they are doing, they've been in business for 12 years and the other coater and I are both disrespecting them, and told me the other coater didn't know what they are doing. Clearly the finishing pictures tell another story. She also told me I didn't give them a chance to fix it. Well, yeah, when you text me, tell me it isn't your fault, you want an additional $95 but won't guarantee the work, I'm not going to have you "fix" it.
She also misconstrued my text saying they should have never wet sanded before powder coating and they don't know what they are doing (which his funny, since they told me they could sand off the imperfections and recoat). I kindly explained that I tried wet sanding to get the imperfections out and the coating came right off and the new coater sandblasted off the defective coat and primer. She then went on a rant how her competitor just wants to bad mouth her, because they know she is the best.
I explained that I never even told the new coater who did the original job, and when I called them before explaining any details about the botched job, I told them I have an aluminum valve cover to coat, and they immediately told me they'd need to prebake it to outgas it, something the original coater never told me, and never offered, even after the botched job. She responded that a prebake would be an extra cost. Unfortunately, if you don't inform the customer, the customer won't know what is necessary, even after the outgassing issue they never offered this. At this point she told me she had been disrespected enough. I'm honestly not sure how I disrespected her when I simply texted them asking for a refund. I told them they lost my business, and will be getting a negative review.
Rant over. Thank you for everyone who chimed in, your information was invaluable in helping me to get this fixed correctly.
As a recap, when the poor coating was done the original coater told me:
"There is a chance sanding it and re coating will not fix it. it is cause from impurities in the metal gassing off while it is heating up during the curing process. We often see this in cast products and is out of our control (bold for emphasis). Coating it a second time will be another $95 charge. Do we have your approval to more forward?"
As discussed above, I ultimately decided to take it elsewhere. I was waiting for the result before contacting the original coater. I sent them the following message today (with above finished pics):
"So I am following up on this. I took the valve cover to a new powder coater. He told me that the outgassing occurred due to poor prep and improper preheating. Something the first shop didn't warn me about when I agreed to have the work done. He also said the chrome powder I-90 recommended is horrible, and everyone has problems with it, which likely contributed to the bubbling. He also said the coating was too thin and vastly under-cured, as the powder was easily removed with 2000 grit wet sand paper while the primer remained. Overall, I am very dissatisfied and am requesting a full refund for the valve cover, as I did not get what I paid for, and no longer believe the excuses you gave. I am also attaching pictures to show that the coating could be and was done with no outgassing issues. Thanks."
The owner called me and told me they know what they are doing, they've been in business for 12 years and the other coater and I are both disrespecting them, and told me the other coater didn't know what they are doing. Clearly the finishing pictures tell another story. She also told me I didn't give them a chance to fix it. Well, yeah, when you text me, tell me it isn't your fault, you want an additional $95 but won't guarantee the work, I'm not going to have you "fix" it.
She also misconstrued my text saying they should have never wet sanded before powder coating and they don't know what they are doing (which his funny, since they told me they could sand off the imperfections and recoat). I kindly explained that I tried wet sanding to get the imperfections out and the coating came right off and the new coater sandblasted off the defective coat and primer. She then went on a rant how her competitor just wants to bad mouth her, because they know she is the best.
I explained that I never even told the new coater who did the original job, and when I called them before explaining any details about the botched job, I told them I have an aluminum valve cover to coat, and they immediately told me they'd need to prebake it to outgas it, something the original coater never told me, and never offered, even after the botched job. She responded that a prebake would be an extra cost. Unfortunately, if you don't inform the customer, the customer won't know what is necessary, even after the outgassing issue they never offered this. At this point she told me she had been disrespected enough. I'm honestly not sure how I disrespected her when I simply texted them asking for a refund. I told them they lost my business, and will be getting a negative review.
Rant over. Thank you for everyone who chimed in, your information was invaluable in helping me to get this fixed correctly.
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allworknoplay
SILVER Star
There are always two sides to a story, but by your account it seems to me you handled yourself very professionally. It amazes me that a small business, in a (relatively) small town, won't trip over itself to try and make things right to retain your business and make things right. How a person/business conducts itself in the face of a misstep has as much or more impact on me than the quality of their work. When I take a loss on a project I consider it tuition paid towards my education of how not to make the same mistake. It comes back tenfold.
- Thread starter
- #33
I work with customers/clients, so I empathize with other businesses. I have had to keep some unreasonable people happy (thankfully 99% of my clients are great). That is the reason I didn't tell Novation who did the flawed job (didn't want to give them a bad wrap without giving them the chance to make it right).
And I completely agree with your statement. Whenever I have an issue, I always try to let the business make it right. The response is often telling. It makes me think more and more they are just a poorly run shop.
KingAir Driver
SILVER Star
Yep, it’s a 76 or 77 if I remember correct.
