Powder Coated graphics - Success at Wooldridge

[cohocraft]

A Wooldridge boat is a double edged legacy: 100 year old company, and always at the futuristic leading edge of innovation. Good combo.

My Wooldridge 20' Sport was the successful prototype for a revolution in marine coatings: POWDER COATED tough graphics. No vinyl. No peeling, scratching, & fading. The image is actually powder coated and tough as gator skin. And clearer than the highest resolution printers available due to the heat (400 degrees) used to fuse the image.

Thanks Wooldridge! Love this boat. Love the finish.

[kmorin]

Great coho

what's this image cost? Nice salmon picture made into a powder coat, what is the cost of that exact graphic?

And clearer than the highest resolution printers available due to the heat (400 degrees) used to fuse the image.

Help us to understand what the heat of the fusion of the powder coat has to do with resolution? Vinyl of course, is available in 1600 dpi (lithograph) resolution so if this is clearer than the that what is the resolution of this image?

Was the entire boat heated to 400F to get fusion? In the other thread it appears the entire skiff was in the oven? so this is dependent on being near a vendor with an oven the size of the skiff?

Sure is a pretty pic, hope it costs less than paint or vinyl wraps?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

[cohocraft]

Pixels are individual 'dots' so to speak, individually placed; sublimation printing is blending, or melting together, of those pixels. So rather than individual dots (like pointilism painting, if you imagine it that way) its got a smoother transition between pixels, and thus appears more 'three dimensional. The print is created thru layers rather than on a flat surface.

Im not an expert on the subject, you might learn more on Google about sublimation printing. Im probably not explaining it very well.

This is not sublimation printing exactly, but it is a similar concept because the powders are melted into the clearcoat.

Yes, the whole skiff has to go in the oven, so its best done at the same time as the hull is being powder coated. These particular fish cost about $175 per side, coated. I had them quoted in vinyl and it was $490 (not including installation).

Hope this helps. more info here
http://www.rmcpowdercoat.com/graphic-coating.html

[cohocraft]

i probably didnt make it super clear in the above reply, but yes the actual process is powder coating.

[Karl in NY]

I have always been disappointed with powder-coated anything, due to chipping...whether T-tops or patio lawn furniture...I don't see why aluminum hulls would be any different.

Few facilities will be able to accommodate an entire hull, anyhow, in their ovens, so future removal/replacement will be a problem, I think.

I also wonder if powdercoat furnace heat will change (like anneal) typical alloy plate...anyone know?

Just seems risky and unproven just to gain cosmetics.

[cohocraft]

The best painter in the world wont provide a good result if it isnt prepped right. The same is with powder coating.

Prepped proprely (as in sandblast, epoxy based primer, and proper curing methods) yield an unquestionably tougher finish. Lab results are a winner every time. But as you say, one shortcut in prep will lead to disaster.

It all comes down to prep.

Stay tuned- there will be videos online soon showing chip tests, pull tests, abrasion and impact tests of a side-by-side zolatone vs. powder coat.

There is also helpful info on Tracker Boats results here- they too proved hands down success.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/zK9rtsFp3f ... autoplay=0

[speedboats]

I also wonder if powdercoat furnace heat will change (like anneal) typical alloy plate...anyone know?

Just seems risky and unproven just to gain cosmetics.

As stated above the Powder coat oven is brought up to 400F, while the re-crystallization temp of Alloy is between 660F and 775F (depending on what the alloys are and in what quantities). Even if you obtain re-crystallization temp you still require a 'soak' time. So there is no real issue with annealing aluminium alloy in a powder coat oven.