Paint or Powder coating stainless safari

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Hi guys , I just acquired a rear safari for my bus. It's stainless and I'd like to get it painted or powder coated. What prep have you guys done for either ?

[SCARAB]

Hello, I would go powder coating for long lasting, all YOU need to do is cover the areas you dont want to be painted -if any- because its a pain to remove the paint afterwards, also you have to think if you have to cover areas as the thickness of the paint layer is bigger than the normal paints, so means you have efectual dimensional changing, so in narrow areas you dont want it to enter there, use your imagination on what you can use to cover areas, paper tape, etc the guy that will undertake it will instruct you also, also if there are any moving assemblies you have to be sure that they will continue to work afterwards and will not be a single part -like welded! so maybe you have to dismantle more parts so as to protect them for being covered etc, you get the point, all HE needs to do is to clean chemically the parts to be painted so as to be oil free -they have special baths for this- and follow your instructions on where do you need "extra" powder or not,
you have to check also his available powders as there is huge selection of colors -normal, metalics, pearl, glossy, matts, satin, with different textures if i say it right, smooth, "harsh" surface sorry for my english! also clear coats to put above the normal color for extra protection
good luck

Friendly
Dimitrios

[SCOTTRODS]

OK... Reading the Info given above, and being a powder coater... I've got a few things to adjust thinking on...
First... if you're having something powder coated. You need to designate areas to be left uncoated when leaving the parts with the coater. It is far more difficult to remove than paint, but can be done. However, a good powder coating outfit can mask any areas to be left uncoated. I can do it on anything. You bring it, the coater, cleans it, strips it, preps it (blasting or sanding or whatever is necessary) A good powder coater will also return the coated part to you with all masking removed and the parts ready to install. If you take a part in to a reputable coater, he will not accept any of your prep work or masking. Use nothing. Bring the part as is and get a solid price for the work before leaving it. You might be shocked at the price, as it should be less than a properly done wet paint job, but will still not be free. If the wet paint costs less, it's way inferior to the powder... Facts is facts.
Powder coating, unlike stated above, is actually in many instances thinner than a standard paint job. this can depend on choice of powder, but is relatively similar in most cases... usually a little thinner overall. This is a comparison of a good quality paint job, not a rattle can thing.
If you take your parts to a coater that asks you where you want "extra" powder... say thanks but no thanks and go find another coater. But definitely take as much apart as possible. In the case of the safari (I'm assuming window assembly?) The hinges are probably going to be riveted, and they will have to be taken apart to avoid missing areas inside the hinge.One of the really interesting things about powders, is they can sometimes actually act like lube between moving parts, depending on what powder is used. Epoxy based powder coating is really good at offering up that "feeling" and characteristic. I've coated Door handles for VW Bugs with an Epoxy Textured powder, and reassembled them and they function mechanically like buttah!
Any decent coating operation will let you choose from a HUGE selection of powder colors and textures and types, from straight colors, flat, semi flat, semigloss, super gloss, super durables, Wrinkles, mini sandpaper textures, vein powders, metallics, candies, color shifting (what people are calling holographic... whatever) High vis colors and safety colors, Polyester, Epoxy, Hybrid powders, urethane based powders (Super glossy usually)... and more. Some will tell you they have chrome powders... they're telling the truth but they always turn out after the protective coating clear as a nice bright silver...
There are additives for powders, such as Pearls, and some manufacturers have recently begun producing more pearlescent powders, but the better pearls I've experienced have been from additives. Most pearls work better as a top coat in a clear... but I have seen some white pearl powder that was pretty nice and some yellow/gold color pearl... Other than that not much, but I don't really have a ton of experience doing that kind of powder work.

Keeping things simple will help. Black would look good on a lot of window trim bits... It'd look weird to have a frame with candy red around a window, unless the vehicle is a pretty wild build already... but that's a personal call no matter. I rather like that the part you have is Stainless, and would likely clean it up and polish it and run it as-is... but that also subjective and personal. If you decide to go with a multi-coat color or finish, then I suspect your parts will have a thicker coat than paint as described by SCARAB above... Again, your call, and the risk YOU take by your choices.

Just know that powder coating isn't paint, and paint isn't powder. If you get it done cheap (No matter how thin, small, or whatever... the quality of the work will be suspect for sure. Expect a lot of questions when dealing with a coater... if they don't ask or give you a price without having a solid look at the exact pieces you want done... find another coater. A good coater has what it takes to do the whole job, and likely will not advise you to do anything but a basic cleaning, and that'd be because he's a very busy coater. Otherwise he shouldn't have a hard time with just washing a part up and starting the process.

I'd offer to do the job myself, but can no longer use a 100kv Powder coating gun, since I got my pacemaker installed. I really enjoyed the process and the outcome of the work I did. Very satisfying, and the beauty of it all (and the reason it's addictive) is pulling a part out of the oven, removing the masking while warm, and letting it cool and then it's ready to install... no days of waiting for the paint to cure or hours and hours... just cure it, cool it, and install it. After 12 years of coating... I'm kinda finished though. Can't weld anymore either, or shoot shotguns off my left shoulder (Good thing I'm right handed, huh?)
Good luck in your prospects. This is not to scare you off powder coating. I'd rather hope you'd go that route for durability and all... Just to help inform from a powder coater with a few years of personal experience.

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Thank you both for your detailed explanations!

Ok , powder it is (black). Now for prep. Yes it's just the frame...2pc. Should I just 3M scotch pad it before and grease/wax remove all residue ? I'm not sure if I just blast it ? Will it warp ? I could just hold the frame farther away.

[SCOTTRODS]

Again... let the coater do the prep. No reputable coater will want you doing their work. They need to know they've done it right and can stand behind their work... not yours. Clean it up... Scotchbrite is OK... but plan on just making it clean enough to handle without being greasy or sticky... then take it to the Coater.

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^ Sounds good !