Project 19 – Powder Coated Trailers

Powder coating metal boat trailers is not expensive and prevents rust and corrosion from salt water, sun, snow and sleetTrailers have many uses but in the consumer market they are commonly used to transport water crafts. Unfortunately, trailers are often neglected and poorly maintained. After a day in the water, the water craft is typically carefully rinsed and wiped down. However, the trailer that was exposed to the same corrosive water is not washed down. Repeated exposure to salt water, rain, sleet, snow and sun eats away at the finish and eventually rust corrodes the structural integrity of the trailer frame. It is important to maintain your trailer like your car and boat. So consider Powder Coating when refinishing your trailer.

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Project 18 – Powder Coating a Wood Grain Finish

Powder coating steel or aluminum with a wood grain finish - looks just like wood but without rotting or warpingThere’s no reason a wood structure can’t last virtually forever – or, at least hundreds of years – far longer than we may actually need the building. With a good understanding of how to protect wood from decay and fire, we can expect today’s wood buildings to be around for as long as we wish, that is if the wood is not really wood. Today, we can powder coat many aluminum and steel structures to look just like wood. The only difference of course is bugs and wood rot are no longer an issue. Check out this sample. And this style of powder coating is AAMA 2605 approved, something for the architects to think about.

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Powder Coating Challenge

I would like to hear from everyone out there. Please submit pictures of items that you have had powder coated. The best before and after picture combination will win a $50.00 gift card to Starbucks. We will select a winner after the 20th submission. How awesome are those odds!!! Good Luck and thank you for your support.

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Project 17 – Powder Coating Retail

I have noticed more and more that retail stores are promoting powder coating for their products. For example, I was just surfing CB2, a website dedicated to new trends for outdoor furniture, decor, dining, and more, and came across: skinny genes. Hardworking console table is welded heavy-duty but looks light on its feet. Industrial steel with clear protective powder coat.

or as on Vieso – a better way to shop for modern furniture – where you can find a Clovelly – Dining Set,

– Chair seat height is 17″
- Table height is 30″
- 100% maintenance free powder-coated aluminum table frame
- Durable HPCL table top
- Stainless steel stackable dining chairs

Indoor style meets outdoor durability as ‘Clovelly’ seamlessly blurs the lines between a fashion that was once impossible in outdoor furniture. But powder coating is not just for the boutique stores. Check out what I found at Target:

  • Collection Name: Bromley
  • Protective Qualities: Rust Resistant, Weather Resistant
  • Finish: Powder-Coated

Looks like we have made an impact and powder coating is finally getting the recognition it deserves!! What is powder coating? Powder coating is most definitely the preferred refinishing and restoration alternative for anyone with household items made of steel, metal, aluminum or MDF wood, i.e., outdoor patio furniture sets, home front entry gates, bicycles, birdcages, little red wagons, and more.

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Project 16 – Powder Coating Metal Furniture and Home Decor

Sundial Powder Coatings has long been the “person behind the person behind the person”. In the beginning, we did not possess a single brick in our operations of creativity. But as the years have progressed we have been exposed to a lot and somewhere along the way we learned something. Today Sundial stands shoulder to shoulder with many of Los Angeles’ best powder coaters and designers. After participating in shows on HGTV and the build out of top restaurants in Los Angeles and Pasadena, we look forward to the next project and offering our powder coating consulting advice.

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Project 15 – Powder Coating Rims

Powder Coated RimsLike jewelry worn to complement a suit or cocktail dress, car rims are a vital accessory that complements the look, feel and attitude of an automobile or truck. Starting with the hubcap that began appearing with regularity on vehicles in the 1920s, dressing a wheel with chrome or paint determines the personality of the vehicle.
I was very surprised that I had not already blogged about Car Rims. I actually double checked the list twice in disbelief. Each week I think about what to blog next, while day after day customers are bringing in car rims to customize their rides. How does that old saying go… it was in front of me the entire time?
Well no longer will the most popular consumer powder coated item (at least in my shop) go unnoticed. As the Michelin Man says “There is a lot riding on your tires”. At Sundial Powder Coatings we understand that fully. To simply powder coat rims can be very dangerous. Many alloys can not with stand the heat of the conventional powder coating process, the structural integrity can be lost and weakening the rims performance. With over 30 years of experience Sundial has tested and re-tested the process to ensure that your family will always be safe and looking good after our powder coating process.

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Project 14 – Powder Coating Bicycle Frames

Powder Coated Bicycle FramesDid you know the bicycle is the primary transportation vehicle used by the human race. About 1.6 billion bicycles are in use throughout the world – in cosmopolitan cities, along remote country lanes, and in the smallest villages – and hundreds of millions of bikes are manufactured every year to meet the continuing demand for cheap wheeled transport.

Yet the bicycle is hardly a new vision of how humans can move. Historians speculate about Leonardo da Vinci’s 1490s drawings and a 1580s stained glass window in England that appears to depict a two-wheeler. The first widely recognized two-wheeler in actual use, however, was the pedal-less Celerifere, a toy of the French nobility in the 1790s. The more famous Draisienne followed that toy in 1816, still without pedals. The front wheel could be steered, and this two-wheeler was eventually mass-produced in Europe, particularly in England. Ernest Michaux added cranks to the two-wheeler in 1855. At the age of 14, Michaux copied the crank from a hand-grinding wheel in his father’s lock-smithy and started a revolution in human transportation – the Velocipede.

As the bicycle has evolved from a simple mode of transportation to the world of precision manufacturing so has the finish used to coat the frame work. With all the environmental benefits of powder coating, powder coating bicycle frames was a perfect fit for the worlds greenest form of transportation. But it was the durability and flexibility of powder coating that helped engineers cross the finish line.

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Project 13 – Powder Coating MDF Wood

powder coated MDF woodThe design industry has always had to compromise with the trade-off between form vs. function. Advancements in powder coated wood finishing make it possible to have the best of form and function. It is now possible to use more shapes and contoured profile edges in designs, blending this with the functional benefits of a very durable powder coated finish. Powder coated wood has the look and shape that designers and architects can use to create unique designs without the limitations of many other surfaces. An added benefit that has triggered a huge increase in demand is the environmental benefits associated with powder coated wood.

Powder coated wood finishes have improved greatly in the past year since smooth high quality finishes are now achievable when combining the highest quality materials,  sophisticated technology in the powder application process, craftsmanship expertise of the technologically advanced powder application systems and CNC machining processes. The only drawback is that this high quality wood finish is not easily done, so it takes considerable investment and years of experience to achieve this level of quality.

A sophisticated and technologically advanced wood powder coater like Sundial can produce the highest quality finish. Often it is hard to note the difference between a powder coated finish vs. a four coat liquid finish. Powder coated wood finish is far more durable than a liquid finish- and the powder coated wood finish is like a liquid finish on steroids. The coating is very strong and durable. In addition, powder coated wood finishes are usually 6-7 mils thick which makes it a much thicker and tougher alternative to a liquid finish.

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Project 12 – Powder Coating Nail Polish Bottles

UV curable nail polish has been around for many years. Unfortunately, the application process and storage have made the product undesirable to the consumer market. Sundial Powder Coating and many leading cosmetic companies (ORLY, Jessica Cosmetics, Nail and Harmony, etc) are looking to change that. With our patented process Sundial was able to get powder coating to adhere to the glass substrate which achieved desired functionality and aesthetics. Since the chemists at the cosmetic companies were able to develop a stable formulation of UV curable nail polish the only missing link was to protect the contents inside the bottle. That is where Sundial stepped in. Being able to powder coat the bottles was critical to the success of the renewed product launch. Without out a UV barrier the nail polish would just harden inside the bottle. The challenge was getting the powder to stick without an electrostatic charge. Without disclosing our patented process I can tell you it was a success. Today with the efforts of Sundial and the chemists, long lasting more durable UV curable nail polish can now make its way back to the consumer.

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Project 11 – As Seen on TV – A Powder Coated Birdcage

Video: Powder Coating a Birdcage for HGTV

After 5 years of a long distance relationship, Joel & Lizz have finally found their own space and moved in together. Joel is living the life of a successful magician and Lizz is a professional dancer. The two are a very creative couple but their home is far from reflecting it. With both of them holding down jobs entertaining others, they’re consistently pulled across the country for work and have little time to fix up their space. Being on the road for so much of their lives, it’s important that the couple has a comfortable place to call home. Currently, their home seems like a neutral bore of wasted dead space. Joel and Lizz are up for anything but Lizz detests pink so Antonio will have to find a new “go-to” color.

Powder coated birdcage

Antonio starts off his design process by visiting the world famous Magic Castle to get some inspiration. He leaves with a new appreciation for vintage magic posters, antique magic tricks, owls, and bunnies. In Joel & Lizz’s home Antonio addresses the monster fireplace and gives it new life by cladding the entire wall with stacked stone. Antonio introduces a little “modern country glam” into the space by stripping back the painted header beams, painting antler chandeliers with black glitter, and by bringing in cowhide chairs and a giant white boom box.

The walls are painted a modest, neutral, shade of dusty blue to allow for the decorative elements in the room to provide the shots of color. Antonio calls in guest artist, Shivie from Sundial Powder Coating to powder coat an antique birdcage in a shade of orchid pink. This is just like the birdcage that we powder coated for HGTV, Shivie remarks. Antonio shops for the perfect modern furniture that also has a country edge and picks out the perfect frame for a giant custom mirror to complete the rehearsal area of the space. An enormous marlin is modified and customized with a pink fin to hang as the focal point over the fireplace. Antonio pulls out all his tricks, makes Lizz love pink and gives the couple a place to entertain, rest, relax and rehearse in this magical makeover.

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