How To Prep SIMPSON Hardware For Painting

Will Johnson

I've pre-stained all my rough DF joists, girders & posts, and want the make the joist hangers & bases "disappear".

Whats a simple, quick and effective way to clean Joist hangers (etc) so they can be spray painted prior to installation.

ALSO, what is recommended for Post Caps like CCQ (they come pre-painted grey).

I'd like to do it right, not looking for a way to get the paint to stick for only the first month or so (acrylic paint sprayed on un-primed hangers seems to do just that)

BuiltByMAC

Powdercoating. Much more permanent than spray paint.

My powder coater can hit the ZMAX joist hangers directly, for the CC post caps that have the grey primer coat, he needs to have them sandblasted first. I just drop off the stuff to him, he takes care of getting the pieces that need to be blasted, I pick up the finished pieces about a week later.

Oh, he's got many different colors too. You can p.c. 'em black or some color that matches the house if you want...

Simpson also offers powdercoating on all their pieces, not just the architectural series. Talk to your local supplier. If they don't have a clue what you're talking about, either contact your Simpson regional rep directly or ask your supplier to. The downside of getting Simpson to powdercoat the stuff is they charge and arm and a leg for shipping (like $150). If you have a local p.c., it'll be less expensive in the long run.

Mac

curapa

I have a DIY powdercoat gun that I picked up for around $80 new. I used it on alot of engine components on an old project car. All you need is the gun, some powder and an oven. Its very easy to use on small items like hangers and such.

Probably save you some change for about the same effort as dropping of the items to your local powdercoater.

redwood

I'm not sure about prepping for powder coating, but to paint, you wipe down galvanized metal with vinegar, then prime and paint.

__________________
Mark
Los Gatos, CA
www.creative-redwood-designs.com

BuiltByMAC

The only oven I've got access to is the one in the kitchen...da wife would not be pleased to find me using it to cook powdercoated metal!

Besides, she makes really good meals - I don't want to take the chance of messing up the oven so she can't!!

Mac

Will Johnson

I've put some unusual stuff in the oven, but never powdercoated parts! I'll try the vinegar/prime method, since I'm putting up some posts & joists today.

Thanks for the replies.

andy builds

Simpson offers a variety of coatings for their hangers and connectors, normally about a week to ten days out on ordering them, something to think about if you have the time...