Zink coating discussion (from Mux project thread)

[Mux213]

Ah, you are worried about the body deforming due to heat?

Hmm, have to agree with Ivan, ideal heat conducting situation so if done correctly, there shouldn't be a heat problem. I don't think the anodysing process will raise the body temparature to a couple of hundred degrees. By the time the metal gets a temparature at which it starts to deform the fluid would be boiling anyways wouldn't it?

[Ivan141]

Maybe he was thinking along the lines of hot-dipping the body into molten zinc or something...

[Mux213]

Owh man, that would suck!

My hachi is one big blob of molten zinc and steel

I'm gonne split this thing btw.. .my thread is being ruined

[NoHachi]

Yup I'm talking about hot dipping in zinc..the only real method of creating a rust-preventing coating. Anodizing might look cool, but the created layer is tiny and one scratch is all it takes. Because the colour layer does not have the same qualities as the base metal zinc has, rust will settle in and move around under the coating.

[Mux213]

NoHachi, ah okay that explains it. I was talking about anodizing or galvanising (never understood the difference)

I thought the whole idea about Zink was that when scratched the zink oxidizes and fills the gap (only on tiny scratches) and offcourse after you've zink coated the chassis it will still get a normal paint job. After that the zink won't easilly scratch unless you get into some accident.

Interestingly though the Double Y-frames my mate coats with zync arent coated.

I also thought you can make the layer of zink as thick as you want by leaving the object longer in the bath..

[NoHachi]

You're right Mux, zinc good(galvanising) - anodising bad. As far as I know the only way to apply a good galvanising coat is dipping, which involves a lot of heat.

Anodising is only cosmetical as far as I know..but who knows, technology might have advanced since then.

The Delorean was designed for the zinc bath since the beginning. That means clever design and no connected parts that might heat up and expand at different rates. That is what ultimately twists a chassis.

[Mux213]

NoHachi, hmm not sure about that, the double Y frame was originally designed for resin coating. Only later for the lotusses they were galvanised.

[NoHachi]

Don't know what they look like..generally problems arise at the mergers of large sheet sections and box/tube sections..Just big tubes etc are doable if you let them preheat above the bath before you dip them.

[robokill]

I know a company in Holland who dips your shell (shell only no doors or whatever exctra) in 6 baths ending with a ready for paint so to say for 1500 euro's!

[Mux213]

Robo, thats not a bad deal at all! wonder what sort of system they use..