That canopy looks real nice and the powder coat looks great.
I've got a question about the powder coating though. I've been disappointed in every piece of steel equipment and/or implement that I've ever owned that was powder coated. Without exception every one has eventually rusted horribly under the powder coat. Some things to the point that they were rendered unusable. So what gives?
Great results with aluminum things like my motorcycle wheels & etc, but on steel... not so much luck.
Example? The mounts on my Reese hitch for the pick-up. 1/4 inch steel rusted clear through under the powder coat finish, they'd have been better off left bare. Is it just poor quality, poor workmanship?
Steel needs to be kept clean and dry. I blasted his top again once I got ready for the oven. If it sets more than a day or 2, it needs blasted again. Flash rust will occur in minutes in a moist environment. Blast a piece, dip it in water for a few seconds, then take it out and wipe a white cloth across it. You'll get orange very quickly, and it ain't Kubota orange.
If it were going to set for a few days, you have to either blast it again right before coating (and right after you need to pre-heat/degas/degrease bake it) or hit it with an anti-rust coating. I think I used to use Metal Ready. Now I just bake right after blasting. With the anti-rust coating, you get a few days of play time before it starts flash rusting again.
Metal Ready is a phosphoric acid/zinc metal mix, that 'phosphates' the metal leaving a thin layer of a zinc on it. Zinc Phosphate prevents the rust, and also adds a bit of bite for the paint/powder to stick and get a grip on. (
http://www.por15.com/Data Sheets/metalreadyreg.pdf)
But powder, if done correctly, will withstand even saltwater, gasoline, oils and lubricant immersion for a long time before starting to rust. Unless you scratch it, pit it or start with a suspect surface, it doesn't not rust from the inside out without rust being there before the coating goes on.
Guessing that the time between sandblasting/coating is too long, or maybe even being sandblasted with a moist air source. I use air driers on my lines used for both blasting and powder (and paint, and ....). The Horrible Fright dessicant air driers work well for this, but quality paper and cartridge filters are best for me so far. The surface has got to be rust free and dry. Preheating the steel before you coat, but after you blast is a must.
Either that or I'm really lucky. In almost 10yrs of hobby (and 'professional') coating, I've never had a piece come back for rusting from the inside, tho. Hopefully I see very few in the future as well.
That said, there's still about 2 or so pounds of orange left in the garage is someone wants their "insert Kubota object/equipment here" coated. Probably won't get the deal Mr. Blair did, but you never know.
