Powder Coating Q&A: Two-Color Powder Coating

Q. Can a wheel be powder coated with two different colors?

A. Yes, a wheel can be coated with two colors. You would apply the lighter of the two colors, cure the coating and then mask off the area of the first coat. There are high temperature tapes that you can use to cover the area with the first coat. Apply and then cure the second color in the unmasked area.

There are some challenges. The parting line where the mask is taped to the wheel may come out a little rough due to the coating thickness and the tendency of the second coat to “bridge” to the masking material. You can remove the mask before curing the second coat and thus reduce the roughness at the parting line. However, there is a risk of having a little dry powder drift onto the first coat or messing up the line when you remove the mask. If you have a very clean line in the design of the part you can use it to separate the two coats (like a sharp crease in the wheel); it will be easier to separate the two colors. Regardless of what masking material you use or whether you remove the mask prior to cure or after, I would recommend some trials to perfect the process before you do it on your wheels. With some trial to develop your technique you should be able to pull it off.

Originally published in the January 2016 issue.