Grinder Makeover : Paint or bare aluminum?

[shadow745]

I have a KA Pro Line grinder that I happen to like alot. I've made several decent mods to it and it works pretty well for my needs. I recently had an issue with my KA Pro Line machine regarding a pump leak. Well, KA sent me a brand new machine, but in a different color. Now my grinder looks like the red headed stepsister of the machine. I was considering stripping all parts from the grinder and either lightly sanding down all painted parts (just enough to take the gloss off for the fresh paint to stick) and painting it a different color (Rustoleum paint is heavy duty) or simply grinding all the paint off with my Dremel until I get to bare aluminum, then buffing it to bring out a little shine. In a home environment I doubt the bare aluminum would ever corrode. I know painting it would be the simplest route to take as grinding/sanding all the paint off in an even fashion might be a pain in the butt. What do you guys think? Thanks for any info. Later!

[HB]

I've read a couple reports of Mazzer Jolly owners stripping their grinder to the bare metal and finding it pocked with casting irregularities that were masked by the painted body. Producing a "Mini P" like finish would be a lot of work. Personally I'd go for a painted body and a few layers of clear coat for depth / scuff resistance.

[shadow745]

I was thinking the same thing. It would be a pain in the butt to sand all the paint off evenly and then polish it to make every square inch look just right. I think I'll rough up the original paint to take the gloss off and give it a few coats of silver Rustoleum. Then follow that up with a coat or two of clear. Thanks for the reply. Later!

[mogogear]

That Hammered Finish paint is easy to use- the finish makes it so much better looking- It just doesn't have the signature "rattle can" job look. Comes in several good colors Black, bronze , silver , gray... FWIW-I have used it to touch up an old La Pavoni base and frames on the Olympia twins and the body on the Super Jolly I am monkeying around with....

[shadow745]

That Hammered Finish paint is easy to use- the finish makes it so much better looking- It just doesn't have the signature "rattle can" job look. Comes in several good colors Black, bronze , silver , gray... FWIW-I have used it to touch up an old La Pavoni base and frames on the Olympia twins and the body on the Super Jolly I am monkeying around with....

Would it be a problem for you to post a few pics of the paint finish on those machines or the grinder? Thanks! Later!

[mogogear]

I have one picture of the jolly in the thread Mazzer Super Jolly Mod Session. I have a couple of frame shots but nothing close up in the Rebuilding the Oly twins thread in the lever forum... I can see if I can get a close up of the jolly as it is the most relevant- it is in silver - which goes with most things....

[TimEggers]

Mazzer Super Jolly and Rustoleum Grey Smoke Gloss Paint. A nice look if you ask me...

[shadow745]

Thanks for the replies guys. Tim, from what I read you used a brush for yours. Any reason you didn't use spray paint? Nice paint and nice grinders as well. Later!

[mogogear]

Here is a close up of the texture- Not what the original was-but it is a factory look. As I mentioned, on the old La Pavoni Europiccola- it was a dead match! I sanded with fine grain- then with medium steel wool and cleaned with denatured alchohol , masked and painted- I even masked over the original sticker you see in the picture-razor bladed around the edges of it. The darn sticker has a small defect -but they only make a Clockwise direction sticker now - not the "Finer- Coarser "one...So I kept it.

2 Light coats and then a heavier one that gets the "Hammered look" dries fast..

[TimEggers]

Thanks for the replies guys. Tim, from what I read you used a brush for yours. Any reason you didn't use spray paint? Nice paint and nice grinders as well. Later!

Actually I used a foam brush. Just didn't want to deal with over spray.

[shadow745]

This is the end result. Completely stripped of all parts, hand sanded with 150 and 600 grit paper, cleaned, painted with 4 light coats of Rustoleum Metallic Silver and 3-4 light coats of clear enamel. Then left to dry 12+ hours before being assembled. I'm pleased with the results. Later!

BTW, this is my first time posting a pic so I hope it's OK.

[mogogear]

'Roooooking good!

[AustinMike]

I'm actually considering getting my Mazzer SJ powder coated. Have any of you guys ever had it done? Might have my Cremina painted the same color, for giggles and grins.

[cannonfodder]

I had my two group frame powder coated. Not much to it. I stripped the old paint, did a little light grit sanding to clean it a little more and dropped it off. The place I had do it is a commercial powder coater. They run it through a series of dips to clean and prep the surface for the powder. The item to be coated gets an electrical charge (don't remember if it is a positive or negative charge) and the coating gun gets an opposite charge. That way the powder and item being coated are attracted to each other. Then it bakes at a few hundred degrees and you are finished. You have to make sure you plug all the sockets and studs (anything threaded or any opening you don't want sealed shut). I dropped it off, they hung it on their automated rack (they powder coat truck parts) and picked it up the next day. It looks a lot better than spray-paint and is pretty thick and durable.

[RapidCoffee]

I'm actually considering getting my Mazzer SJ powder coated. Have any of you guys ever had it done? Might have my Cremina painted the same color, for giggles and grins.

The problem is getting the grinder motor out of the frame. As Dave noted, powder coating requires heating.

[shadowfax]

To elaborate just a little further, I think that the motor is fairly easy to remove, except for the part where the lower burr carrier is mounted on the motor shaft via press fit. That, of course, makes it a real task. I believe that getting it off is not all that difficult. I have read accounts that the screw holes for mounting the lower burrs in the carrier are tapped all the way through, so you can actually get 3 extremely long bolts and screw them in until they hit the bottom of the grinder housing, and then use them to (slowly) force the carrier out. On the other hand, if you do this, it would be wise to consider how difficult it may be to put it back on. The bolt method won't work in reverse, so you will likely need to rig up a press in the end.