Want to Paint my Rack System

I'm not too sure that paint will adhere to the aluminum too well. Every adjustment will probably bring paint with it.
 
exactly. Chroming is chemical process that's actually pretty pricey if you want it to be done professional if I am correct. You just don't paint chrome over aluminium, it won't stay on and will look very unprofessional.
 
Deathmetalconga said:
One alternative is powder coating. You won't be able to get chroming like that, but there are some great colors you could use. It could make the tube a bit bigger and affect the ability of the clamp to open enough.
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There are powders that look close to chrome. I did a few pieces for my old Supra a few years back, here's what it looks like.

101_0967.jpg


The turbocharger heat shield (top left) would be most accurate, because it was flat sheet metal and thus had an even surface. The air flow meter body and 3000 pipe had a rough cast surface to start with. Most powdercoat finishes are extremely durable.
 
TurboThom said:
There are powders that look close to chrome. I did a few pieces for my old Supra a few years back, here's what it looks like.

101_0967.jpg


The turbocharger heat shield (top left) would be most accurate, because it was flat sheet metal and thus had an even surface. The air flow meter body and 3000 pipe had a rough cast surface to start with. Most powdercoat finishes are extremely durable.
Click to expand...


that looks really nice tom...

from what I read, the only way to do it is powder coating....I wanted to get the Gibraltar since its chrome but i just keep hearing bad reviews....
 
TurboThom said:
There are powders that look close to chrome. I did a few pieces for my old Supra a few years back, here's what it looks like.

The turbocharger heat shield (top left) would be most accurate, because it was flat sheet metal and thus had an even surface. The air flow meter body and 3000 pipe had a rough cast surface to start with. Most powdercoat finishes are extremely durable.
Click to expand...

That looks very nice, like a dull chrome or very polished metal. Are there size limitations? I had a cast aluminum drum powder coated once and it looked great, but they couldn't handle anything like a long tube. Maybe some places have bigger ovens.

What did it cost to do this and what do you think it would cost to do several tubes?
 
Deathmetalconga said:
That looks very nice, like a dull chrome or very polished metal. Are there size limitations? I had a cast aluminum drum powder coated once and it looked great, but they couldn't handle anything like a long tube. Maybe some places have bigger ovens.

What did it cost to do this and what do you think it would cost to do several tubes?
Click to expand...

The powder cost me $7, and it was enough to do a bunch of engine parts, five 17x10" wheels, and all the hardware for my old 12pc pearl kit.

The powder's cheap, the time shops spend on surface prep and curing the part in their oven is what's expensive.

I already had the powder coat gun and power supply, air compressor, and an electric oven for curing in the garage. You can make your own large curing oven using parts from the electric ovens people have put out to the curb. I made back my money rather quickly. It helps having gearhead buddies who want everything coated.

Any shop that coats motorcycle frames will be able to coat a rack system no problem. The cost really varies from shop to shop...It could be anywhere from $50 to over $300.
 
TurboThom said:
The powder cost me $7, and it was enough to do a bunch of engine parts, five 17x10" wheels, and all the hardware for my old 12pc pearl kit.

The powder's cheap, the time shops spend on surface prep and curing the part in their oven is what's expensive.

I already had the powder coat gun and power supply, air compressor, and an electric oven for curing in the garage. You can make your own large curing oven using parts from the electric ovens people have put out to the curb. I made back my money rather quickly. It helps having gearhead buddies who want everything coated.

Any shop that coats motorcycle frames will be able to coat a rack system no problem. The cost really varies from shop to shop...It could be anywhere from $50 to over $300.
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$50 bucks where you live....not bad....probably where I live will be cheaper than that since economy is lower on this side....

and when you put the clamps on, do you fit right?
 
drum_wizard said:
would you post pix of your rack painted?

anyone got some pix of there racks painted in chrome?

pearl rack would be better, appreciate it...
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Hey wiz, like was said in one of the posts above, you don't PAINT chrome.

If it's already aluminum, why not just buff it out? Aluminum will shine up pretty nicely if you take the time to buff it.

Cost of job = elbow grease and NO dollars.
 
This is an age old debate, Gibraltar vs. Pearl. Bottom line, both very good racks. I prefer the Gibraltar visually, I have three of them & have used one for over fifteen years with no problems or slippage whatsoever and have hung some very heavy drums on it. Sorry to tell you now but if you wanted a chrome rack you should have just bought the Gibraltar, paint or powder coat the one you have & you'll regret it.
 
As a bike shop guy for a few years, (bicycles, that is) I've seen a lot of success with polishing aluminum. Buffing, whatever. Powdercoating is nice as well, but for lengths, could be spendy. Curious to see what you come out with. Please post pics!
 
Naigewron said:
What kind of bad reviews? I couldn't be happier with mine, and I haven't seen anyone who has a bad word to say about Gibraltar racks anywhere.
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clamps move alot when settin up the kit again, per say after and before gigs. Not as sturdy as pearl racks or any rack that is square type. And when your playing sometimes the clamp dont grab as much as yamaha or pearl racks....
 
drum_wizard said:
clamps move alot when settin up the kit again, per say after and before gigs. Not as sturdy as pearl racks or any rack that is square type. And when your playing sometimes the clamp dont grab as much as yamaha or pearl racks....
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Well, I've never had anything move as much as a hair without me wanting it to, neither while I'm playing nor in my hardware bag or while packing down or setting up. If someone has that problem, they're doing something wrong. Thousands of professional, heavily gigging drummers use Gibraltar racks. If their racks had these kinds of problems, they would stop using them immediately.

As for sturdyness, even with only two legs, my setup is rock solid in all directions. No wobble, no instability, even on softest and most poorly supported stage floors and drum risers.
 
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Naigewron said:
Well, I've never had anything move as much as a hair without me wanting it to, neither while I'm playing nor in my hardware bag or while packing down or setting up. If someone has that problem, they're doing something wrong. Thousands of professional, heavily gigging drummers use Gibraltar racks. If their racks had these kinds of problems, they would stop using them immideately.

As for sturdyness, the kit is rock solid in all directions. No wobble, no instability.
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No problems with mine either, in 8 years, either in transport or while set up. Most clamp slippage is due to user error.
 
drum_wizard said:
clamps move alot when settin up the kit again, per say after and before gigs. Not as sturdy as pearl racks or any rack that is square type. And when your playing sometimes the clamp dont grab as much as yamaha or pearl racks....
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like you're taking someone's word on it and have absolutely no first hand knowledge or experience with the Gibraltar at all. I guarantee you've never OWNED a Gibraltar rack. It really doesn't qualify you to rate it good OR bad if you haven't gigged with one.

You said yourself that you bought the one you have INSTEAD of a Gibraltar. Sounds like you made the wrong choice and are now stuck with it.


Ludwig 1970's 1400 series stands FTW!!!!
 
TurboThom said:
There are powders that look close to chrome. I did a few pieces for my old Supra a few years back, here's what it looks like.

101_0967.jpg


The turbocharger heat shield (top left) would be most accurate, because it was flat sheet metal and thus had an even surface. The air flow meter body and 3000 pipe had a rough cast surface to start with. Most powdercoat finishes are extremely durable.
Click to expand...

There was me thinking "hang on, that doesn't look like a..." then i realised you were on about the last ever decent car toyota made (did they ever make a decent car before that?)

I really don't see the point in you wasting time powdercoating/chrome plating a rack mate. If you really want to though i agree with VP here, aluminium is self protecting against oxidisation so you can just have it raw, like American Airlines.
 
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