The Care and Feeding of Powder-Coated Pipework

Powder coating is often found gracing the pipework on modern boats, and this stuff looks great. Its surface is harder than paint, shines like gelcoat, and feels smooth yet grippy when you’re holding on tight. But powder coat also has a rather depressing downside: Once damaged, it is not easily repaired.

Just what is that hard, glossy surface, and why is it so difficult to touch up? Powder coating starts its life as a powder consisting of ground polymers, pigments, and additives, and is usually applied to a metal part electrostatically. The metal part is grounded and the powder is negatively charged, so when it’s sprayed on, it clings to the metal evenly and uniformly. This step of the process usually takes place in a sterile, enclosed booth. Then, the part gets baked. The powder melts and then cures into the hard, glossy, durable surface we love so much. But that surface consists of long molecular chains that, once broken, don’t readily bond with anything else. Chips and dings can be touched up with paint, but they’ll likely never look the same as the day that powder first cured. So it’s critical you take care of your powder-coated pipework and follow this maintenance regime.

Prevention is the best medicine

Impact with a rigid item can cause significant powder-coat damage, such as a chip in the surface. A swinging fishing weight, for example, can cause a nasty ding. But even something as innocuous as a metal clip on your foul weather gear or the handle of a pair of pliers sticking out of your pocket can cause damage if the impact is severe. Because people may be jostled about in heavy seas, any part of your body – and the metal attached to it – may unexpectedly impact the pipework at any given time. So, rule number-one is to be cautious whenever hard metal items are in close proximity to powder-coated parts.

A particularly common issue on fishing boats is putting gimbaled aluminum rod butts in powder-coated rocket launchers. The interior of the rocket launchers is generally lined with rubber, but if the rod butt strikes the exterior with force when an angler misses inserting it properly, it’s not uncommon to leave chips and scratches. Using care with these sorts of rods is the best way to prevent damage. If your fishing rod butts came with plastic or rubber covers, as many do, leave them in place until and unless you need to use the gimbal and pin to lock the rod in place.

Cleaning counts

Another way to potentially damage powder coat is to clean it with harsh chemicals, which can lead to fading, staining, and eventually cracking. Avoid cleaners made with solvents and petroleum products. Common boat soaps applied with a soft rag or wash mitt are safe to use, and power washing on low pressure is also an acceptable way to clean powder coat. However, the water must be filtered to ensure there aren’t any abrasives in it. Unfiltered water that contains sulfur, chlorine, iron oxide, or other chemicals or impurities can also be harmful. And never, ever use an abrasive cleaner like steel wool or a scouring pad on powder coat.

The bottom line? Treat powder coated surfaces just as you would treat the finish on your car.

Protective measures

Like every surface on your boat, UV rays can degrade powder coat over the long term. And the best protection against this is, luckily, also the best protection against micro-abrasive damage that can occur from contaminants such as salt from dried spray: simply keep the powder coated surface waxed, just like your boat’s gelcoat.

Any quality boat wax will work just fine, however, always use a fresh applicator or microfiber cloth and ensure the wax isn’t contaminated with any dirt or grit which can scratch the finish’s surface. Like the rest of your boat, powder-coated surfaces should be waxed on a regular basis at the beginning, middle, and end of the boating season. And since any particulate contaminants can cause abrasion, thoroughly clean and rinse the surface prior to waxing.

Powder coat that’s well cared for can last for 20 or more years before showing significant aging or wear-and-tear. Treat it well, and it will outlast painted surfaces, cushions, canvas, and most of the other materials on your boat – and will help you keep your pride and joy gleaming for decades to come.