Magnesium and paint.

[Trailoftears]

Given how stihl pro chainsaws seem to suffer paint loss/chipping q.easily on the magnesium parts over time-inner/outer clutch covers/machine base areas etc.Anyone/stihl dealers know whether stihl do a colour match aerosol available to purchase and have the paint code/part no?Apart from keeping an older stihl pro saw looking tidy,it would be handy to have to jolly up a saw for resale.

[Bob_z_l]

Showing my ignorance.... is it definitely paint? Not an epoxy  coating? 

I remember from chemistry at school magnesium was one of those metals like aluminium that made it a bit complicated to create the chemical bond to  stick stuff to it. 

[GarethM]

Aluminium needed to be acid etched to make it rough enough for the paint to bond.

 

Magnesium and aluminium are oxidizing surface metals, but maybe the Stihl paint has it built into the formula?.

[Bob_z_l]

2 minutes ago, GarethM said:

Aluminium needed to be acid etched to make it rough enough for the paint to bond.

 

Magnesium and aluminium are oxidizing surface metals, but maybe the Stihl paint has it built into the formula?.

Remembered much the same. 
Etch primer on Ali on the old Land Rover.

The only reason I questioned whether it was  an epoxy was the thickness of it. It seemed thicker than your regular painted metal. 

[GarethM]

Could be form of powder coating, similar process to paint when your doing it on a Stihl scale of manufacturing.

 

There was an episode on how it made/how do they do it years ago, making strimmers in the USA.

 

It's not like they have to swap colours like in car production.

Edited March 23 by GarethM

[Botty Cough]

It's a polyester coating they use

[Trailoftears]

1 hour ago, Bob_z_l said:

Showing my ignorance.... is it definitely paint? Not an epoxy  coating? 

I remember from chemistry at school magnesium was one of those metals like aluminium that made it a bit complicated to create the chemical bond to  stick stuff to it. 

Interesting,whatever the coating-it does seem to fail/unbind/chip all too easily.

[Trailoftears]

Its odd in that,its not due generally to operater abuse as far as I can see,it just seems to be a covering that doesn't really seem to bond that well.Leaving aside petrol/oil spills-could there be some oxidizing occurring between the metal and the outer coating?

[skc101fc]

For once something botty cough hasn't instantly voiced an opinion on . Well done.

 

[GarethM]

Me thinks you need to look after your gear a bit better, I've been using and abusing Stihl gear for the best part of 30 years and whilst you get chipped patches it's hardly the whole thing delaminating.