Gold Crown Barn Find

Baby Huey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Scott, I'm glad you chose a color which the GC's were originally painted with. The original GC's had mostly pastel colors and their revolutionary look inspired a new generation of pool table manufactures in the 60's. Your old AMF (I think) may have had that look as well. What a beauty...........
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Scott, I'm glad you chose a color which the GC's were originally painted with. The original GC's had mostly pastel colors and their revolutionary look inspired a new generation of pool table manufactures in the 60's. Your old AMF (I think) may have had that look as well. What a beauty...........

Thanks, Jerry! It's getting there slowly but surely!
 

pocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As a woodworker hobbiest, figuring out a spray gun is harder than making hand cut dovetails, IMO.

<=== Still haven't figured out all the tricks.

This turned out to be very prescient. Fourth gun was the trick. Yes, 4. Along with help from a pro.
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A step backwards...

As we sit in wait for our table mechanic, both pocket and I encountered a setback. While reorganizing some stuff in my room, I dragged the corner of a box of carpet tiles over the top of one of my foot castings. No problem, powder is tough as nails. Well, not the end result from the guy we used. The powder transferred from the foot casting to the cardboard box, leaving behind a skid mark on the casting!

48985368123_ddb6a83e4f_c.jpg


Needless to say, I was shocked, pissed and perplexed. I took a popsicle stick to the back side of one of the pocket castings. Same thing: powder transferred to the popsicle stick. Pocket did the same with one of his castings which yielded the same result. My casting:

48985929671_b8c4a28242_c.jpg


I sourced some feedback from a powder coater I know on the East Coast through affiliation on a car forum. She informed me the part wasn't properly prepped, too much powder was applied, it wasn't properly cured and a clear coat was not used. Apparently, silver, gold and even some reds require a clear coat for durability and UV protection. I confirmed this on the manufacturer's website. Pocket received the same information from another coater he came across when we were researching powder coaters. They both went on to say the parts need to be blasted, out gassed, cleaned, reshot with the base then the clear applied. It is not as simple as applying a clear coat over the existing base. There is a window in the procedure and that window had long since closed.

Armed with our defective parts and a little bit of knowledge, we confronted our powder coater. His reply? "That's powder coating. People think it's bullet proof but it isn't." I was shocked. We aren't expecting bullet proof but I am expecting it not to transfer. I couldn't imagine transferring powder onto my $3K Rauenzahn Double Full Splice cue. I then told him it needed a clear. The numbskull scurried for the manufacturer's literature thinking he was going to prove me wrong. There it was in black and white, "Clear Coat recommended for durability and UV protection." He surmised saying, "Looks like it does need a clear. No problem, bring all the pieces by and I'll shoot a clear over them." Knowing this was not the proper action to take, further confirming our suspicion of ineptitude, we decided it best to part ways and have them redone by a more knowledgable coater. I was going to ask for a refund but it was clear there was no way he was going to give us our money back as he took zero blame for the defective job we received. ZERO. Live and learn I guess. All powder coaters are not created equal. Pocket's pieces are being worked on as I type by the same coater that provided him with advice and knowledge and I will be dropping mine off on Monday. Hopefully, the second time is the charm.
 

dlvh

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ugh...Sorry to read this Scott.

That stinks that the fellow/owner that did this, has such a "C'est la vie" attitude. I would certainly leave him/the company, negative feedback, if that's a possible. If I recall correctly, this company charged you almost Double the estimate, to boot. You did good though on checking the proper method for doing this, so you just didn't send it back to this fellow to just put a Clear Coat on the parts. it's too bad that a company like this, that supposedly specializes in this doesn't already know the proper steps beforehand.

It's sad to say, but I guess it's good you found out now, before the table got played on and eventually got kicked and "used" like tables do, but this is still very sad to read.

Hope that the next company does a better job than this company did...I'm sure they will.
 

atlas333

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Power Coater

"I also dropped off the pocket castings and legs at the powder coater. They should be ready for pickup Thursday or Friday at a cost of $150 for all 10 pieces. I also pick up the extruded aluminum rail trim form the anodizer Monday. I believe the color is a dead ringer for the original finish on the pocket castings and feet."

So sorry to hear about this issue. BUT I do remember thinking when I read the above quote some months back that this price was VERY inexpensive. I paid about $70 just to have the ball box trim powder coated in the spring.
You do get what you pay for in this world.

Good luck with the new guy.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
"I also dropped off the pocket castings and legs at the powder coater. They should be ready for pickup Thursday or Friday at a cost of $150 for all 10 pieces. I also pick up the extruded aluminum rail trim form the anodizer Monday. I believe the color is a dead ringer for the original finish on the pocket castings and feet."

So sorry to hear about this issue. BUT I do remember thinking when I read the above quote some months back that this price was VERY inexpensive. I paid about $70 just to have the ball box trim powder coated in the spring.
You do get what you pay for in this world.

Good luck with the new guy.

I've had several sets of castings and feet powder coated, sand blasted, and clear coat, UV protected....for $60 per 10 pieces. Its who you know, not what you think you should be charged.
 

pocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"I also dropped off the pocket castings and legs at the powder coater. They should be ready for pickup Thursday or Friday at a cost of $150 for all 10 pieces. I also pick up the extruded aluminum rail trim form the anodizer Monday. I believe the color is a dead ringer for the original finish on the pocket castings and feet."

So sorry to hear about this issue. BUT I do remember thinking when I read the above quote some months back that this price was VERY inexpensive. I paid about $70 just to have the ball box trim powder coated in the spring.
You do get what you pay for in this world.

Good luck with the new guy.

Remember also that we are in California, so that jacks up the costs due to environmental regulations.
 

Ron Padilla

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Have they started taxing cow and Hooman farts yet or is that still on the Pelosi eta al list?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Remember also that we are in California, so that jacks up the costs due to environmental regulations.

One of the places I use for powder coating, is in Chico, CA. Same $60 per 10 pieces, so the "in California" explanation don't fly!
 

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
Maybe a dumb question but why not plate these castings (as opposed to powder coating them) ? Would they not have been plated (or even just polished) originally ?

Dave
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Maybe a dumb question but why not plate these castings (as opposed to powder coating them) ? Would they not have been plated (or even just polished) originally ?

Dave

I was quoted $500 to nickel plate the feet which is their original finish. Mine were pitted and need restoration vs simply plating. The pocket castings were originally anodized aluminum. Again, a very expensive process. I had the rail trim pieces polished and anodized. Six pieces were $400. Powder coating is a less expensive alternative and the color we chose is a very close match to the original. When done right, it is a very durable finish that should last for many, many years. Chrome plating was out of the question for me as I want to achieve the original look of the table.
 
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