Mako Powder Coat & Sandblasting

Write a Review626-497-9957

CLOSED NOW - Opens atTomorrow 8:00am

My friend and I used Mako to powder some cast steel, cast aluminum and extruded aluminum pool table parts and were not pleased with the results. Per the manufacturer of the powder we used (Cardinal Industrial Coatings) the color we chose needs a clear top coat. Upon dropping off the parts, I inquired about the clear coat and the owner told me it didn't need it because it was mixed in with the color. That should have been my first warning sign but I went with it because this is his business and he's the expert. We picked up the parts and they looked great. Fast forward a few weeks when the time came to start reassembling our tables. A cardboard box rubbed against one of the pieces and the powder TRANSFERRED onto the box leaving a skid mark on the part and powder residue on the box! I then rubbed a popsicle stick on the backside of one of the other pieces and the powder also transferred onto the popsicle stick! Popular opinion of the manufacturer and other powder coaters we turned to for advice was no clear coat and potentially poor prep and improper bake. When confronted with the faulty parts the owner blamed it on the powder stating, "That's powder. People think it's bullet proof but it isn't." Say what??!! We weren't expecting "bullet proof" but the powder should NOT be transferring to a cardboard box or a piece of wood. Sorry, that ISN'T powder. After again denying the need for the clear coast, he finally copped to it needing a clear after referencing the manufacturer's literature and offered to apply it so I left a single piece with him to try. After leaving I was informed by the manufacturer and other powder coaters you simply cannot apply the clear to a previously coated part; the correct process was to blast, out gas, clean, shoot the color, bake, then top with the clear coat and bake. Per everyone I spoke with the window had long since closed to apply the clear. With that, my confidence in the shop was gone. I decided to cut my losses and picked up my part before any further work was performed. We'll now have to now pay double to have our parts coated as it was pretty clear a refund was out of the question and our parts need to be completely redone.