Powder Coating Coming Off on Chin Spin

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Linda

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
220
Location
So Cal
I have a rescue girl who came with a 15 inch Chin Spin, but a big section of the powder coating has come off on the running surface. A section probably 10 inches long and three inches wide is missing. There are random dots of powder coating throughout the big hole. The wheel is only two years old according to the previous owner.

I did a search and can't find other reports of this problem. Is this just a bad wheel? Is there anything I can do to stop the powder coating from peeling more? Is it dangerous to leave it in given she may be consuming some of it? I can pick up another Ed's Spin if need be. They don't have the powder coating issue, and my others are doing well on Ed's Spins.

Linda
 
It's probably an isolated incident, as I haven't heard of that problem before.
I know with powder coating, they must be very clean before the coatings baked on, even oils from your hand will mess up the adhesion.
Get ahold of Linda at Quality Cages, and I'm sure she'll help.
 
I have the same problem with one out of my 3 ChinSpins:

IMG_4722-1.jpg


I don't think they are ingesting it. I wipe it off every day just incase there are flakes laying in it. It is disappointing, though. It makes the wheel and cage look so grungy.
 
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Yep. That's what it looks like. Yours is more advanced. This one only has it going about a quarter of the way around the wheel. It's clear it doesn't stop on its own, though. They kept the cage in very good condition, so I know it was not husbandry.

I'll give Quality Cages a call once the holiday is over.

Linda
 
Nope, once it chips it's going to keep getting bigger. I've considered just getting out a paint scraper and scraping it all off. Mine started off as a tiny dime size area, and progressed into that within a couple of months. These boys are very active runners. Let me know what QC tells you, if you don't mind. :))
 
I also have a wheel with that problem. In my case it stemmed from them chewing on it first, and then it just kinda peeled off with them running on it like crazy. With my regular, non destructive chins, my chin spins look perfect. The wheel is just fine for them to use still. Just looks crappy.

Just as an FYI, you can get chin spins without the powder coating. You just have to ask.
 
I have one that looks like that too. It came back with a group of 4 that were being fostered. Mine is about 2 years old also.
 
Hi Linda

Where can i find an Ed's Spin please?

I'm in the UK and have started to look at the wheels available in the U.S....looks like the less destructible wheels are there!

Thanks

Clare
 
I called Linda at Quality Cages, and her first comment was that it had to be an old wheel. I told her it was two years old and that it came attached to one of their cages. The wood backing on the wheel looks new too, and there was only one chin who used it.

She said she was at a loss. I can't send it back apparently because it's used. I asked about scraping the rest of the powder coating off, and she thought that would be hard work although she said that would not be a problem. She said it will continue to peel (which Stacie already posted).

Her two suggestions were

1. Go to a paint store and buy a non-toxic paint to paint over it. (She said the powder coat they use is non-toxic so ingestion is not an issue although it can't be good for them.)
2. Find a local powder coat company and have them powder coat it. She thought if they powder coated right over the missing section that it would stop the peeling but said to confirm that with the powder coat company.

I mentioned that the metal under the powder coating was quite rough. She said it needed to be so the chin could grip it. I have concerns because it's so much rougher than my Ed's spins, and the chins can get those going like crazy. I'm a bit concerned the bare metal would wear sores on their paws. I wonder if they make it so rough so that the powder coating will stick.

So no resolution. I may wait until it peels more as Stacie's has done and then use a paint scraper to get the rest off. And I'll need to regularly check her feet to ensure it's not causing problems.

Linda
 
I purchased 12 last year and never used 1 yet. If the powder coating comes off I hope they don't get sores on their paws.

I only purchased Chin spins because everyone likes them. and I wanted to see what the big fuss was. I always had Ed spins and never had problems with them.
 
I have had tons of car parts powder coated and never had a failure-I asked my powder coat place what causes peel and its poor preparation prior to the "bake". Sound like they had a poor quality I:E most likely cheap powder coater doing it. I do have a old spin and the surface looks fine. Powder coating should never fail if done properly.
 
ilikedegus said:
Hi Linda

Where can i find an Ed's Spin please?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I missed this earlier.

Chin World sells them.

http://www.chinworld.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CW03

I'm lucky. Ed only lives an hour or so from me. Another member and I made a trip down there for a number of things and left with quite a few wheels. We picked them up directly from Ed. He's getting older (and is impressively active given his age), and I don't know how much longer he'll be making them. Guess I need to make another trip down there and pick up a few more.

I took a closer look at the chin spin, and there are small holes in the powder coating on the running surface all along the wheel -- even in the portions where it has not yet started peeling. They almost look like small bubbles formed during the coating process, popped, and have now left holes. This chin does not appear to be a major chewer given what she's done to ledges and other things in her cage. I believe Dawn is probably right: the coating job was not up to par. Her running would have aggrevated the problem, but she's only doing what the wheel was designed for.

Linda
 
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Just to say THANKS Linda for the information about where to get the Ed's Spin - I'd Googled but not found these wheels.

Clare
 
I called around to find out about re-powder coating the wheel, and it's really not done. First, the companies don't want to deal with an individual bringing in a single item, and they're not anxious to take a product that is partially coated but peeling already. They also didn't think that should happen if properly done. They told me the price would be extreme for such a job, so that option is out the window.

I called Quality Cages back and spoke with the other Linda. Today it was Linda R. She said she was surprised half the width of the running surface is gone but really had no ideas. I asked about the roughness of the metal under the powder coating, and she said that must be done by their powder coaters. They don't do it.

Her only recommendation for smoothing the surface where there was no powder coating was to use fine sand paper. That's my biggest concern with still using the wheel. I actually haven't had the wheel in with this girl since I got her, but I have another chin who runs so fast she spins herself off the wheel -- and then gets back on while it's still moving! That kind of speed and the fact that the surface switches back and forth from smooth where it's powder coated to rather rough where it's not just doesn't seem right. I offered to send a picture, but she didn't seem interested. I also mentioned Stacie's wheel which is worse than mine and that others have also posted about the problem.

So I still haven't decided what to do. My Ed's spins are all in use, so for the short run, she may just not have a wheel.
Linda
 
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