Powder Coating, Automotive paint and Krylon are three of the most popular protective coatings our customers use. In this episode of Cutting Corners, we test the durability of these three coatings against each other.

We’ve put together a series of non-scientific tests to determine which coating stands up best to the real-life challenges.Here’s what we tested:

• Impact Resistance – Using a homemade scratch rig with titanium blades we test scratch durability, followed by impact resistance with an Olympic-grade air pistol.
• Heat Resistance – We baked the samples at 450°F and then hit them with a torch to see how well they could take the heat.
• Chemical Resistance – We soaked the samples in common garage solvents like MEK, acetone, paint thinner, and brake fluid to see how they’d hold up.

Whether you’re building a car, fabricating parts, or just trying to finish a project in your garage, we break down which coating can take the most punishment. Powder Coating, Automotive Paint, and Krylon all have their place, but the tests reveal some clear winners and losers when it comes to sheet metal durability.