So a friend of mine whose father is a mechanic got me this lovely coil spring. The problem is that it appears to have a coating (rubber? plastic?). How do I go about getting this stuff off? I melted a little bit of it, and it didn't smell so good, so I don't think that is a very good long term solution.

I've got a bench grinder, but no angle grinder. Is my best bet to get myself an angle grinder and grind it all off?

Or is this something that I really can just burn off with good ventilation?

Thanks!
Dave

It's powdercoat. The easy way to get it off is to burn it off. Otherwise your dealing with very nasty chemicals.

Well that's about the best answer I could have heard! Thanks, Chris!

Cheers
Dave

It's powdercoat. The easy way to get it off is to burn it off. Otherwise your dealing with very nasty chemicals.

And burning these nasty chemicals is makes them safe?
I would suggest getting a bare metal spring from another source and avoid any nasty chemicals or health issues.

I second that Glen! Springs are easy to come by.

Stop by a local junk yard and you can probably pick up springs for very litlle cost. Don't burn it off, unless you have very good ventilation. It's just not worth it. Uncoated springs are too easy to come by.

Don't burn it off, unless you have very good ventilation. It's just not worth it.

Good ventilation means getting it out of your way and blowing the nasty stuff into your neighbors yard or diluting it to where you no longer see it in the air. Why even mess with it at all when bare metal is available?

Please understand am not picking on anyone, it is just that dilution is not the solution to pollution.

Powdercoating is polyester powder baked onto a part i.e. plastic coating.

The nasty chemcial part is the strippers required to remove that "plastic" coating.

Go to any large powdercoating shop and ask to see the burn off oven. It's how they clean the hooks/hangers/racks used to hang the parts being coated.

You can also remove it with a sandblaster or wire wheel. A blast cabinet would be ideal.

I do agree with Glenn and Brian in the fact that there is plenty of steel out there that is coating free. I have to scrounge hard to find free stuff, so I know how annoying that can be.