First go at power coating

[Bishop]

I got a powder coating system from ebay and had a go coating a part I made tonight. The part is just an aluminium toggle switch cover that I turned on my lathe. The finish is great and the process is so easy I can't believe I waited this long to buy the gun 



The gun and 3 small jars of powder was $130 and the toaster oven cost $20 on craigslist. I was worried I would be spraying powder everywhere but at 4psi the powder stayed contained inside the cardboard box you see stored on top of the cabinets. The gun and control box is mounted on the left side of the cabinet and there is a small compressor that was unused previously sitting on the floor. It will only take me a few minutes to get setup to powder coat a part.



I would say if you have been thinking about getting a powder coating setup, don't delay, it's easier than painting with a brush.

Shawn

[Dawai]

Love my "home shop" powder coating system. it is a cheap durable painting method.

I learned.. hot up the part, it burns off the fingerprints and other minor things that stop the powder from sticking to the part.  Big shops have wash tanks, strip the part, ph modifiers that stop spots when it dries..
  I heat it up to 400, shoot the coat hot, it "flows out" and then you bake it..

 Baking.. what I have learned is the powder goes through a set.. heat it up to where it "flows out" and looks shiny (from velvet to shiny) like "SOLDER", then bake it the "ten minutes" the powder company requires..

  difference is.. a "soft set" that never cured you can scratch off with a fingernail versus a super-hard coating you can't get off even if you want to.  IF you over-bake it, it looks cracked open like the desert soil..
  THICKER metal takes longer to get to "flow out" temps.. thin metal is quicker, mass and acceleration.

  If you find a easy way to "remove" the baked on cured coating, share it..
 
  I got success pictures, don't have the pic size reduced where I can share..

MY OVEN, a free kitchen oven, the thermostat is a bulb type (stock) that keeps the temp within 2 degrees of setpoint.. I (being a madmodder) cut the back out of the oven and extended it deeper where I can get car oil pans and valve covers in it.  I kinda wished I had took two ovens and welded them back to back, doors on both sides.. (could bend pvc easily then..)

  Powder coating makes a excellent sealer-primer.

[ieezitin]

Shawn.....

Im Intrigued…….. it certainly did a nice job.  Who was the vendor on Fleabays?

Anthony.

[dickda1]

I  use one of those cheap infrared thermometers from Harbor Freight to monitor the surface temperature of parts in my toaster oven

[Bishop]

Thanks for the tips guys, it really is a great and simple solution for getting a nice durable finish on parts. Anthony the kit I ordered is from Eastwood, it does require a compressor and dedicated stove but its worth it I think.
I tried posting an eBay link but my ipad doesn't seem to want to copy the link over correctly, you could search for "NEW Eastwood Hotcoat Powder Coating System Deluxe Kit"

Shawn

[75Plus]

  If you find a easy way to "remove" the baked on cured coating, share it..
   

Eastwood makes a stripper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eastwood-Paint-and-Powder-Coating-Remover-Stripper-Aerosol-/370980925926?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item56602fb1e6&vxp=mtr

[tom osselton]

Here is a good article on a oven build.

http://www.powdercoatoven.4t.com/

[Doc]

Here is the gun I purchased and I too said the same thing way did I wait so long to give it a try. I am very happy with the way it works I use a toaster oven for my parts I found a pretty good sized one at WalMart and it was cheap I know I have less than a hundred bucks invested in the set up but I really like it.


Powder Coat gun.

[Bishop]

Hey Gary, that gun actually looks like a better setup than the one I bought on ebay. I don't have access to Harbour Freight but the power source definately looks more robust than the one I paid twice as much for.

Shawn

[ieezitin]

Thanks for the pointers...


Im going to give this powder gig ago.

Anthony.

[Dawai]

NOTE:  you can "touch up powder coat" with paint.  It is done normally to remove defects in high visibility areas.

Some of the better coaters around here can do near "show quality" work, where the finish has a depth I can only achieve with expensive HOUSE OF KOLOR paint.

Spray on CHROME, POWDER COAT mirror chrome is a great alternative to very expensive electro plating. On a studebaker Damascene dash I did a chrome, then candy, then clear.. it was terrrible to drive that old truck with the sun shining. (bad idea) It was pretty.  Next owner stripped it all out.

I am dying to see the reflectivity for some solar projects using mirror Chrome pc.

This industry, hobby, is changing daily.  I still have a lot to learn.

[Jonny]

  If you find a easy way to "remove" the baked on cured coating, share it..
 

Nitromores was mentioned by a local pro.

Just so happens got a strip powder coat and primer job on end of the week, i'll let you know.

[Jonny]

While I think of it the 3ft aluminium die cast part was professionally done last year using etching primer then the powder coating.
Owner wanted a change of colour something a lot harder and more durable.

Nitromoores (quality paint stripper) it comes off but dries out rapidly needing multiple 3mm thick dabbing at least three times. Just a simple scrape off.
Areas that I didn't use Nitromoores again can be scraped off, tough going with a chisel not the right tool. 60 grit aluminium oxide also easily removes by finger rubbing in no time and no clogging of the abrasive like normal paints.

Powder coat by a professional company is a lot softer than the etching primer Nitromoores didn't touch!
Used to work for a couple of pressing companies, numerous vehicle parts were powder coated by a large national UK company, all were softish easily chipped or scratched off.

[AussieJimG]

People making fishing lures use dipped powder coating and have some lurid colours. Might be worth a look.

Jim

[Brass_Machine]

Been powder coating for about 5 years. Using an elcheapo gun off of ebay. I have definitely gotten my money back from it. Wish I had a better gun though.

I have actually heard decent reviews of the craftsman electric gun (no compressor required)

EBAY Ad

Eric

[RussellT]

That looks interesting but the 230V version seems unjustifiably more expensive.  Has anyone got one of these who can tell us how it works?  I was wondering whether it would be possible to brew your own using one of the replacement cups available from the same seller.

Russell