Question for the powder coaters

[lnkncontiverto]

Obviously we all make mistakes at one time or another in our life :wink: but on a serious note - once you've used an oven for powdercoat you should NEVER EVER use it for cooking again. Otherwise, aside from prep ( prep is everything, how many times have you heard that ) powdercoating is AMAZINGLY simple. I actual think its easier than spray. There are several kits out on the market that are geared towards a consumer - I personally went with a voltage adjustable unit from Caswell Plating but Im sure Eastwoods is good and I saw Columbia Coatings seems to have a nice one too! Good Luck!

My Eastwood unit has the fully adjustable voltage, but has not been sold for quite a while. It was pretty expensive when they were available. They have units with 2 selectable voltage levels, which are significantly cheaper (~$100). I assume all powder coat guns work pretty much the same, considering how simple the design is.

Powder coating is pretty simple. I think I spend more time bending up coat hangers for makeshift oven racks, than I do actually coating the parts. The bigger the oven, the quicker it all goes.

 

[rmar]

Guy's please do not use a oven that you bake in. Powder itself is a nuisance hazard only meaning only a quality dust mask is necessary. But to ingest
repeatedly is a bad thing. Once powder is melted (liquefied) it starts to give off light gasses that will foul an oven. Once it starts to crosslink it will gass out e-caprolactam and other nasty stuff that will contaminate food and anyone breathing the fumes.

 

[lnkncontiverto]

^^So you mean to tell me it's a bad idea to make delicious buttery toast while I'm baking parts in my toaster oven???!

So much wasted space in there though...

 

[rmar]

^^So you mean to tell me it's a bad idea to make delicious buttery toast while I'm baking parts in my toaster oven???!

So much wasted space in there though...

That's what I'm sayin...........:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

No toast.

 

[lnkncontiverto]

Funny story on a related note, I spend my days designing structural reinforcement and sound deadening for the automotive industry. All of which involve heat activated expanding thermoset foam held in place by nylon carriers. The parts heat up and expand in the paint ovens and fill the empty space in a pillar or sill, depending on the application. The structural parts expand a small amount and basically become concrete to adhere to the surrounding sheet metal and bond the cavity together. Well this genius I work with decided he wanted to show his family what he sells for a living (sales guys, go figure). He takes home a structural reinforcer and pops it in his kitchen oven. Apparently, not only did it fill his house with presumably toxic fumes for days from the off-gassing, but the part got too close to the side of the oven and bonded itself to the oven wall. Eventually he broke the part free, but there was so much of this adhesive bonded to the wall that he couldn't scrape off that he had to buy a new oven.

 

[regal81455]

My Eastwood unit has the fully adjustable voltage, but has not been sold for quite a while. It was pretty expensive when they were available. They have units with 2 selectable voltage levels, which are significantly cheaper (~$100). I assume all powder coat guns work pretty much the same, considering how simple the design is.

Powder coating is pretty simple. I think I spend more time bending up coat hangers for makeshift oven racks, than I do actually coating the parts. The bigger the oven, the quicker it all goes.

Im guessing you bought the expensive model ($600+/-???) my kit from caswell cost about $250 ( just saying ) but anyways hey save your self some time and headache and go to home depot, menards, whatever and buy a 50' roll of tiewire and then you don't have to bend/cut and waste coat hangers. Plus the stuff isn't as stiff so its much easier to work with.

 

[lnkncontiverto]

My powder gun was actually a parting gift from my late uncle. I was rifling through the box and found the orgininal receipt for like $670. Yowza. In the ~7 years since he bought it, it had never been used. I pulled the coat hangers out of my parents' garbage, they are a PITA to bend, but they hold the parts up quite well.

 

[1quick6]

Is this a decent kit for a beginner?
Elite HotCoat Powder Coating Kit - Stainless Steel Wire - Powder Coating Handbook - Eastwood

That and a walmart toaster oven seem to be the way to go.

 

[1quick6]

Is this a decent kit for a beginner?
Elite HotCoat Powder Coating Kit - Stainless Steel Wire - Powder Coating Handbook - Eastwood

That and a walmart toaster oven seem to be the way to go. I am just looking to do small things like valve covers and parts in the engine bay.

 

[lnkncontiverto]

I'm no expert here, but the "dual voltage" or some kind of adjustable voltage is a good feature to have because high voltage only will cause the powder to be repelled by parts that have close knit surfaces/features because of something to do with physics. Either that or its some kind of glitch in the matrix. For example, I had to turn the voltage down in order to coat the corrugated surface of my turbo oil drain tube.

It looks like that kit is non ajustable, so you may want to spend extra cheese on the adjustable kind.

 

[mat231v6]

Is this a decent kit for a beginner?
Elite HotCoat Powder Coating Kit - Stainless Steel Wire - Powder Coating Handbook - Eastwood

That and a walmart toaster oven seem to be the way to go. I am just looking to do small things like valve covers and parts in the engine bay.

you can get a cheaper kit from harbor freight for like $50 or $60.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
i always goes on sale; if you sign up for there news letter you can get a extra 20% off.

 

[lnkncontiverto]

I did quite a bit more work this weekend, just thought I would share for those interested. For what it is worth, my wife is into those Twilight movies and after powder coating metal flake silver all morning I walk into the house looking like one of those damn sparkley vampires. Needless to say, she can check that fantasy off of her list:wink:.

 

[1quick6]

You are really selling me on getting a powdercoating system.

 

[Bruce Urie]

Me, too. That's absolutely and excellent job. All I can say is wow! You've got me wanting to paint one of my guitars sparkly like that.

Bruce '87 Grand National