Powder
Coating Tips
Setting
up a homemade powder coating rig is inexpensive and easy
For
those of you interested in do it yourself powder coating.
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I bought one of those cheap
powder coating machines from Harbor freight for about
$60 on sale.
I had an old lab oven that I had bought
at a government auction for $5. It
had a bad thermostat which I replaced with a temperature
controller and thermocouple that I bought on ebay for
about $25 shipped to my door. I'm sure an old discarded
electric kitchen oven would work as well.
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I picked up
5 pounds of powder on ebay as well which ran around
$27 with shipping. 5 pounds is a lot of powder. I don't
think I used more than an ounce or two today. The powder
coating power supply isn't much bigger than a shoe box.
It creates a high voltage so the powder can be charged
to make it stick to the parts. A ground lead is clipped
to the hanger that the part is hung on. The gun is hooked
to an air compressor hose set at 10 - 15 psi.
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I had
a bunch of small parts for the '76 sporty that needed to be
coated. I stripped and sanded all the parts prior to coating.
The system was very easy to use! The powder went on very evenly.
It was then baked @ 375 for 15 minutes. The parts came out
shiny and smooth ready to be installed. No long waiting for
paint to cure. No worry about dust as the paint cures. No
mixing paint and no waste as what you don't use is just left
in the canister with a cap on it.
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Cleanup was a snap too! Just take off the powder canister and blow
everything out with compressed air. No solvents needed. Cleanup took
less than 10 minutes. Powder coating is very doable in any small
shop.
Over
all I was very pleased. After a few more uses the system
will have paid for itself. I have a refrigerator that
is being made into an oven as well. I think it will
be able to handle something as large as a motorcycle
frame. My total cost was about $120 with parts off of
ebay. More
powder coat supplies.
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Article
contributed by: Greg "Beekeep" Ferris
Additional
Powder Coating Notes
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I've
been powder coating since 1988. It's like anything, preparation
is the key. Having
the product sandblasted will definitely help on the adhesion.(most
production lines do not and that is why powder coating can
have a negative effect is some peoples eyes.
If
the product is exposed to severe weather, then polyester
is the way to go. I have a trailer that I powder coated
white, then top coated it with Candy-Blue polyester
powder coating. It looks as good today as it did in
1989 when I first coated it. It sits out in the rain,
snow, and sun. It has virtually zero fade and still
has a great gloss.
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Powder
coating does has its drawbacks too, and is not a cure-all.
But, when you compare it and how well it holds up to chipping,
cracking, fading, chalking, etc.,it is quite remarkable. There
are even handle bar companies that will powder coat the bar
first, then bend it afterwards, with no signs of cracking
or chipping.
I
painted cars for 30 years and there are advantages and disadvantages
to using both powder and liquid. But, every time I purchase
Polyurethane paint (such as Imron or equivalent product) and
I know how much it takes to spray polyester powder. There
is a huge difference in price! (course I also have my own
powder coat oven, which makes a big difference). Large companies
use powder coat, because it lasts longer and is much cheaper
(cost wise). They save thousands of dollars per day versus
using wet-spray.
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Article
contributed by: Bruce Parks
Please
take a look at my "items
wanted" list.
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