Topic: Started powder coating (Read 6642 times)

TheMadScientist · « **on:** August 13, 2009, 12:55:40 AM »

So I started powdercoating a little bit ago
Heres some pics of my setup
Picked the oven up off craigslist for $60 works like a champ and a harbor freight powder coating gun for $70 works great so far. Theres some pics of the stuff I did for a friend came out pretty nice. Still learning and perfecting it though. Hopefully gonna get a sand blasting cabinet this weekend we'll see though.

Sinister · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2009, 01:10:58 AM »

How much do powdercoat my valve cover

Just gonna be for display but I want it to be all spiffy

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2009, 12:21:36 PM »

$20 plus shipping. Also depends on the color if I have it already or not how long it will take. If I already have the color and don't have to wait turn around would be about three days after I get it that I would ship it out too you.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2009, 05:22:44 PM »

i do an assload of powdercoating for my job. the biggest piece of advice i can give is you really cant get too much powder on there. i have never gotten a run or sag with a room temperature part. if you pre-heat then you have to be careful.

also, bake it longer than 15 min after flow out. closer to 30 min is good depending on the part. thicker cast iron pieces need more time. i did some brake calipers recently that were in the over for an hour total.

one last thing, that HF gun works but you get what you pay for. eastwood has a nicer gun for just over $100. that one you have will do, i have used it many times, but you will notice the difference just spending $30 more on the gun. eastwood is a great place to get powders as well.

1slow91hf · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2009, 05:37:23 PM »

either eastwood or http://www.pendrypowdercoatings.com/shop/
for supplies

turbo_dave · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2009, 06:03:53 PM »

Anyone used the Craftsman airless guns?

I wanted to get one to bring over to the UK because I don't have an air compressor since I had to give up my shop

Seen lots of good things about them, but some bad too. It's only for doing my own shit like valve covers etc.

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2009, 06:13:24 PM »

Been doing alot of things playing with the time in the oven cool down methods etc... I was looking at the other guns but harbor frieght is only a quarter mile from the house so I just picked that one up. I do really like the foot pedal for it. The oven racks make great grounds for the larger stuff like valve covers and what not as well. Haven't had any run or sag issues yet either. I'm going to order some more colors, high temp powder and some crinkle effect stuff as well. I'm having fun though powder coating everything I can get my hands on.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2009, 10:56:00 PM »

the foot pedal is the big bonus to the HF gun. you just have to be careful when you are pointing it down, sometimes powder will build up inside it and then all fall out on to your part. it sucks cause then you get globs on there. you have to blow it off and start again.

patsmx5 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2009, 11:06:11 PM »

One day I want to get the stuff to do this. It's just cool in its own way.

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2009, 11:23:04 PM »

I did the whole set up for less than $140 including the oven. I will warn you though it is addicting because it is cool and easy. It's so much better than paint.

HiProfile · « **Reply #10 on:** August 16, 2009, 12:30:13 PM »

A lady I work with used to do powder coating for the army & navy. She was telling me the number 1 killer is just like paint, prep work. Looks like you understand that though, the sand blaster would be icing on the cake for that. Speaking of which, one of my friends has on of the HF sandblasting kits and loves it. He even sifts his own sand from the cheap bags you buy at the homeboy depot.

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2009, 03:20:52 PM »

yep learning lots every time I use it for sure. Gets better and better every time. Been powder coating pipes and beating them with wrenches to test there scratch resistance working pretty good for sure.

Whitey · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:48:46 PM »

I worked as a powdercoater when I was in high school. The only advice I can give is spray the powder in the air to build up the charge before going right on the workpiece and just make sure you bake the part long enough. If you don't get the heat in the part, its not going to last. Also thicker parts you want to pre-heat and make sure the parts are really clean. Its very easy to get a good finish becuase you can check your work before you bake it. If you can still see metal, its too light and if there's buildup then blow it off and re-spray it or it'll look like orange peel.

The biggest pain in the ass part is finding an oven. I actually have two powdercoating kits that I've never used:

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2009, 08:03:25 PM »

Would you be willing to part with those?

imburne · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2009, 11:20:22 PM »

I have been to this factory/garage and it is much better than his last thank God.

mandrel-bends · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2009, 07:12:08 PM »

The prep is where the cost is. Sand blasting & degreasing at a minimum.

This is our nordson unit. Was around 5k a few years back. We've worked here over pretty good. I like this system the best as you can run both a hopper and a box feed with the vibrator for your heavy materials. Quick change couplings. Would highly recommend nordson if you want to go pro with your hobby.

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #16 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:45:18 AM »

wow! that's a nice system. A bit much for me though. My next purchases wil be a sandblaster and I want to get a better oven that's actually meant for this.

toyolla86 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 27, 2009, 12:17:08 PM »

i built a fluidized bed for poweder-coating and i got way too much powder on one side and it chips off.
so IMO you CAN have too much powder.

TheMadScientist · « **Reply #18 on:** September 01, 2009, 01:31:06 AM »

I've found that when I get excessive amounts of powder on an item I just bake it longer sometimes up to an hour. The other thing that I've found that helps is to put the item in the oven and then turn it on so both the powder and the item heat up at the same time.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #19 on:** September 02, 2009, 12:24:26 PM »

+1

pre-heating the oven isnt a good idea.

mandrel-bends · « **Reply #20 on:** September 04, 2009, 01:51:59 PM »

That's interesting. When we were setup for powder coating, the consulting company would have us start the oven in the mornings and run them all day long. So when we batched in parts, it was always at temperature. Since we've been setup, we've never tried it the other way.

toyolla86 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 04, 2009, 03:25:34 PM »

you guys should lookup fluidized beds. cheap and easy. not the best but for the money....

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #22 on:** September 04, 2009, 05:56:51 PM »

pre-heating shortens the bake time by a few min, but it seems to bake the power weird. since it takes a while for the part to heat up, but the outer most powder melts right away, it just doesnt seem to be optimal to me. i have always gotten better results not pre-heating the oven or the parts.

i have heard of people pre-heating parts before applying power, it makes it a lot harder to get the proper finish since the powder melts as you apply it. i only do it for magnesium to try to keep the moisture out of it.

mandrel-bends · « **Reply #23 on:** September 05, 2009, 04:53:27 PM »

That's strange. Possibly differences in powder manufacturer? We shoot sherwin williams for white and tiger drylac for colors and metallics over here.

The other thing to consider - all production conveyed line powder coating equipment has full time ON ovens. So damn near everything we see (mass produced) on a daily basis that has been powder coated, was probably done on a conveyed production line.

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Author Topic: Started powder coating (Read 6642 times)