has anyone done their own powdercoating?, with their own powdercoating sprayer.. Options

[SECHSER]

so i'm thinking about buying my own powder coating sprayer and do it myself. i'm eyeing on this $69.99 unit from harbor freight http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=94244 then i'm going to get an used electric kitchen stove/ oven unit to bake my parts.. anyone's ever done it this way? curious to see if it's easy enough for me to do all that myself.

thank you all in advance for your input (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[SECHSER]

so i'm thinking about buying my own powder coating sprayer and do it myself. i'm eyeing on this $69.99 unit from harbor freight http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=94244 then i'm going to get an used electric kitchen stove/ oven unit to bake my parts.. anyone's ever done it this way? curious to see if it's easy enough for me to do all that myself.

thank you all in advance for your input (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Find the HF 20% off coupon on line. Even cheaper!

wow that rock! thanks for the tip, i'm so there!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[zymurgist]

Re getting parts into the oven: I use baling wire to hang my parts from an oven rack, and shoot the powder while they are hanging from the rack. Then I just move the rack into the hot oven and bake them. Ta daaa!

[SECHSER]

Re getting parts into the oven: I use baling wire to hang my parts from an oven rack, and shoot the powder while they are hanging from the rack. Then I just move the rack into the hot oven and bake them. Ta daaa!

that's a very smart idea!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) i'll def keep that in mind, thanks!!

[underthetire]

I have a 20% coupon in PDF if you want it.

[McMark]

My wooden oven works great. You can build it for any size you want and only costs $50 or so.

[SECHSER]

I have a 20% coupon in PDF if you want it.

oh sheah!! i thought it was just on their website. i've been searching for it all this time... lol

sure, i'll pm you my email. thanks again!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[SECHSER]

My wooden oven works great. You can build it for any size you want and only costs $50 or so.

wow! $50?? how do you do that?!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[underthetire]

My wooden oven works great. You can build it for any size you want and only costs $50 or so.

Ya, c'mon, spill it man ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[zymurgist]

Re getting parts into the oven: I use baling wire to hang my parts from an oven rack, and shoot the powder while they are hanging from the rack. Then I just move the rack into the hot oven and bake them. Ta daaa!

that's a very smart idea!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) i'll def keep that in mind, thanks!!

No problem!

When shooting the powder, I put the rack across the top of 2 sawhorses. That allows good access to the parts.

[Elliot Cannon]

I don't do much powder coating and don't have room for a big oven but there is a shop here in Paso Robles that has ovens big enough to do an entire truck frame. If I need something done, I take it there. I understand you can also use a cheap toaster oven for small items.

Cheers, Elliot

[underthetire]

Been doin a little reading on it . Guess you can actually use a couple of those 500 watt halogen work lights too. I'm thinking modifying an old file cabinet with those in it.

[Bartlett 914]

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack but..... what temperature do we need to properly cure the power coat and for how long do you need to hold it?

[biosurfer1]

according to the eastwood video, 20 minutes past the point where the powder turns to liquid...at 400 degrees

[SECHSER]

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack but..... what temperature do we need to properly cure the power coat and for how long do you need to hold it?

oh not at all! i was asking the same question in one of my replies too.

the HF powder coating oven has a max of 480 degrees, so sure sounds to me a regular cooking oven could do the job..

[SECHSER]

Been doin a little reading on it . Guess you can actually use a couple of those 500 watt halogen work lights too. I'm thinking modifying an old file cabinet with those in it.

sAweet!

[SECHSER]

according to the eastwood video, 20 minutes past the point where the powder turns to liquid...at 400 degrees

perhaps that'll be my experiments on different degrees and see what happens..

[Gint]

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack but..... what temperature do we need to properly cure the power coat and for how long do you need to hold it?

oh not at all! i was asking the same question in one of my replies too.

the HF powder coating oven has a max of 480 degrees, so sure sounds to me a regular cooking oven could do the job..

You need to read the data sheet that comes with the powder. Different manufacturers recommend different temperatures. I've seen 375 to 425. I've used Eastwood's powder, Columbia Coatings and one other whose name escapes me at the moment.

And I use an standard kitchen electric oven I bought for $15 at a garage sale. And you can fit a control arm in a standard oven. BTDT

[McMark]

2x4 framing. Plywood box. Mineral Wool insulation (2" thick sheets, good to 1200 degrees). A scrap of sheet metal on the bottom (unnecessary?). And a standard oven heating element.

The only complaint I have is that I never acquired a thermostat, so I have to manually regulate the temperature any flipping the switch on and off. But it only has to stay around 400 (give or take 50) for a few minutes, so it's not that bad. Oh, and there is a 2" vent hole drilled in the top. Some sites I read said that venting the gasses was a good idea. Can't say one way or the other, I just did it in case.

The outside of the box doesn't get hot AT ALL. In fact, you can't even tell it's on by touch.

I hang the parts from the rod inside. I read the temperature from a BBQ thermometer that pokes through the door (look close in the pics).

If you get creative with hanging things at different heights, you can really cram a lot of stuff in there. Or buy a wire cooling rack to give you a grid to hang even more stuff from.

As mentioned above, I built mine specifically to hold a trailing arm. It's about 4' cube, IIRC. You can build something bigger and add more heating elements.

Build this thing at your own risk. You can catch things on fire, electrocute yourself, among other things.

[Mark Henry]

Is that UL approved? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[Pat Garvey]

Many of you knew this was coming....

Bah! Humbug! Powder coating is for wusses.

Instantly recogognizable as non-factory.

Other than that, OK on parts that recieve no punishment from the road, but has problems where it gets hit with rubble & difficult to remove.

I would just ask this question - why deviate from a factory finish?
Pat