I finally got around to powdercoating some of the parts for my Megasquirt injection conversion. I used a Walmart GE $50 oven and media blasted everything a few weeks ago at my friend's place. Check out the pics. I kind of rushed it, there was some powder left over in the gun from a year ago and I didn't monitor the air compressor pressure close enough. Results are acceptable though Took me 3 hours to powder all of this stuff.

I bought the powder and gun from http://www.columbiacoatings.com/ The yellow is super mirrow yellow. I still have to coat the injector brackets, fuel pump bracket, and fuel rails.

bright !

Yellow is gud.....bright, too.

wow how do you bake it? or more what in?

QUOTE (sk8kat1 @ Mar 10 2006, 07:53 PM)

wow how do you bake it? or more what in?

do people not read the 1st post????

wow...keep them sunglasses on with that stuff !!!!

oh yea, did you do a good inspection on that plenum??

they are known to start leaking at the braze joints due to improper throttle stop adjustments or lack of .......

I wonder how long powdercoating would last on a set of heat exchangers?

QUOTE

I wonder how long powdercoating would last on a set of heat exchangers?

http://www.columbiacoatings.com/

Columbia coatings also has high temp PC that can take about 1K degrees so that stuff shouldn't cook off our exhaust.

yarin, your PC job looks really good. I hope my stuff comes out that nice. I also bought the columbia kit.


-Rob

Fix those oil leaks....yellow and black....yuck..

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 10 2006, 07:00 PM)

QUOTE (sk8kat1 @ Mar 10 2006, 07:53 PM) wow how do you bake it? or more  what in? do people not read the 1st post???? wow...keep them sunglasses on with that stuff !!!!

that wasn't there I belive he might have edited the post ... or I could be full of shit .. but I usualy read before asking so I don't look like a complete dumbass

QUOTE (yarin @ Mar 10 2006, 06:40 PM)

I used a Walmart GE $50 oven and media blasted everything a few weeks ago at my friend's place.

I really am interested in doing this .. so I am gonna ride this pony a little longer... a walmart ge 50.00 oven ... the walmarts out here don't sell applances that big.... you saying oven like a full size cook a turkey in it kitchen oven , right?

gas or electric .. does it matter?

QUOTE (sk8kat1 @ Mar 10 2006, 08:19 PM)

QUOTE (yarin @ Mar 10 2006, 06:40 PM) I used a Walmart GE $50 oven and media blasted everything a few weeks ago at my friend's place. I really am interested in doing this .. so I am gonna ride this pony a little longer... a walmart ge 50.00 oven ... the walmarts out here don't sell applances that big.... you saying oven like a full size cook a turkey in it kitchen oven , right? gas or electric .. does it matter?

I added pics of the oven.

Check it out. 110V, its a toaster oven. $50 from walmart. they have it onlne too.

it fits the intake manifold and runners perfectly. didn't drop any powder getting the parts into the oven. DO NOT use a gas oven. i'm positive when i was curing these parts something sparked on set off a little boom, the curing process produces combustible gases. u dont want gas.

mueller - i know i should have done a leak check on the intake plenum. i'll get it done eventually.

Powder coating will work with any oven that can get to 350 F ish.....

The bigger powder units use electrostatic attraction, the hobby ones lose a lot of powder cause it don't stick as well and will get patchy results.

Be advised that if you collect the stuff that falls off in a clean box, it's reusable.

Be further advised....there are two types of powder paint....one that flows and sets up and stays that way and one that flows, hardens and will flow again if subjected to high heat.....

Thermoset and thermoplast.....

bright! how do you use the cb breather box with the fi setup? i want to lose mine(carbs). i'll be making other plans in the near future. i want my tin in something similar to irish green. to compare farming it out, what were your total costs? oven+gun+materials+(time?)? my local coater seems so reasonable. all tin/intake items blasted, some in black, some in cerama chrome (runners, air filter box) ran around $130ish.

k

QUOTE (rhodyguy @ Mar 11 2006, 07:30 AM)

bright! how do you use the cb breather box with the fi setup? i want to lose mine(carbs). i'll be making other plans in the near future. i want my tin in something similar to irish green. to compare farming it out, what were your total costs? oven+gun+materials+(time?)? my local coater seems so reasonable. all tin/intake items blasted, some in black, some in cerama chrome (runners, air filter box) ran around $130ish. k

The PO had the head vents capped and crank vent going into a sports water bottle. GHETTOOO!! The CB box connects to all three. Simple as that. I'm not running stock injection, i'm in the process of installing megasquirt. There are a bunch of threads on here discussing venting heads and crank with injection.

My total costs were damn low. The powder cost me about $6. The gun i bought two years ago for about $70. I used my friend's sandblasting cabinet and parts washer. I looked into a sand blasting cabinet but you really need a high flow compressor, at least 8CFM at 70psi i think. Oven cost me $50. If you are going to powdercoat a bunch of parts or have friends that want to do the same, I would do it yourself. If you just have a batch of one time parts and don't want to be bothered, sent em out.

This powder I used suggested curing at 385-400F for 20-25mins.

"*" - do you know what columbiacoatings sells? Thermoset or thermoplast?

They are required by law to provide an MSDS which will give all the ratings and an 800# for tech support.

BTW, you can make a oven cabinet....sheet metal and insulation sandwhich, rivets, thermostat, pop off valve and a propane burner......ain't rocket science.

400F is easy....any decent BBQ can make and maintain that.....

Man, six bucks for that kind of shine ! I'm sure Brian Fellowes would have a comment on that.

If folks are looking for a cheap oven, I'd say scope out the local thrift stores. Electric ovens don't break - they just get ugly and lose a knob or two. Last time I moved, I scored a washer AND drier for $35.

QUOTE (jsteele22 @ Mar 11 2006, 11:09 AM)

Man, six bucks for that kind of shine ! I'm sure Brian Fellowes would have a comment on that. If folks are looking for a cheap oven, I'd say scope out the local thrift stores. Electric ovens don't break - they just get ugly and lose a knob or two. Last time I moved, I scored a washer AND drier for $35.

Yea can't argue with $6 in materials and those results.

Cheap ovens are easy to find. Problem is most people dont have 230V in their basement. The fumes from powdercoating are harazdous, the area needs to be properly ventilated. I put my oven on a table outside the garage when i was curing.

You can use a propane heater to cure powder on large parts too. No cabinet or enclosure required.

QUOTE (Gint @ Mar 12 2006, 07:41 AM)

You can use a propane heater to cure powder on large parts too. No cabinet or enclosure required.

Hey Guys,

ust an FYI but I work for a company that sells Specialty and Fine Chemicals. Specifically I am Rep that sells Rohm and Haas Powdercoating. Just to back up what some of the guys have said before the there are many different types of powder coating and all of it is based on the base resin. As "*" said, they all fit into Thermoset and Thermoplastic. There are inherent benefits in each these different powders.

Thermoset- TGIC Polyester(very weatherable), Urethane Polyester(Weatherable), Hybrids(Easy to use, not weatherable) , Epoxy(extreme durability, not weatherable)

Thermpoplastic- Nylons(extremely durable), no many people sell this stuff and its $$$

99% of you guys with be using a TGIC Polyester or a Urethane Polyester for there weatherability and durability. I will tell you like I tell my customers we do have high heat powders(rated 1000F) but I do not recommend them for use on headers. I have customers that had it work fine but there are so many factors that can affect adhesion: Preprep, Header temps(lean mixture) etc. that it really is hit or miss whether it lasts. The high heat paint that Columbia Coatings sells is most likely my paint because they are one of my customers.
Regular powdercoating can withstand sustained temps at around 180F and spikes upto 220F, which means intakes, tin and the such should be fine.

As was said earlier there are dyi powder systems and they should work fine but they do not take into account the charging of the powder particles when leaving the gun tip which in the professional systems helps with the atraction to the part and mil thickness build(2.5-3 mils should be fine).

Anyways, Yarin, great job, it looks great!