Anybody do their own powder coating?

I am getting ready to replace my oven in the house this weekend and was wondering if it would be worth setting the old one up in the shop to do some powder coating on some small parts. It this a good idea or not?

 

I've got an Eastwood coating outfit. It works good. I use an old electric oven that I put on wheels so I can put it in the barn when I don't need it. For small parts it works great. Within a hour or so you can have them coated and ready to put on the car, unlike painting I am done untill the next day. I have done a part as big as a Lakewood bellhousing. The big problem is moving them from coating to the oven without rubbing the paint off. A little bit of planning involved.

 

That's a pretty damned good idea, as long as you have the space to do it. It's a lot less messy than painting and somewhat more durable. My buddy has an oven in his garage and makes a little bit of side money doing small parts for other people.

 

I have the Craftsman gun. I will sell it for 80 bucks with powder and extra cups. It works great. This would be good for you as a starter setup. (159.00 MSR)
We use an old 'lectric range and have done wheels, manifolds and other stuff.
I want to upgrade to the Eastwood 299.00 system.
I do reco' using an electric range. Not sure what the fumes might do inside an OPEN FLAME oven.

 

I got an old electric range too, stripped the burners and everything off the top of it and bolted a wood top on it for an additional work space. We have done a ton of small stuff and even some 16" steel rims. A valuable tool.

 

I have the Eastwood setup, I'm happy with it. But beware it's like painting and prep is everything.

 

Yes, don't let any electric range get away even if you are not ready to set it up now. It's so much easier to do small brackets without all the hassles of paint. You can bolt the part on within an hour of starting. I love mine.

 

Thanks for all the info. The oven is electric and putting in on casters sounds like a great idea. My shop is 30' by 40' so I can find room somewhere to put it. 299.00 for a decent power coat set up doesn't sound to bad. Does that include everything you need except the powder?

 

I see everybody's using an electric oven, which is a must.

 

I got the Eastwood original Powder coating outfit years ago. A friend had a "low Milage" oven out of a rental property which was in his way.

I set it up on a stand in my carport just for curing powder coated parts. It work like a charm. By haveing it mounted up hight than normal I can look into it with out have to bend down. Plus loading parts is easier also. I suspend the parts using stainless "wire-tie" wire from the top element or another cross piec I installed.

 

A lot of the green parts on this bike were done with a basic Eastwood kit and an electric oven. The only thing that wasn't was the frame

 

As TChurch said, the Craftsman Powder Coating gun works fine, I'm just getting into doing more larger stuff (wheels, intakes, etc.) and need the ability to hold more powder. Which is definitely something you can acomplish with the Eastwood system. I've been using the Eastwood powder in the Craftsman gun, works just the same. So even if ya end up with something other than the Eastwood gun, you can still go to them for they're good prices on powder. Plus they have brought back there Powder Coaters Club, which saves you 15% on all your powder orders for the entire year. Been very happy with the products I've purchased through Eastwood. http://www.eastwoodco.com Happy powder coating!

One last question, any of you thats been powdering coating ever mix different color powders to try and achieve a different color? I'm looking to try and create a brighter red color, but I havent had a chance to test out mixing 2 colors together yet. I'm wondering if it'll mix well or if I'll get sorta like a marble effect of the 2 colors.

 

I didn't have good luck with it, but I'm pretty bad at doin stuff.

 

One thing you might want to check out is dealing with the dust/powder "overspray". An older friend who set up a small commercial line and ran it for 3 years in his spare time has lost lung capacity...severely! He has a vacuum draw booth, but was not in the habit of wearing a mask. There was some backspray, as you got closer (spraying distance) to the booth.

 

Is the powder dangerous to breathe. I haven't thought about that?

 

From a site googled under "respiratory toxins"

Respiratory toxin: A substance which has an adverse effect on the functioning or structure of the respiratory system. Respiratory toxicants can produce a variety of acute and chronic effects, from local irritation and bronchitis to lung damage resulting in emphysema or cancer. Asthma and respiratory infections are other possible effects of exposure to respiratory toxins

If you breathe in enough of even a non-reactive substance, you will suffocate. MSDS sheets are one place to start reading up.

 

Mixing powders......I've played around a bit, the powder doesn't blend together very well at all, you can get some very interesting effects but it never comes out like a paint blend.....at least the stuff I get from Eastwood. Maybe someone else has a different result with a different supplier?? Yes, you need to wear protective gear when coating.

 

I've mixed powders with decent results. I bought some reds at different times, only to find one was darker and one was oranger then each other. I needed 1 color, not 2 differents, so I tried a small batch, it worked fine, so then I got serious. It all came out uniform, but shake it up well.

 

Not my idea, but works very well-

An old refrigerator or deep freeze with a 1 piece door, refrigeration unit and racks stripped out, and the elements and controls from an electric oven get installed. Slick, low buck, handles big parts, comfortable to be around.

 

An advantage of having the oven in the shop is that it does a great job on pizzas.

Another place for the powder is Caswell. They have a good selection to choose from.

Neal

 

Thanks for the safety tips. I will make sure we use the respirator.

BTW: Pizza in your PC oven...LMFAO

 

Anyone use the cheezy looking set-up from Harbor Freight? It looks smaller than what I would think you would need. Been thinking of getting into one but kind of hesitant of jumping in and getting into somthing that is more of a hassel than it is worth. Is the prep like paint, laqure thinner, wipe dry, shoot? How much powder is required oh say an untake manifold? What is the cost of the powder and do you have to buy in such bulk that it winds up going to waste? So many questions GRASSHOPPER!!! I have the spare oven but what all is needed to get started???

 

Damn I'm slow. I never thought of puttin' the stove on wheels OR a solid top on it for work area.
Maybe both!
Jim