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weekend work

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fmichaels

fmichaels

Jedi Knight
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weekends coming up and rain is expected for tonight and saturday. after some soggy football games, it's back to the tub and undercoat removal. i will probably spend some time straightening some of the panels that are banged up ... especially the undercarriage. i want to redesign my support rack that the tub sits on to make easier to move around and work under. right now it's a 2x4 stand bolted to a platform with wheels. It's sturdy and usable, but perhaps a little too high. i am also assembling a number of parts to go out for powder coating. i am looking at the eastwood catalog and wondering if i should consider purchasing a powder coat starter kit. would anyone in their right mind attempt to cook car parts in their wife's oven? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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Too much "Will to Live" here to do that. But was considering finding a used electric one for the shop.
 
certainly the better approach. so how much smell, mess are we looking at anyway?
 
From what I hear, ventilation is a requirement on the oven. The rest makes a pretty big mess. Lots of folks use a recovery booth to do the spraying. Friend at work says his biggest mess is the prepwork tho. He has a unit from Caswell Plating. https://www.caswellplating.com/
 
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doesn't sound like a very good hobbyists project then

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On the contrary, I think it is a good hobbyist project. In my case I have the room in the garage, went to a used appliance place and bought a kitchen stove for next to nothing.

I bought and use the Eastwood starter kit -- had it for a couple years now. Powder coating is easy, fun, and you get immediate satisfaction from seeing and appreciating the job/part in its finished state -- and you did it!

Preparation? Usually it's into the sandblaster, blow off residual dust, spray on the Eastwood cleaner, and then hit the part with the powder. Be sure to use the nitrile gloves when handling to part after prep and before applying the powder coat to prevent oils from our skin from contaminating the part.

Clean up? I use the air and blow out the powder from the gun. I used to have to sweep the floor but I don't even do that anymore as I fashioned a "paint booth." The paint booth is a simple frame (I used square steel tubing and welded it together -- overkill but I wanted something semi-permanent) draped (and taped) with some common plastic sheeting.

Limiting factor for the home hobbyist? The size of the oven. I'd like to powder coat a complete rear end housing but can't just yet. Yet? Yes, I could even do that if I wanted to spend the cash for infrared heat lamps -- and I will someday, just not "yet."

Anyway, in my opinion, powder coating is easy and fun. Clean up is a breeze. And it is immediately gratifying. No wait and no cash outlay for someone else's labor when I want something powder coated. I just do it! Front and rear engine plates? A breeze! Water pump pulley? A snap! You get the idea, I'm sure!

Tim /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
well i guess i will look into this further. i have enough parts to paint and if i can find a cheap oven, i could probably do what you're doing. thanks
 
By the Mrs. a new oven, and then "Bob's your Uncle"!
 
so let me ask what might be a dumb question about powder coating ... all the videos i've seen show powder being sprayed on top of the part ... what happens to the underside? can you spray the other side after the top is done being sprayed? after baking? can you bake more than once? can you apply more than once?
 
Fred,

Ain't no dumb questions! The part can be turned over or one can hang the part by a small wire or two for applying the powder allowing easy rotation thus even coverage. I've never had to bake twice but I wouldn't hesitate to try it. In fact, there are clearcoat powders that are made to apply on top of a color coat.

Tip: Don't lay your powdered part on the shelf in the oven for baking. Use the wire that suspended the part during powder application to suspend the part below the shelf.

Here's technique I use. Attach one or more wires depending on the size/weight of the part to the part being coated. Hang the part in the booth. Apply the powder. With the shelf from the oven removed from the oven, move the part by the wire (so you don't touch the part itself disturbing the powder) and suspend it by the wire from the oven shelf. Then put the shelf with the part suspended below it into the top part of the oven and bake.

Regarding fumes during the baking process, I would not do it in the kitchen but in the garage with the garage door open does not pose a problem. I'd really hesitate to eat something cooked in the oven, at least anytime soon after using the oven for powder coating. If I recall correctly, Eastwood states do not use the oven for cooking once it has been used for powder coating. I've no desire to test their warning! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonod.gif

Hope this helps!!

Tim
 
that helps a lot ... i will definitely look into this ... sounds very doable. thanks !!!
 
well boys i did it ... bought a starter kit tonight from eastwood .. got black, aluminum, and steel powder .. i have many small parts and some rims i want to use this on ... now all i have to do is find a cheap oven. more to follow .. along with some pics ..
 
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