Topic: Harbor Freight Powdercoater.

[OldSkul]

  Anyone have any experience using the whiz dandy powder coater from HF?
I'd like to do a few small parts instead of painting. My oven(grill) is already shot
from painting the engine with heat cure POR-15 so I might as well try it out...

Henry

[BobbyR]

Why not go for it. Practice preparation and technique and it can be very worthwhile.

[Terry in Australia]

I bought one a couple of years ago but haven't used it yet, (need some powder) but Terry Quaill had one and was powder coating CB750 parts and selling them on EBay to raise money for a Christian mission in Haiti, and the finish looked pretty good, from memory.

If it's the same one I've got, you'll need access to an air compressor, and an electric oven as well, and you can make a "booth" and powder recovery system using a cardboard box and a vacuum cleaner. Cheers, Terry.

[bucky katt]

i got a free electric stove off of craigslist just for baking on paint (and powdercoating when i eventually get the kit)

[Retro Rocket]

Its pretty easy to make an oven, all you need is a frame of what ever size you need, even an old table will do, and line it with sisal insulation, the tar backed stuff is best, and a couple of old bar heaters and you have an oven. I have used this set up before and it works well.

Mick

[mcuozzo]

I have that powder coater.   It works fine, you can definitely get some good results from it you however need to do some trial and error...

I use an old metal storage cabinet as my powder coating booth.  I got a free electric oven off of craigslist.  The size of the oven is the limiting factor as to what you can powdercoat.

I use a sandblaster to prep my parts.  You don't need one but it helps.  If you don't blast the parts, they at least need to be absolutely clean than rinsed with some solvent - I use denatured alcohol.  I also heat the part to 400 degrees before coating to "out gas" anything nasty.  Then I let it cool, coat it and cure it.

Improper cleaning\prep is the number one mistake, number too is not heating the part fully.  The curing time\temp rating is given based on the PART getting that hot not the oven.  Most coaters use an IR gun to measure the temp of the part.

Also do not use the Harbor Freight powder. It's horrible.  I use powder from www.columbiacoatings.com, but there are other good places like:

www.caswellplating.com
www.eastwoods.com
www.powderbythepound.com

Caswell and pbtp have good forums with tons of info.

So yeah the HF gun is a cheap way to start, its really all the other stuff (sandblaster, IR gun, prep chemicals, masking tape, etc.) that adds to the cost.

Never mind that you'll get hooked and want a better gun ($400+) and you'll start building a bigger oven ($1000)...don't ask me how I know.

Here's some examples of stuff I've coated... http://gallery.sohc4.net/main.php?g2_itemId=306724

any other questions just ask!

[Retro Rocket]

Improper cleaning\prep is the number one mistake,

Absolutely, i have done heaps of powdercoating and used prepsol or prepwash {acetone basically},to clean the parts. You have to remove every last bit of grease and dirt or it will not stick properly.

Mick

[XN]

I started out using that gun and got some good results, but you will soon be wanting to upgrade your gun, oven, booth, compressor... I started out with a toaster oven and now have an oven big enough to do MC frames   Watch out its addictive! Here's a how to I wrote a while ago. And I will second that powder by the pound rocks!

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=39863.msg413271#msg413271

[OldSkul]

 Thanks for all the replies. I have caswel bookmarked from an earlier project.
  I think I'll browse craigslist for a while and see if I can come up with an oven
to start out with or at least use for parts to make my own oven.

Looks like this powdercoat thing is another long dark road to embark upon. And
People wonder why I never get anything done

Henry

[Alan F.]

I thought Craftsman had a powder coating setup too, but all I could find was some powder and a spare coating gun tip.
http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/search_10155_12602?vName=Tools+%26+Equipment&cName=Power+Tools&keyword=powder&sLevel=0&sLevel=0|1
-Alan

[sbparks]

 The results look great, but... Why is Powder Coating superior to painting items?  Is the finish more durable?  Sure does look great!

Thanks.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, powder coating is a lot more durable than painting, and (over here at least) cheaper than a quality paint job. The finish is good, but I've got to say that "Stove enamelling" is better, I just bought a 1973 Laverda SF1 750 which was restored back in the mid 1980's, with a "stove enamelled" frame, and it looks better than any powder coated frame I've seen, smoother, glossy-er, all in all, much nicer.

I don't know if anyone does Stove enamelling any more, it was "the" frame refinishing medium back before powder coating became popular, but horribly expensive, I remember being quoted 500 bucks to do my K1 frame back in the early eighties, and I could have had my frame chromed for that much, back then. Having said all that, for a "daily rider", powder coating is better, as it's "softer" than stove enamel, and less prone to chipping from stones, tools, etc. Cheers, Terry.  

[mcuozzo]

Yes powdercoating is more durable but it has other advantages as well.

First it's quicker and less work.  If you gave me an average piece to powdercoat I could finish it in half a day, tops.  No waiting 24 hours to dry, no sanding, no multiple coats (for a solid color piece).  Even if you wanted to add a clear coat, it could still be done.  Some colors already have the clear built in.  Every have a painter give you a part back the same day???

It's a lot less toxic.  You do need to wear a mask, but a $30 home depot job will work.  There are really no fumes to speak of.  Plus in most states you really aren't supposed to operate a paint shop in your garage/basement.  No such problem with powdercoating.  You really don't need a lot of the nasty chemicals you do with painting.

And you can get really good results with minimal investment say $100 if you get a free oven off craigslist.

Matt