Nice start! I dig your blasting cabinet. I built my own as well, but I only do soda blasting in mine.
I am contemplating buying a powder coating kit as well, but I haven't really started looking yet. Is there anything you would change with your setup/oven now that you have it going?
I love these DIY projects. Keep us up to date!
THe main thing is a bigger compressor. its only a 6 gallon. With the blasting, The compressor goes on after about 10 seconds, and I have to stop after a minute and let it catch up. I get around it by having other things to do at the same time.
THe powder gun works great. It seems the two keys are a clean environment and good prep. a few times ill lay the powder on nice and a few seconds later theres some dust that clung onto it statically. And it doesnt just dissapear in the oven (as i had hoped the first time) you can just blow it off softly and might have to add a little powder.
As for prep, i clean the part with simplegreen, sandblast, airspray off the dust, rub with a clean cloth and acetone, then spray with acetone while hanging so any remaining drips off the part, then prebake (burns of any remaining crap), then partial cool. some people may have a better way, but this seems to have been working for me.
Aluminum is more of a pain than steel. You can have the part all clean, powder lays nice, then while baking, little bubbles show up! It doesnt seem to happen with newer aluminum, and its usually not too bad. For example, my fork lower came out with 3 or 4 pin sized ones. Wasnt worth redoing the whole thing. I think pros use some sort of phosphate, but i havent looked to far for it.
And theres a few different types of powder. I used urethane- supposedly the best for outdoor. And one last thing (sorry im rambling), you will probably be hanging your part, mine hang from a chain thats grounded. BE CAREFUL if you holding the chain(to turn the part) while spraying, if the gun gets too close the charge goes through you! happened to me twice, now I wear rubber gloves! I dont know why there is charge in the handle of the gun! oh wait, its harbor freight...