over baked powercoating?

[seuadr]

well, i've got a decient sandblasting booth setup, and i'm thinking on trying my hand at powdercoating.

my question is, have any of you tried it, and then baked your powdercoating in a good old kitchen oven? i'm sure i'd want to get a beat up used one for the garage, probably nasty chemical residue from the process.

does it come out ok though? or do i need a special oven?


duh, that's supposed to be oven in the title ><

 

[Nessism]

Get an electric range and go to town. I don't have any personal experience but from what I've read, gas ovens are not to be used.

 

[tkent02]

For small items try a toaster oven.

 

[Bribird]

I have a done a bunch of powdercoating in a regular old (very old) elec kitchen type oven with great results. Most powders are overbake stable to a point. You can usually be off the temp + 15 degrees or so and bake 10 minutes longer. Most all the powders are 15-20 minutes @375F. Some of the high temp powders are 20 minutes @450F.
The over bake problem is mainly with certain types of powders. TGIC, epoxy, poly, etc.... they all have their own properties.

Not all powders are created equal... I have had mixed results with eastwood powders for instance. I have had great results from Columbia Coatings powders. They are also quick to ship and very nice to boot.

Check out www.columbiacoatings.com , they have a bunch of good info on their site.

good luck with it!

 

[seuadr]

fantastic! thanks for the info. i really do think i'm gonna try this when i manage to find an old range.

no gas? ok, fair enough. i use oil anyhow

 

[Hammered]

If you go with a stand oven, do yourself a favor. Get a themometer that can have the face remote mounted. Any one of the $50 style electric ones will work great. These old stoves just dont keep a steady heat.

And Ive done some small scale stuff in the basement of my old place. No fumes to speak of. Thats the great thing about PC, no VOCs.

 

[sachsaca]

Seaudr I've read somewhere online looking up powder coating products so I could do it myself that you don't want to do it in your cook and eat oven, Chemical residual leftovers.

 

[Hammered]

Seaudr I've read somewhere online looking up powder coating products so I could do it myself that you don't want to do it in your cook and eat oven, Chemical residual leftovers.

Amen. I failed to mention that. Do cook and eat from the same oven you PC in.

 

[seuadr]

Seaudr I've read somewhere online looking up powder coating products so I could do it myself that you don't want to do it in your cook and eat oven, Chemical residual leftovers.

aye, as i mentioned, i'd get a seperate oven for the shop.

thanks though

hammered, in this respect, i am lucky. I'm training to be an hvac guy, so i got tons of avaliable thermomoters. i've got one for my voltmeter that is accurate to 1500 degrees and has a remote lead like you mentioned. I will be sure to use that to keep an eye on the temp.

thanks guys for the info, i'll be on the lookout for an oven, since a buddy has a gun i can borrow. I may get a cheap toaster oven for some stuff untill then, this winter i plan on powdercoating small stuff, like my brake caliper housing and such. I mean, i plan on re-building them anyhow, why not make'em look nice and new at the same time?

 

[Bribird]

Hey seuadr,
I got my old used oven off of craigslist for 20 bucks.

I got the same set-up, with the heat probes that plug into my meter(from when I was an A/C tech....mainly for doing superheat) ... the type with the flexable coated probe work great. A no contact temp gun also works great for knowing when your part is up to temp.. the timer doesnt start until the part is at temp. Not a big problem with small things that heat up quicky... but if you do a big cast iron manifold or something like that, it may take 15-20 minutes just to get up to temp.

Also, after I sandblast the parts, if they are alum, I always give them a wash with iron phosphate and give them a pre-bake in the oven before coating to let them outgas at the bake temp. Shoot the parts warm for best results, 100-120F seems to work great for helping the powder stick nicely in corners and also lessens your up to temp time for the powder bake.

Important** make sure you have a inline desicent filter on the air line at the gun... I learned that one the hard way, when I figured the monster air dryer we have at the shop would be just dandy.

 

[seuadr]

Important** make sure you have a inline desicent filter on the air line at the gun... I learned that one the hard way, when I figured the monster air dryer we have at the shop would be just dandy.

good to know. i've got two driers in line, but i'd be more than happy to get a desicent one if it's needed. i'd probably use it for the eventual painting i'm going to do anyhow.

right now i want to try brake calipers, some of the paddles/pedals and mebby my master cylinder and other small stuff like that, so i suspect for now a toaster oven will fit the bill.

 

[GS1000S34]

Hey seuadr,
I got my old used oven off of craigslist for 20 bucks.

I got the same set-up, with the heat probes that plug into my meter(from when I was an A/C tech....mainly for doing superheat) ... the type with the flexable coated probe work great. A no contact temp gun also works great for knowing when your part is up to temp.. the timer doesnt start until the part is at temp. Not a big problem with small things that heat up quicky... but if you do a big cast iron manifold or something like that, it may take 15-20 minutes just to get up to temp.

Also, after I sandblast the parts, if they are alum, I always give them a wash with iron phosphate and give them a pre-bake in the oven before coating to let them outgas at the bake temp. Shoot the parts warm for best results, 100-120F seems to work great for helping the powder stick nicely in corners and also lessens your up to temp time for the powder bake.

Important** make sure you have a inline desicent filter on the air line at the gun... I learned that one the hard way, when I figured the monster air dryer we have at the shop would be just dandy.

Great tip on the dryer...

I through out my Eastwood Gun for the Craftsman Powder Gun. No air required. It uses an internal fan that can be regulated by the trigger... No water worries from compressed air.

 

[oshanac]

GS1000S34-How do you like THAT Craftsman powder gun? I've always heard to stay away from the electric powder coating guns, that they spray inconsitently, and were generally junk? Please let us know.

 

[GS1000S34]

GS1000S34-How do you like THAT Craftsman powder gun? I've always heard to stay away from the electric powder coating guns, that they spray inconsitently, and were generally junk? Please let us know.

It's easier for me to get out and do stuff... I don't have to worry about the compressor noise. It coats fine..... Just keep it clean just like anything else that you use to spray. Less hassle that the Eastwood Gun.

 

[oshanac]

Great tip GS1000S34! Thanks for the input!

 

[ALB80-850]

I made, what I think is a hell of a score last year for powder coating. An older electric dual range. $40.00. I have only done a few parts,calipers, master cylinders and float bowls, but like the set up so far.The large side for large parts and the small side for ... The largest part that I could fit in my oven was a swingarm from an 850, I didn't do it but wanted to see if it would fit.The one thing I was told to do is calibrate your oven. Just because the knob says 400 degrees is not always the case. I used an IR temp gun, set the oven at x degrees and heat something(I used an old cast iron frying pan) then check the temp of the item, then adjust the heat accordingly. Then mark the dial to the actual 400 degrees or needed temp. I also agree the Eastwood stuff is marginal, it works but I've had some flow issues. I also haven't used any other powders yet. Another good deal, powder gun, tips, dryers, silicone plugs,high heat masking tap and about 2# ea of 12 colors of powder for $125. A friend of mine bought a Craftsman airless gun, hasen't used it yet(I'll probably use it 1st) it looks good enough,but has a very small powder cup and I'm not sure if they make a larger one.

Just several of my $.02 worth.

Andy

 

[Nessism]

Dang, you guys with powdercoat setups are making me jealous. I've got the zinc plating thing going pretty well for corroded hardware but powdercoat would be the cats meow. Rattle cans suck.

 

[ALB80-850]

Who knows, there may come a time when I may need some parts plated and could swap for some powder coating

Andy

 

[GS1000S34]

I made, what I think is a hell of a score last year for powder coating. An older electric dual range. $40.00. I have only done a few parts,calipers, master cylinders and float bowls, but like the set up so far.The large side for large parts and the small side for ... The largest part that I could fit in my oven was a swingarm from an 850, I didn't do it but wanted to see if it would fit.The one thing I was told to do is calibrate your oven. Just because the knob says 400 degrees is not always the case. I used an IR temp gun, set the oven at x degrees and heat something(I used an old cast iron frying pan) then check the temp of the item, then adjust the heat accordingly. Then mark the dial to the actual 400 degrees or needed temp. I also agree the Eastwood stuff is marginal, it works but I've had some flow issues. I also haven't used any other powders yet. Another good deal, powder gun, tips, dryers, silicone plugs,high heat masking tap and about 2# ea of 12 colors of powder for $125. A friend of mine bought a Craftsman airless gun, hasen't used it yet(I'll probably use it 1st) it looks good enough,but has a very small powder cup and I'm not sure if they make a larger one.

Just several of my $.02 worth.

Andy

I agree on the small cup... However, I've never ran out of powder doing a complete rack of small parts in one bake. I also have multiple cups that I filled with my most popular used powders.