Cheap Powder Coating at Home

[lonesouth]

I'm making a foray into powder coating small parts at home. I picked up a harbor freight system and three powders, also from harbor freight, red, white and black; and an air fitting. Total cost = $70.35 after a 20% off coupon on the system. Now I'm looking for a free toaster oven to cure in. I have access to a sand blaster at work, though I may need to get my own later.

I can see this having applications for things all over the house, boat, car, etc.

First thing I'm going to coat, and this is ambitious, is a Ford 5.0 cover plate. I say ambitious, because I plan to make the Ford symbol white, the lettering at the bottom red and the base coat black.

[Flint River Pirate]

Nice! Keep us in the loop.

[WolfeMan]

If I recall correctly, from my dad's adventures with powercoating, it adds size to the piece, so watch your bolt holes. Make sure you have enough wiggle room that if the power coating closed them in a little it wouldnt hurt - otherwise make sure power doesnt get in the holes.

[lonesouth]

Shot the red first, then white, and finished with black, baked to flow between colors. I cobbled together a mini-vac with some vacuum tubing a frapuchino cap, some fittings and a ball needle. My spray booth was a recycle bin with some electric fence wire strung across. Toaster is a cheap $10 deal from good will. The thermometer wouldn't fit in the oven with the part, so bake temps were a guess. Testing just the oven with a thermometer showed swings from 350-450, not the most stable out there.

I was able to use the mini-vac with great success to remove all of the overspray that wasn't on the letters. Wiping the letters after coating the black was an exercise in precision and patience. There are a few burs that could be sanded/filed and one smudge where I got a little overzealous wiping off the letters. I may repair these and reshoot the black. the blemishes can't be seen from five feet, but are visible holding it in your hands.

Original



After shooting red



Partially cured red



After shooting white



After shooting black, partial wipe



After shooting black, full wipe



Fully cured

[bman]

Looks great- but where did you find the toaster oven

[wevans]

The only thing I see wrong with it is the letters FORD

[mjsigns]