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powder coating on the cheap

I just got into this recently. as usual the CHEAP ASS(TM) stuff coming in from the chinese industrial revolution has provided me with a complete system so inexpensive I couldn't *not* try it.

Armed with some black "micro texture" polyester (which is what most people think of when you say powdercoated it's semi-gloss with a fine uniform sandblasted looking texture) and some halogen work lamps, I coated most of the brackets in my engine compartment, valve cover, my intake manifold, air cleaner housing and everything else I could get a hold of...

This stuff is remarkably easy to work with, I concocted a makeshift oven with bricks and the halogen lamps... after some fiddling to make the inside more air tight and considerably longer baking times than what is called for with infrared lamps; I had a hard plastic, very tough and attractive coating.

A reasonably crafty person can easilly do production quality finishes with this setup in a garage. I wont mention (lest I be accused of spam) where I got the setup.

Reply to
Simon Juncal
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But how will it hold up? Real powdercoating is done around 500-450degF. _____________________________________________________________________

2003 TJ Rubicon * 2001 XJ Sport * 1971 Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco

"There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."

Pronunciation: 'jEp Function: noun Date: 1940

Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 > I just got into this recently. as usual the CHEAP ASS(TM) stuff coming

Reply to
twaldron

I'm not afraid to mention vendors that I have no financial stake in. Dunno where you bought your powdercoat system, but Eastwood is featuring a bottom-of-the-line system for about $125 (use your own toaster-oven), they go up to the multi-thousands from there:

Their dead-tree catalogue came in the mail last week. It's a stroke-book for tool junkies.

Mmmmm. English wheel.....

Sim> I just got into this recently. as usual the CHEAP ASS(TM) stuff coming

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

ah you pried it out of me: Columbia coatings

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have the harbor freight system starting at 65 bucks which is cheaper than HF usually sells it for, and they include a few bits you'll want.

Reply to
Simon Juncal

Oh I got it up to the recommended temps, just took a lot longer with only halogen lamps instead of infrared.

The baking process is only for flowing the powder into a continuous plastic layer... baking it too little would result in crumbling from lack of melting, way too much heat or time would get you brittleness. But as long as it flows together it's pretty much fool proof.

For what it's worth even with my makeshift heating setup, the coating is too hard to even effect with a fingernail or a coin (wont even dent) it takes a sharp knife to even gouge into it... compair this to keying a paintjob... no way a key even leaves a mark on this stuff it wont even knock the texture bumps down leaving a glossy spot :)

Reply to
Simon Juncal

Sounds fun. How large a piece can you do with these setups? _____________________________________________________________________

2003 TJ Rubicon * 2001 XJ Sport * 1971 Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco

"There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."

Pronunciation: 'jEp Function: noun Date: 1940

Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 inch wheelbase') A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80" wheelbase, 1/4-ton capacity and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in World War II. _____________________________________________________________________

Sim>

Reply to
twaldron

well I did my old 4.2 valve cover and had to move the lights to get the ends to melt. I wouldn't go much bigger.

With infrared heaters the sky's the limit, someone had an entire jeep parted out on ebay last week, powder coated tub, fenders, windshield frame, roll bar everything down to the frame.

I was waiting on some crane "anti-pump up" lifters to continue on with the 4.0 head swap, so I got this system, now I'm thinking of all sorts of stuff that would be better coated with plastic :) brackets, caps, hood prop... brush bar, bumper... my steel wagon wheels

Reply to
Simon Juncal

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