powder coat for home DIY

[dogdog]

Any one have experiences on home diy powder coating ?
which powder coat gun (gun n power supply) is better for average Home DIY?

Not running a business with these just an occuational planned DIY. want something durable and easy to apply with good results...

HF 94244?
EastWood Dual Voltage?
EastWood HotCoat?

 

[The Cobbler]

subscribed!

 

[dogdog]

O....O

This is the manual I found powder coating 101 as a generic manual to powder coat but nothing much on which one is better. All 3 unit have great reviews and cheasy reviews. Price is about the same, consider price without the bundle packages.

http://hvmarcor.ipower.com/PowderManual.pdf

 

[twertsy]

I have the Eastwood Dual Voltage and it serves my needs, which are similar to yours. Occasional vise parts, vehicle suspension parts, etc. Good variety of colors and very simple to keep clean.

 

[dogdog]

I have the Eastwood Dual Voltage and it serves my needs, which are similar to yours. Occasional vise parts, vehicle suspension parts, etc. Good variety of colors and very simple to keep clean.

I have nothing yet.... actually I bought the HF ones out of impulse yesterday... then came home read the reviews and watched some youtubes... decide to search for the Eastwood ones.... read some reviews watched some youtubes.... now can't decide hence this post. I can still return the HF unit (I think) and the EastWood Dual Voltage is on sale right now as well... How well construct is the EastWood Dual Voltage ones?

 

[dodge610]

Stay away from the eastwood hot coat it is junk. Had one worked good for a couple times then started to belch out big clumps of powder. Of course it did it right in thr middle of doing a med. size piece.

 

[twertsy]

I made sure I put a good regulator on mine, and I've had it for 2 years or so and powdered 100+ pieces, both big and small. I don't want to blow smoke and tell you it's a commercial grade unit, it's not. But for the occasional DIYer it's fine as long as you clean and store it after use. It's not the best put together unit so it won't take a beating either if that's what you're asking.

 

[dodge610]

When i first started i used the HF gun. Then when that gave out went to the eastwood hotcoat that was junk as mentioned. Then moved on to a commercial grade gun for my business. Just tsying to give some insight to the Diyer or beginner. For a Diyer the HF gun is actually decent for occ. use the eastwood dual voltage do not know about that one. I will look it up and see what it is.

 

[Milzo]

Had same dilemma and ended up going with caswell coating's starter gun. It has more adjust ability than the HF or Eastwood for a few more $. So far its worked well on every project I've used it for. http://www.caswellplating.com/hv-powder-coating-system.html

I learned about everything I know regarding powder coating by reading through threads on powder365.com

 

[sk8wnec]

Spectracoat

 

[Showkey]

I have used both Eastwood guns and coated literally 1000's of parts. Both worked perfect for years. I upgraded to the dual voltage gun and found it better for larger parts.

As with any coatings.........problems and failures are often caused by prep problems.
Clean parts or lack of clean parts , clean air, oil weeping from the part during cure , poor powder ( not all powder is high quality) and less than full cure are all common problems. Curing temperture and time are critical and vary with the products used and type of parts being coated.

 

[dodge610]

I have used both Eastwood guns and coated literally 1000's of parts. Both worked perfect for years. I upgraded to the dual voltage gun and found it better for larger parts.

As with any coatings.........problems and failures are often caused by prep problems.
Clean parts or lack of clean parts , clean air, oil weeping from the part during cure , poor powder ( not all powder is high quality) and less than full cure are all common problems. Curing temperture and time are critical and vary with the products used and type of parts being coated.

You are correct I got numerous bad batches of powder from columbia coatings. Changed to powder by the pound problem solved. Out gassing is another problem but the hot coat gun just wasnt cutting it. Hence the reason i went to a commercial grade gun. Customers parts deserve the best that is what i am going to give them.

 

[countryroad82]

While I'm not a fan of powdercoat I'm subscribing due to curiosity.

 

[bczygan]

You are correct I got numerous bad batches of powder from columbia coatings. Changed to powder by the pound problem solved. Out gassing is another problem but the hot coat gun just wasnt cutting it. Hence the reason i went to a commercial grade gun. Customers parts deserve the best that is what i am going to give them.

Which gun did you go to?

Bill

 

[Showkey]

You are correct I got numerous bad batches of powder from columbia coatings. Changed to powder by the pound problem solved. Out gassing is another problem but the hot coat gun just wasnt cutting it. Hence the reason i went to a commercial grade gun. Customers parts deserve the best that is what i am going to give them.

Agree......production coating demands professional equipment.
The Eastwood can serve the DIY user but the quality of the job is more likely to be influenced by the users knowledge and skill and not the gun used.

 

[larryq]

FWIW my understanding is the Eastwood dual voltage unit is considerably better than their single voltage offering. Not for everyday pro use, as mentioned here, but for $100 on sale not shabby either.

 

[dodge610]

Which gun did you go to?

Bill

Not ignoring you Bill just saw your question I have the Spectra-Coat ES02-P. How is the reorgnization going making headway i hope.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Agree......production coating demands professional equipment.
The Eastwood can serve the DIY user but the quality of the job is more likely to be influenced by the users knowledge and skill and not the gun used.

X3!!! Everybody has to start somewhere. Prep is 95% of the job, and if it's not done properly even the best equipment on the market won't save it.

 

[bczygan]

Not ignoring you Bill just saw your question I have the Spectra-Coat ES02-P. How is the reorganization going making headway i hope.

Thanks for the info.

Going good. Working on clear, clean and organize every day. That's the secret.

Bill

 

[dodge610]

Thanks for the info.

Going good. Working on clear, clean and organize every day. That's the secret.

Bill

Yes sir a little at a time just keep a steady pace before you know it your done and all is good.

 

[Ncognito]

While I'm not a fan of powdercoat...

I'm curious and this is a serious question, but why aren't you a fan?

 

[dogdog]

When i first started i used the HF gun. T.......

Would you rate the HF gun is good for beginners to learn on.... Don't think I am going business with it, this is straightly hobby if anything.

 

[dogdog]

Had same dilemma and ended up going with caswell coating's starter gun. It has more adjust ability than the HF or Eastwood for a few more $. So far its worked well on every project I've used it for. http://www.caswellplating.com/hv-powder-coating-system.html

I learned about everything I know regarding powder coating by reading through threads on powder365.com

Thx for the link

 

[dodge610]

Would you rate the HF gun is good for beginners to learn on.... Don't think I am going business with it, this is straightly hobby if anything.

For a begginers learning gun yes. will give you a definite idea on what is needed. To start the powdercoating process. But as cudachick mentioned. 95% of the job is getting the part ready to put the powder on. When I first got into powdercoating and was just experimenting and learning I was impressed with the HF gun.

 

[countryroad82]

I'm curious and this is a serious question, but why aren't you a fan?

It's mainly my personal take. I've seen some bad powder jobs and it made me wonder so I did a little investigating. I chipped away some powdercoat from a few coated items that had been coated for years, under the powdercoat on some I found rust. Somehow some way moisture had found its way in a few items, it wasn't the majority that had this issue but enough it got me to thinking. My line of thinking? If I'm going to possibly have a failure with my coating, I would like to have a forewarning. Paint will bubble up when it fails, you see it, the powdercoat I had stripped back and found rust looked fine until I stripped it off.

At my day job a classic example of what I'm talking about is some benches we custom ordered with a schools name on them. They are metal powder coated and they look awesome. They are about 8 years old and have been outside to the elements since new. When you sit on them you here a crunchy sound. The only thing holding them together is the powdercoat itself!

 

[CudaChick1968]

It's mainly my personal take. I've seen some bad powder jobs and it made me wonder so I did a little investigating. I chipped away some powdercoat from a few coated items that had been coated for years, under the powdercoat on some I found rust. Somehow some way moisture had found its way in a few items, it wasn't the majority that had this issue but enough it got me to thinking. My line of thinking? If I'm going to possibly have a failure with my coating, I would like to have a forewarning. Paint will bubble up when it fails, you see it, the powdercoat I had stripped back and found rust looked fine until I stripped it off.

At my day job a classic example of what I'm talking about is some benches we custom ordered with a schools name on them. They are metal powder coated and they look awesome. They are about 8 years old and have been outside to the elements since new. When you sit on them you here a crunchy sound. The only thing holding them together is the powdercoat itself!

... all of which was caused by bad prep work, lack of a pretreatment or phosphate, insufficient parts cleaning, over-curing, or a combination of all of them.

As to the benches, without seeing them I'm stabbing here, but I'd bet there was machine oil still on the metal when it was coated, if it was even blasted to start with. Powder needs "tooth" to adhere well and last a lifetime ... a proper blast profile will look like hills and valleys under a microscope. The powder fills in the valleys, self-levels during the cure, and if done right can almost become part of the metal itself.

We've all seen examples. I had a Chinese welding cart here that was powder coated at the factory. Taking it out of the box to assemble it, most of the flat pieces were bare ... the finish was laying inside the box in sheets and the metal was still shiny; I could feel the oil on it. Pieces like that are what give my entire industry a bad name.

 

[dodge610]

... all of which was caused by bad prep work, lack of a pretreatment or phosphate, insufficient parts cleaning, over-curing, or a combination of all of them.

As to the benches, without seeing them I'm stabbing here, but I'd bet there was machine oil still on the metal when it was coated, if it was even blasted to start with. Powder needs "tooth" to adhere well and last a lifetime ... a proper blast profile will look like hills and valleys under a microscope. The powder fills in the valleys, self-levels during the cure, and if done right can almost become part of the metal itself.

When you have a vision, be sure you choose the right artist.

Exactly cudachick we will talk one of these days just super busy here lately. As I am sure you are too. Business is going haywire lately.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Super bust??? Dayummmm I always figured it was the legs. LOL

<< duckin behind countryman now >>

 

[dodge610]

Super bust??? Dayummmm I always figured it was the legs. LOL

<< duckin behind countryman now >>

OOps fixed that for you.

 

[countryroad82]

... all of which was caused by bad prep work, lack of a pretreatment or phosphate, insufficient parts cleaning, over-curing, or a combination of all of them.

As to the benches, without seeing them I'm stabbing here, but I'd bet there was machine oil still on the metal when it was coated, if it was even blasted to start with. Powder needs "tooth" to adhere well and last a lifetime ... a proper blast profile will look like hills and valleys under a microscope. The powder fills in the valleys, self-levels during the cure, and if done right can almost become part of the metal itself.

We've all seen examples. I had a Chinese welding cart here that was powder coated at the factory. Taking it out of the box to assemble it, most of the flat pieces were bare ... the finish was laying inside the box in sheets and the metal was still shiny; I could feel the oil on it. Pieces like that are what give my entire industry a bad name.

When you have a great vision, be sure you choose the right artist.

Aha! I knew I might bait you into answering my thoughts Leanna! I've always suspected poor prep but there's not much of an industry so to speak in my neck of the woods. There's some home brewed guys here and there but never anyone that could really give me a straight answer. I've studied on trying a small kit myself but personally I would just rather paint haha.I know all about hack work giving an industry a bad rap, talk to some of your customers about their body shop experience.............

 

[dogdog]

For a begginers learning gun yes. will give you a definite idea on what is needed. To start the powdercoating process. But as cudachick mentioned. 95% of the job is getting the part ready to put the powder on. When I first got into powdercoating and was just experimenting and learning I was impressed with the HF gun.

Thanks, tried it today. it's ok for most part... some area I can't seems to get enough coverage (the recess areas) but overall pretty good and easy process to learn (at least the basic stuff)..

The flange for the dust deputy....

 

[CudaChick1968]

Thanks, tried it today. it's ok for most part... some area I can't seems to get enough coverage (the recess areas) but overall pretty good and easy process to learn (at least the basic stuff)..

The flange for the dust deputy....

Those recesses are the "Farraday Cage" areas, a natural occurrence when working with metal and electricity; simply put, trying to spray powder on an inside corner acts similar to forcing the poles of two magnets together -- it wants to repel rather than attract.

Science aside, just start in those areas first until achieving full coverage, and then work outwards from there. . Good luck!

 

[dogdog]

Those recesses are the "Farraday Cage" areas, a natural occurrence when working with metal and electricity; simply put, trying to spray powder on an inside corner acts similar to forcing the poles of two magnets together -- it wants to repel rather than attract.

Science aside, just start in those areas first until achieving full coverage, and then work outwards from there. . Good luck!

Thanks for the explanation and hints.. I'll try to find something else to powder coat with around the house and see... Hope I don't turn into a powder coating addict.

 

[dodge610]

Yep you allready are first time you pulled that trigger. And there is no cure for it.

 

[CudaChick1968]

"... try to find something else to coat ..." Uh huh. As 610 succinctly put it, I've had The Fever since 1999 so I can't say a word.

My best advice for newbies is that you'll either love it or hate it. Just don't tell your friends until you're comfortable and good -- they'll bug the hell out of you to "ooooh do my wheels!" and everything else 'to practice on,' and then hassle you afterwards because their expectations weren't met. Do your practicing on your own stuff, perfect the craft, and then knock their socks off.

Above all, HAVE FUN. Passion can take you anywhere.

 

[dodge610]

Could not of said it any better its a skill set that will consume you. You either powdercoat everything you can get your hands on or you put the gun in your next garage sale. lol.