Powdercoating

[rYan01400EX]

Pappy,

This is kind of a first time shot-type thing. I really want to get into powdercoating and all... I know a few people that have guns and everything but I am worried mostly about the oven. I heard you had a homemade one and I was just wondering how you made it, etc... I just want to start doing small odds and ends and I need a bit of practice before I try anything. This may be the dumbest, most out of line question I have ever asked but powdercoating just looks real interesting to me and it may not be that hard to learn since I work in a body shop as a painter... If you got any tricks and tips to help me out and get started with this, I would much appreciate it... All your work looks good, so I figured you're the man to ask.. I have AIM and I will add you ASAP and I will probably talk to you on there. Thanks Pappy.

Ryan G.

[Pappy]

just get a used home oven to start. small pieces are all you will want to srew up on when you first start:p

once you are ready for bigger things, the oven and gun will need upgrading. the oven can be built many many ways, it needs to be able to take the part temperature to 400 degrees, it needs some form of air flow and exhaust venting, and needs to be SAFE. i dont tell people how to build them simply because I dont want to hear about a fire.

and yes, this process is so much fun as a hobby, its not that hard either as long as you stay with basics.

[rYan01400EX]

Yea, I don't want to do any real hard things. I just want to a couple things I own in the Stealth black color.. I don't know much about powdercoat, just something to piddle around with in my offtime.. I appreciate the reply Pappy.

[Pappy]

no prob, keep me updated and dont hesitate to ask questions. ill help all i can

[x.system]

I've been dabbling in powder as well but I'm not 100% sure on the prep process. Can you give us some help in that area? Heres a couple pics of what I've done so far with basic colors. I have access to a powder shop with a oven that will fit a small car so I've been trying some smaller parts before I move to my frames. This was my first attempt which turned out pretty good.

[x.system]

first piece

[x.system]

Heres my second attempt which turned out a little thin on the bottom. There is a spot I can see through the white a little. White didn't cover as good as the red did.

[Pappy]

Prep can vary from shop to shop. Personally I try to get a bare metal surface to coat on. Stripping methods may involve chemical stripping, media blasting, burn off ovens and even some very technical methods involving electrical current being phased into the metal to break the bond of the pc.

Pretreatment also varys from shop to shop. After your metal is stripped, and depending on what it is made of, a pretreatment wash/dry is usually done. After my parts are ready for pretreatment, they are submersed in either iron or aluminum phosphate. then rinsed and dried. then taping can begin. I have seen first hand how well this helps with adhesion of the coating wether it be powdercoating or other coating options.

As far as your parts posted, they look good from here. There are powders such as white that are best applied with a Tribo charging equipment. Corona charging will work, but Tribo offers better coating with some powders. White and Yellow are two that come to mind. If your using a hobby gun or even the hotcoat pro gun, preheating the part will help with full coverage.

[x.system]

Originally posted by Pappy


Pretreatment also varys from shop to shop. After your metal is stripped, and depending on what it is made of, a pretreatment wash/dry is usually done. After my parts are ready for pretreatment, they are submersed in either iron or aluminum phosphate. then rinsed and dried. then taping can begin. I have seen first hand how well this helps with adhesion of the coating wether it be powdercoating or other coating options.



I media blast everything that can be. The pretreatment is what I was most curious about. What is going to happen to parts that don't get this step? Say someone :D (not me of course) powdered over the bare metal without using a pretreatment, will the powder hold up. I'm using a gun from a professional powder shop that sold their used gun to upgrade. No idea which brand it is but it draws the powder out of a 3 or 5 gal. bucket.

Can I get you to PM me your info? I would definatly like to have you do some of my parts I don't feel comfortable doing.

[Pappy]

Well, this is an issue where people divide.

If pc is shot over untreated bare metal, as it was designed, it will hold up as intended. The pretreatment aids in fighting oxidation and subsurface rust that will evntually lead to failure of the coating. (chrome, paint, powdercoat all meet the same fate)

Now, if we are talking a few brackets for grannys fence then you will have to be the one who decideds wether pretreatment is required. Some companies will only deal with you if you have a pretreatment as part of your coating processes. On atv parts, the usual life expectance of any given part is usually determined by the fact it will wear out, bend or be replaced before the coating fails from substrate oxidation.(rust) On A Arms for example, I do pretreat them, but in all honesty its probably a wasted step seeing they see the brunt of abuse from roost and scraping the ground. The part can be "failed" long before rust or oxidation can even come into play.

I have a INSA Hopper Commercial gun, holds up to a 50 pound box of powder, but it is only used on large batches or on frames. I still use my "Pro Gun" for the majority of my work since I seem to get a ton of requests for alot of different colors for the same batch. If you have the ability to coat a swing arm, then you can do any part made as long as you have the oven capacity to handle it etc. id be happy to do some work for you if needed, but i'd rather help you to do your own!

[x.system]

Thats really cool your willing to help like that but I would still prefer you do some of my parts. I don't have access to the custom colors, just the basics or solids and I want some of these reds and blues you do. Plus I don't have the patience to tape off motor cases and stuff like that. :blah: You do cases don't you? Whats your average turn around time on smaller parts? I'm not in a hurry or anything, just asking.

[Pappy]

usually on small parts it is only a few days.

[ho416mx]

Pappy,
Can you explain what the difference is in the tribo & corona applications???

[Pappy]

in a nutshell, corona charging is what 99% of the hobby guns and a majotity of the industrial guns use. the powder passes thru the main tube and is charged by a metal rod running thru the center of the tube.


tribo is charged at the end of the gun by a series of anywhere from 4 to 6 small wires that extend into the powders exit path.

tribo works killer on parts that have sharp corners and there are even powders that are recommended to only be applied by this system.
i have a fairly inexpensive tribo gun that i use when i get in parts that would cause me issues with my corona gun. as soon as money permits i want to pick up a true industrial tribo charging gun so i will be covered.

[x.system]

I still need your address Pappy.

How about explaining that thing you do to bolts, is that something we could do ourselves? I've got a bucket of bolts from about 5 or 6 machines I need to do something with. I found a couple do it youreself kits for blackening and tin zinc. Do the bolts need to be media blasted first for this stuff to work?

[Pappy]

yeah anyone can shoot moly, it just takes an airbrush and a booth (contains lead)

there are a few people on the net selling it, K&G Coatings is where I used to buy mine.

prep is similiar for it, media blast using aluminum oxide at 60 psi , phosphate coat, dry and apply. when its dry you cure 325 for an hour


BK Performance
84 Chase Lane
Hedgesville WV
25427