Properly Curing Powder Coat with an Infrared Thermometer

To achieve a high quality and durable powder coated finish, knowing the surface temperature of parts while they are curing in the oven is essential. To fully realize all of the benefits of powder coating, the powder must be cured at the specified temperature for the specified amount of time. The most universal method of checking the part surface temperature while it is in the oven is with a non-contact infrared thermometer, AKA an IR thermometer or IR temp gun. This article will explain why you need to measure part temperatures, how to use an infrared thermometer correctly in your powder coating process, and the best IR thermometers for the job.

An infrared thermometer can measure the temperature of an objects surface without actually making any contact with it. Very affordable models exist for hobbyist powder coaters and their are more feature-rich options for professionals. They are equipped with a laser pointer to help you aim at the intended area, and they are able to display the temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. These tools make it very easy to quickly check the temperature of powder coated parts while they are curing in the oven. 

Materials you can Powder Coat

Powder coating can be used to coat many types of materials. The most common material is metal, but you can also powder coat wood, plastic, composites, glass, and MDF. The first consideration for coating objects besides metal, is can it withstand the temperature. Most plastics will melt when subjected to 400 degree heat for any length of time so it is important to research exactly what your object is made of before you try to powder coat it.

This glass vase was powder coated red for Valentines Day.

Powders

Powder is one of the most difficult parts of the whole process, choosing one that is. There are literally thousands of different kinds of powders in different colors, textures, and gloss levels. Then add in the fact that you can mix powders(Beginners, don't do this yet!) and do multiple coatings to achieve even more looks. It is baffling, I spend a huge amount of time selecting colors.  If you would like to know some reputable websites to purchase powder from, check out my recommendations.

Powder Coating Ovens

In order to powder coat, you will need some type of oven in order to cure the powder coating.   You will need an oven that is capable of sustaining 450 degrees and it will have to be large enough to fit your powder coated objects inside of.  There are several different options available to a beginning powder coater and they will be discussed in this post. 

The cheapest powder coating ovens that you can use to start with if you don't want to spend too much money are: a toaster oven, a household oven, or a propane grill. You can also get lucky and find a cheap commercial oven.  If you have a larger budget, you can build or buy a large dedicated powder coating oven.  Powders coating ovens are one of those things where the price goes up gradually with the size until you pass household oven and then the price jumps into the thousands of dollars range. An oven you could fit 4 wheels or a bike frame would cost you $2000 or more. If you want to an oven that will fit a car, you're looking at $10,000 to $20,000.  

What is Powder Coating?

Powder coating is the process of applying a paint in the form of powder. Regular liquid type paints are pigments and binders suspended in solvents. Powder coating is solvent free so you are just using the dry pigments and binders. Once the powder is sprayed on your work piece, it must be baked from 350 to 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes.  Each powder has its own specific curing schedule and you should always that schedule when dealing with that particular powder. When the powder is heated, it melts into a liquid, connects together, cures, and once cooled, is dried to a hard, beautiful finish.



You can powder coat almost any object that can withstand the cure temperature of the powder. It is the most common to powder coat metal, however, you can also powder coat composites, MDF, glass, and other items that will not be damaged when subjected to powder coating temperatures. 

Generally, when powder coating metal, the powder is given a positive charge when it leaves the gun and it is attracted to a grounded workpiece. Once the piece is fully and evenly coated, you carefully transfer it to an oven that can heat the powder to the specified temperature. The powder will melt, flow out, and then cure during this process. The usual specification for the piece is anywhere from 350 degrees F for 20 minutes to 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Powder Coating metal serves a couple of purposes.  The functional purpose is that it provides a barrier between the metal and the oxygen around it protecting it from corrosion.  When it comes to iron or steel, this is very important to prevent rust. . However, if the powder coating is scratched, or chipped down to the bare metal underneath, rust can start in this spot.  Media blasting a part before powder coating will provide a profile for the powder to adhere tightly to the part, this helps reduce the spread of rust underneath the powder coating after it is scratched and keeps it centralized to just the scratched area.  You can read more on creating a profile here.

The aesthetic purpose of powder coat is that you can choose from an almost unlimited amount of colors, textures, gloss-levels, ect. Powder coat colors can be applied in multiple coats to achieve even more unique finishes. 

To learn the very basic steps of the powder coating process, check out my Step-by-Step Tutorial.

Powder Coating: Simple Step-by-Step

Here is a powder coating infographic that covers the very basic steps of powder coating. This is the most basic of the basics, but it serves to show you what order the steps should go in. Go to this article to see a much more thorough explanation of the preparation steps: How to Prep for Powder Coating.  Below the infographic, you will find links that expand each step of the process.

Welcome to Powder Coating: The Complete Guide

Welcome to

Powder Coating: The Complete Guide.  

My name is Sean and here I will discuss in detail how to powder coat. If you have no idea what powder coating is, I first suggest reading "What is Powder Coating".  The main focus of this guide is DIY powder coating but there will be plenty of information here for anyone that powder coats.

Being able to powder coat means being able to apply beautiful durable finishes using relatively low cost equipment, and the basics can be learned quickly. The best part about powder coating is that you don't need a large elaborate collection of equipment to do it yourself. The equipment definitely helps and improves the time spent and the final product, but how involved and how much money you want to spend on equipment is up to you.  Powder coating is a great hobby and if you are willing to put in the time to learn it properly and invest in the right equipment, it can be a great career as well.

Learn the steps required to properly prep your parts for powder coating.

Only a few weeks after I received my first powder coating gun and no prior experience, I took this shifter assembly from this condition..

to this condition.  This guide will teach you how to achieve the same results.