How to Build a Powder Coating Oven

Powder coating requires either an oven or infrared heating in order to cure the powder.   A household oven or even a toaster oven are great for smaller parts, but you will always be limited by the oven size.  If you are interested in a smaller oven, check out the original oven article: Powder Coating Ovens. If you want to start powder coating large parts, you will either need to spend a lot of money or make your own.  In this article, I will be focusing on how to build your own powder coating oven. It may seem intimidating if you have never attempted this kind of project, but with the information available on the internet, you can easily tackle this job, save money and end up with a large powder coating oven.  No welding is required to build the powder coating oven featured in this article.  This is part one of a two-part powder coating oven build.  See How to Build a Powder Coating Oven Part II for the remaining steps.

How to Build a Powder Coating Oven Part II

     Welcome to "How to Build a Powder Coating Oven - Part II."  See How to Build a Powder Coating Oven Part 1.  In part 1, we build the oven frame, we started skinning it in sheet metal, we added lights and the convection blower, and also insulation and heating elements.  I am going to pick up right were we left off.  This powder coating oven build was done by KNJ Custom Coating and I want to thank them for contributing all of the information and pictures.

How to Avoid Easily Chipped Powder Coat

Powder coating is usually an easy-going process that produces a brilliant and durable finish.  However, occasionally; or if you're new, it may be a lot more frequent, you'll pull a part out of the oven and see that it is full of defects.  The following articles will help you identify those defects and learn what you need to do to avoid seeing them again.  This is the beginning of a series of articles that will help you solve issues with powder coating defects. This article will discuss one of the more serious powder coating defects: powder coat that is easily chipped.

Powder Coating Guns

If you are completely new to Powder Coating, I recommend that you start off by getting a beginner powder coating gun.  These are priced at less than $200. After you have that, you can try it out and see if it's something you want to pursue. This post will talk about some good powder coating guns you can start out with, but first take a look at some of the other equipment and supplies you will need:

Clicking the links will take you to the appropriate article on this site
Powder coating gun - Read about them below in this post.

1. Oven
2. Powder
3. Something to powder coat
4. Air Compressor (Unless you use the Craftsman powder coating gun)
5. Non-contact Infrared Thermometer
6. Grounding Rod
7. Media Blaster 
8. Powder Coat Stripper - for WHEN you mess up.
9. Degreaser & Soap
10. Masking supplies: plugs, high-temp tape, blue painters tape, etc.
11. Denatured Alcohol
12. Disposable Gloves
13. Respirator

Spraying Multiple Coats

There are several instances when powder coating where multiple coats will be involved.  Often times, it is a clear coat for added protection and appearance. Sometimes it is required, chrome powders need a clear to protect them from oxidizing.  Candy colors need a chrome base to achieve the candy look.  Also, multiple colors can be applied onto one part to achieve a two-tone look.  This article will help you apply multiple coats of powder the correct way.

Plumbing Your Air Compressor

Plumbing serves a couple of purposes when it comes to your air compressor. Not only does it allow the air to get from point A to point B in your shop or garage, but it can also help to cool the air which assists in reducing moisture. This is very important for powder coating and sandblasting, as well as any other pneumatic tool you may use including HVLP paint guns and standard air tools. The material you choose for your air lines and the way it is laid out can have a drastic effect on the amount of moisture coming out at the end of your air hose as well as the CFM provided. This article will help you decide how to set up the air lines in your shop or garage. 

How to Spray Powder Coat

Spraying powder coat is a fairly simple point-and-shoot job once you get the hang of it.  After you have done all of the necessary cleaning, blasting, and masking; shooting the powder is the next step.  This article will help you achieve the correct coating thickness and avoid orange peel and other defects.

How to Prep for Powder Coating

Powder coating requires some very specific prep work if you want your finished product to be free of flaws and last a long time. The preparation steps below will eliminate 99% of any issues you may be having in your powder coating work. If you plan to start powder coating in the future, this step-by-step will give you an idea of what kind of prep work is required for successful coating. 

How to Dry Compressed Air

You have your air compressor and powder coating gun and you are ready to start powder coating? Not so fast, make sure you read this article first. When powder coating or sandblasting, you need clean, dry air. More than just compressed air comes out of the outlet of your air compressor. Water, dirt, and oil will also be included in this compressed air. It is very important that you treat your compressed air and remove these contaminants when using your air compressor for powder coating. The same information I am about to provide also applies to auto painting, compressed air machinery, or even just using common air tools. Any tool that connects to your air compressor will appreciate a clean air supply.   Read this article: How to Choose an Air Compressor if you haven't purchased an air compressor yet. 

Choosing an Air Compressor

An air compressor is an essential component in nearly all powder coating applications. It provides the air necessary for media blasting, blowing off parts, and of course, a powder coating gun. 

To those that are on the fence about whether they decide to get into powder coating, an air compressor may seem like an expensive item that takes up too much space. Don’t let that prohibit you though. Air compressors come in all shapes, sizes, and prices; and there is one available for every level of powder coater, from a complete beginner, to a large established shop. 

An air compressor is also incredibly useful to have available to you, even when you’re not powder coating. A large world of pneumatic tools becomes available to you, with the right air compressor. 

This article will cover the basic parts of an air compressor and the terminology used to describe its performance. I am hoping that this information will help you to choose the right air compressor that will assist your powder coating experience.

Where to Buy Powder

There are several companies that manufacture powder coating powders. Dupont, PPG, NIC, Tiger Drylac, Sherwin Williams, & 3M are some popular manufactures.  However, large companies like these prefer to sell large quantities of powder.  It is not practical for them to mess around with selling 1lb here and 1lb there. Some of their "sample sizes" are 50lb boxes.  As a small, custom powder coater, you will probably not want 50lbs of any one color so ordering directly from these companies isn't practical.  Luckily there are companies out there that buy these powders in the large quantities and re-sell them in much smaller quantities.  This allows you to buy powders in 1lb quantities, and in some cases, even 1/2lb quantities.  The average price for a pound of powder is about $12 and 1 pound can go a long way. 

Masking Part II: Perfect Masking Lines

Learn how to get perfect masking lines. Also several different masking materials explained.

      In the last masking article, I covered the very basic masking supplies needed for powder coating and also the reasons you would need to mask. In this article, I will show you some not so common ways to mask off parts when powder coating and also show you how to get nice, clean looking masking lines.

Why Masking is Necessary For Powder Coating and Which Masking Supplies To Use

Masking is a tedious but required part of powder coating.  Masking powder coat is done for either appearance or for function and both of these topics will be explained more in-depth in this article. I will also discuss some of the more basic, but important, powder coating masking materials and supplies.

Related articles: Masking Part II and Wall-Mounted High Temp Tape Dispenser.

When powder coating, it is important to mask off certain areas of certain things.  Powder coating is a thicker coating than most paints and if you don't mask certain areas, things might not go back together when you're done.  You can also use masking techniques to make designs, logos, and words on the things you are powder coating for a different look.  Masking techniques and supplies are not all standardized, sometimes you have to get creative to mask off certain items.  Again, this will be one of several articles on masking, so I will cover the basics of masking here.

This alternator case is masked with Polyester Powder Coating Tape.  This tape can withstand 400 degrees without degrading.

Cleaning and Degreasing before Powder Coating

Lets talk about the first step of the powder coating process: thoroughly cleaning and degreasing. Even if the piece is brand new, it should be cleaned. Powder coat adheres best to clean bare metal. Dirt, oils, and other contaminants left on a powder coated part can cause adhesion issues including complete delamination of the coating, and visual issues such as specks, bumps, of fish eyes visible in the coating.
Following the steps in this article will ensure that your parts are thoroughly cleaned and ready for the next step in the powder coating process.

Alternatives to Sand Blasting

When powder coating, media blasting (sand blasting) is one of the best preparation methods possible. It cleans, de-rusts, and it leaves behind a texture that makes powder coating stick like nothing else. Read this Media Blasting article to realize the full benefits. But for the stubborn people out there (I was one of them) who don't own a big air compressor or sandblaster and don't want to invest in them, I will go over some alternatives to sandblasting. Note: The alternatives are slower and do not achieve the same durability in the powder coating finish as media blasting.

Powdercoatguide.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

There are some parts that I will still use this method on. Valve covers and oil pans with internal baffles like to trap blast media. Unless you remove the baffles to thoroughly clean out all of the media afterwards, media will get trapped in the part. Later when these parts are installed in the engine, the media can get washed out by the oil and circulated around the engine. Blast media will quickly score bearings and journals inside the engine which can result in an engine rebuild. Not worth the risk to me to media blast these types of parts.

Stripping Powder Coat

Lets talk about how to remove powder coat. Why would you want to strip powder coat from a part? As you start powder coating, you are going to make some errors. It doesn't always come out like you expected. If that happens, it is nice to be able to remove the powder coating so you can try again. There are several ways to remove powder coat. You can remove powder coating with a chemical stripper, media blasting, or a burn-off oven.

Powder Coating: Perfect for Car Restorations

I am going to take a break on explaining the types of tools needed for powder coating and discuss powder coating from a car restoration standpoint.  I am in the middle of a car restoration myself. My car is a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4. I learned to powder coat for this car and powder coating will play a major role in making this car look new and keep it that way for many years.  Because powder coating comes in so many colors, shades and textures, it can match basically any finish possible.  Even if you have a 60's era muscle car and would like a completely concourse restoration, powder coating can be used to match those original finishes.

Media Blasting Part II - Setting up a Sandblast Cabinet

This article will talk about setting up a media blasting cabinet to be as efficient as possible so that you can easily prepare your parts for powder coating. I explained the different types of media blasting methods such as pressure pot, siphon blasting, sandblasting cabinets, blasting outdoors, and dedicated media blasting rooms in the previous article: Media Blasting.

For most powder coaters, a media blasting cabinet will be the most ideal way to prepare your parts for powder coating.  They are available in a range of sizes that will suit small DIY projects up to very large projects.  Media blasting cabinets keep all of your blasting media contained in a sealed environment and which allows you to get the most use out of your media and also keep your area clean. Here is an example of a cheap media blasting cabinet for a small DIY powder coating setup:

Why Sandblasting is the Best Method to Prepare for Powder Coating

Media blasting also known as sandblasting is a great preparation method for powder coating.

When powder coating, it is very important that the item you are coating is completely clean of oils, dirt, paint, rust, corrosion, and damaged plating (zinc, nickel, chrome, etc). All of these things can interfere with the powder coating process causing imperfections in the finish or causing it to fail completely. After cleaning your item of all oils and dirt, a media blaster does the job of removing rust and corrosion very easily and thoroughly when compared to other methods.

How to Properly Ground Powder Coated Parts with a Dedicated Ground Rod

Improve the attraction of powder to your parts while powder coating.

If you are powder coating a metal part, it must be grounded. The ground is what attracts the powder to the part. The better the ground, the more efficient your powder coating gun can work, especially when spraying multiple coats or intricate parts. Often a powder coating gun or the guns control box will come with a small 18-gauge ground wire and a mini alligator clip that you can connect to your part to ground it. I will call this the "stock" ground. The stock ground continues through the control box, through the small gauge wire to plug into a wall outlet, and then finally reaches ground after it travels through your buildings electrical. This is not a sufficient ground for proper powder coating. No matter how good of gun you have, you need to install a DEDICATED GROUNDING ROD.