The Powder Coating Thread

CheapSuitG said:
Could I get clarification?

Connect the gun ground to:
Connect the part to:
Click to expand...
Ok so the gun ground goes to the ground rod or in your case connected to the outlet ground. The parts are attached to wire and hung from a hanger system the one I have is from Eastwood it’s about 50 dollars. I connect the ground rod to a 25 foot wire with a clamp on the other end and clamp that onto the hanger so the entire hanger is grounded. Allowing you to simply hang the parts but again in your case you probably would use another separate outlet to ground the hanger itself. Unless there’s a way to connect both the gun ground and a separate wire to the same adapter you can just use one outlet but I would recommend using 2 separate ones for the sake of keeping it simple. Hope that makes sense!
 
Here’s the hanger system very simple!
IMG_0108.jpeg

I attach a wire that has a clamp soldered to one end and the other left alone.

IMG_0109.jpeg


The other end is attached the ground rod


IMG_0110.jpeg

Theoretically it doesn’t matter which ground you attach the gun to but for simplicity sakes you can use the same ground rod to do so!
 
steviejr92 said:
Here’s the hanger system very simple!
View attachment 110401

I attach a wire that has a clamp soldered to one end and the other left alone.

View attachment 110402


The other end is attached the ground rod


View attachment 110403

Theoretically it doesn’t matter which ground you attach the gun to but for simplicity sakes you can use the same ground rod to do so!
Click to expand...

That helps a ton.

Connect the gun ground to: Ground from the outlet adapter
Connect the part to: If possible the ground from the adapter, if not a different ground.

But that said, uncool posting unsolicited rod pics!
 
CheapSuitG said:
That helps a ton.

Connect the gun ground to: Ground from the outlet adapter
Connect the part to: If possible the ground from the adapter, if not a different ground.

But that said, uncool posting unsolicited rod pics!
Click to expand...
l honestly think the best thing to do is to jump in there and see if you can get away with not even grounding the gun down just use it as the grounding for the parts in the meantime. This way if you feel like you need to go the ground rod route or even the outlet route at least you can make that decision knowing you need it rather than spending more money right away!
 
I FINALLY got a chance to test everything today. Between the recent cold snap in Denver and a busted compressor, it took a while to get here but overall I’m pretty happy with the results.

My first attempt was Old Navy, a textured flat finish. It turned out great overall, my only issue was a small spot where I accidentally bumped it while moving it.

Next was Modec Blue in a semi gloss. This one was so close to perfect. I had the gun a little too close, and a small area ended up slightly underdone.

Last was Battleship Gloss. Coverage was good, but I did get some orange peel.

The main issue I ran into was with the oven. I just couldn’t get the enclosures up to 400F. It’s technically an “oven,” but it feels more like a toaster oven. The enclosures hovered around 360–375F even when I cranked it to 450. Old Navy only needs 350F so that one cured fine.

I did a test run yesterday and got raw enclosures up above 400. It was also pretty cold today, unheated garage, probably mid40s.

Was it dumb to change color after just doing 1? Probably. I wanted to give a couple finishes a chance.
 

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CheapSuitG said:
I FINALLY got a chance to test everything today. Between the recent cold snap in Denver and a busted compressor, it took a while to get here but overall I’m pretty happy with the results.

My first attempt was Old Navy, a textured flat finish. It turned out great overall, my only issue was a small spot where I accidentally bumped it while moving it.

Next was Modec Blue in a semi gloss. This one was so close to perfect. I had the gun a little too close, and a small area ended up slightly underdone.

Last was Battleship Gloss. Coverage was good, but I did get some orange peel.

The main issue I ran into was with the oven. I just couldn’t get the enclosures up to 400F. It’s technically an “oven,” but it feels more like a toaster oven. The enclosures hovered around 360–375F even when I cranked it to 450. Old Navy only needs 350F so that one cured fine.

I did a test run yesterday and got raw enclosures up above 400. It was also pretty cold today, unheated garage, probably mid40s.

Was it dumb to change color after just doing 1? Probably. I wanted to give a couple finishes a chance.
Click to expand...
Those look fantastic!
 
vigilante398 said:
I've only done that about a billion times.

Enclosures look great! Powdercoating seems intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of the general workflow I find it to be a rather forgiving medium.
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Thanks!
The amount of powder I put on is something I need more experience with. Also, fine tuning how it is held. I think it is a good solution, worked yesterday, but could be improved. Hanging in such a small space as clumsy as I am seemed like a bad idea so got a lazy susan and a couple of junction boxes.

The issue is the flanges lay flat so need a way to elevate them to pick up.



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CheapSuitG said:
Joking aside, interested in the process.
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So the product used was called powder water from Columbia coatings. You’re supposed to mix whichever powder you want and the powder water at a 1:1 ratio by volume. Mix thoroughly and it essentially becomes like paint.

The process is as follows. I first shot the base coat which was white. I flashed it only. Once flashed, and cooled down I took the mixture and used a paint brush to fling it all over the enclosures. Once that was done to each one I let them air dry on their own. Once dry, I flashed the enclosures once again to set the powder paint. I then took them out and used a phantom clear coat to achieve a cloudy look resembling the jaw breaker look.
 
So there's always a catch... For a while, I was hoping it was just drinking water and powder. I started digging around, and apparently you can try acetone. Just wait for it to evaporate, of course 🔥
 
steviejr92 said:
So the product used was called powder water from Columbia coatings. You’re supposed to mix whichever powder you want and the powder water at a 1:1 ratio by volume. Mix thoroughly and it essentially becomes like paint.

The process is as follows. I first shot the base coat which was white. I flashed it only. Once flashed, and cooled down I took the mixture and used a paint brush to fling it all over the enclosures. Once that was done to each one I let them air dry on their own. Once dry, I flashed the enclosures once again to set the powder paint. I then took them out and used a phantom clear coat to achieve a cloudy look resembling the jaw breaker look.
Click to expand...
I tried holy water but that ended poorly…
 
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