A guide to power coating at home
Powder coating is best done by professionals. However, the process is not challenging, especially if you are coating a small part. Therefore, it can be done at home with this simple guide.
Clean the part to be powder coated
You do not want to apply your powder coat on a dirty surface. Such might make the coat look uneven as expected. Therefore, you have to scrub every inch of the surface to ensure that it is all clean. Once you have cleaned the surface and applied the powder coat, you will be amazed by the perfect results you get.
Spray the powder
This is the step where you apply the powder coat to your item. It might seem like an easy process, but there are some precautions you need to take
The powder is flammable, and therefore, you should not work near an open fire because this can cause you serious injuries.
The powder gun uses electricity to produce the electric charges responsible for drying the powder. Hence, the emitter can cause an electric shock and should not be touched.
When inhaled, the powder can cause serious health problems. It is advisable to wear a charcoal respirator or a dust particulate mask to prevent yourself from inhaling the dust.
Place the parts in the oven to dry
Powder coating equipment comes in different sizes. Therefore, when you are buying one, you need to ensure that the Powder coating oven is large enough to accommodate your item. Once you have cleaned the part to be coated, you have to place it on the oven grate. This will hold it still to ensure the powder coat is only applied to the necessary areas. You do not want to coat areas that were not made to be coated. All you have to do is buy a home coating-kit from the market. There is a variety of them being sold at affordable prices.
The process of spraying the powder and putting the item in the powder coating oven is repeated until you get the desired appearance. In most cases, two coats are enough to give your object the best look you were looking for. However, some items might require more coats to look amazing. You only need to use your eyes to determine whether you should apply another coat or not.
Once placed in the oven, the powder coat should melt into a smooth finish. In some cases, you might notice that the powder is forming bubbles. In this case, you should let it continue heating in the oven until the smoke has cleared. At this point, the bubble should have cleared. The next step is to remove the item from the oven and let it cool. With these simple steps, you will have powder-coated your item at home. This will save you the cost you could have incurred taking it to a professional. Powder coating is an easy process, and that only requires someone to use the right equipment. Powder-coated items take long before the coating starts to peel off. Therefore, you can be assured of your money’s value.
