Last Piece of My Powder-Coating Puzzle

[foakes]

Couple of years ago, I decided to convert one of 6 partitioned outer shops into a powder coating station.

Well...got most everything —- steel tables, media blaster, powder coating booth, PC gun, airlines from one of the compressors, electrical, venting, masks, accessories, plugs, tape, IR temperature gun, and a bunch more stuff.

Also picked up a nearly new electric oven off of CL.

Had been using an old toaster oven —- but it wasn't ideal or powerful enough.

Well, after checking the electrical requirements for the large oven —- turns out I needed 240V, 50 Amp service.

I had 240V already in the shop, and a dedicated breaker —- but it was only 40 Amps.  The overhead wire going out to the shop to the sub-panel was not large enough gauge for 50 amp requirements.

So I have been considering changing out the service overhead line to a larger gauge, but everything I computed out was too close on maximums for me to feel comfortable.  Then I called PG&E to ask if they would connect a separate meter and service to the shop, since it was only a 30' drop from the transformer supply pole.  After messing with them and exploring the expense since everything had to be done by a licensed electrician, permits, inspections, and a lot of red tape —- I put everything on hold for awhile.

Even tried looking at lower power consumption ovens —- but that was not feasible from an economic standpoint.

Then, I finally realized (Doh!) that I was only mainly doing fishing reels —- not large things.  Picked up a PC Oven from Eastwood for $100 & free shipping.  And imagine this —- it came with a legible, readable, in English, complete owners manual for everything I needed to know about curing PC paint.

Getting closer now.

Should start messing around with it in a few days.

Best, Fred

[oldmanjoe]

I know that you started collecting the tools a while ago . Waiting to see your results and durability on fishing reels .

[Bill B]

Cool beans. Now I'm wondering what a DQ 330 in fire engine red would look like.

[jgp12000]

I know u have plenty of reels already, but if I find any missing lots of paint would you want them to practice on. N/C & brands you have parts for of course?
JP

[oldmanjoe]

  That`a sounds like a kind offer "free practice reels" 

 Close enough for fire engine red ..

[foakes]

Sure, I'd take some if you have some you don't need, JP —

This will be amateur hour for me until I get some practice, and make some mistakes.

Like most new things.

Thanks!

Best, Fred

[jgp12000]

I have only powder coated jig heads which is a no brainer, heat the unpainted jig head with a match & dip in the jar.
I imagine it will be addictive like rod building.

[jurelometer]

I know that you started collecting the tools a while ago . Waiting to see your results and durability on fishing reels .

Powder coating with urethanes is very durable on reels. I've tried to blast it off with garnet in a booth and could not get all the paint off without blasting off a bunch of metal too.

Powder coating is more flexible, so it does not chip when applied properly.  This flexibility also means that it is not as hard as something like a baked on enamel, so it is not quite as resistant to surface scratching.  I think that this  is a good tradeoff, as it provides more protection for folk that are tough on their reels, and a better looking product for folk that want a reel that looks good as well.

UV fading can be an issue in some situations, but this can be mitigated by choosing resistant products/colors and/or applying an additional clear coat layer.

Fred:  One thing that you might want to check is how accurately the oven sets and maintains the desired temperatures with some reel parts inside.  The Eastwood oven is a toaster oven that they found good enough to rebrand for powder coating.  I would expect that it is just the same simple thermostat switch that  my toaster oven has.  Mine was not very accurate.  I eventually just replaced the thermostat with an on/off switch, and plug the oven into a PID temp controller that I built for other purposes.  Stick the probe in the oven, tune the controller, and it will hold a steady temperature with excellent accuracy.  Hopefully not needed in your case, but good to check to remove one possible variable. 

Looking forward to seeing your results!

-J

[foakes]

Good idea, Dave —-

Thanks!

Dave (jurelometer) was kind enough to offer powder coating advice a few years ago when I expressed an interest.

Very knowledgeable & helpful.

Eventually I'll get the big oven up and running. But in the meantime —- this should do.

Best, Fred

[oldmanjoe]

You have me thinking about the big oven .  What is the wattage for each  element , assuming it has oven and broiler elements .   It might be easy to change a element for a less wattage that fits that oven ,usually 25-30 dollars replacements .  Lot cheaper than a new service run .

[foakes]

That might be a good thought Joe —-

I will look into that.

That is likely where the IR thermometer, plus an ON/OFF switch may also come in handy.  Ideal temperature should be about 400°.

Best, Fred

[foakes]

Next question for Tom, Dave, Joe, or any other experts —-

What media is the best for removing old paint from reel bodies, rotors, plates, and other parts?

I have a Redline bench top blaster —-

I have garnet.  But would walnut shells, ceramic beads, or something else be better?

Also will be using a cartridge tumbler for smaller parts that won't be painted generally.

Appreciate any advice.

Best, Fred

[oldmanjoe]

Garnet and aluminum oxide in the cabinet are good mediums .   Walnut in the tumbler .

[oldmanjoe]

You may want to look into cover shield for inside the cabinet glass ,something like this .

https://www.amazon.com/Abrasive-Polyester-Sandblast-Protector-Replacement/dp/B0BGK4ZQ5C?th=1

[foakes]

You may want to look into cover shield for inside the cabinet glass ,something like this .

https://www.amazon.com/Abrasive-Polyester-Sandblast-Protector-Replacement/dp/B0BGK4ZQ5C?th=1

Thanks Joe —-

Yes, I have those already.  Along with a powerful LED light that goes on the outside of the glass instead of the weenie one on the inside.

Best, Fred