Friday, March 7, 2014
How to Prepare for a Powder Coating
Powder coating is applied by heating an object and then dipping it into a tank of fluidised, or aerated, powder coat. The powder coat is heated so it melts and adheres to the object. Powder coat can also be applied by spraying electrostatically charged powder-coat paint onto the object and then heating to finish the process. Powder coating is commonly used as a finish for many automotive parts, including brake calipers, engine blocks and car frames. Before the powder-coating process can begin, the object must be properly prepared to receive the powder coat for proper adhesion.
Instructions
- 1
Remove parts attached to the object that will be powder coated. Loosen and remove bolts or screws holding parts in place and remove gaskets and bearings that do not need to be powder coated from the object. Use a screwdriver, adjustable wrench or pliers to help remove parts.
2Sand the object you are having powder coated with sandpaper to remove old paint or rust. Begin with a coarse-grit sandpaper and change to progressively finer grit until the bare metal is exposed and is free of all paint and finish.
3Wipe the surface with Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). Wearing gloves and safety glass, pour MEK onto a rag. Wipe the object to remove debris and dust remaining from the sanding process.
4Tape off areas of the object, including bolt threads, on which the powder coat should not be applied. Cover the areas to be excluded from the powder coat with high-temperature masking tape.
5Cover exposed bolt threads and other small parts that cannot be removed with silicon caps and plugs. Place the caps and plugs securely on the parts.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
How to Powder Coat a Frame
Powder coating is the process in which dried paint particles are electrostatically charged and sprayed on to your frame. The final product is the same as having two coats of cured wet paint on the surface. This method is fairly new to the painting world, first applied in Australia in 1967. With good preparation, powder coating will give you a solid painted surface that will stand up to the elements.
Instructions
- 1
Sand away any oxidation or previous paint coatings from your frame. Start with the heavy grit sandpaper if you need to remove layers of paint. Sand the frame again with the medium grit sandpaper to remove any scratches. Wet sand the frame with the fine grit sandpaper to prepare the surface for a smooth paint job.
2Wipe the frame down with tack cloth to remove all dust and particles.
3Attach the ground wire from your powder coating gun to the hanging rack. This ground loop will attract the charged paint particles to your frames surface.
4Plug the power cord for your powder coating gun into a nearby electrical outlet. This will allow the gun to charge the paint particles as they are blown onto the frames surface.
5Connect your powder coat gun to the air supply hose from the air compressor.
6Turn on the air compressor and let it charge for three minutes to build up pressure.
7Fill your paint sprayer with powder coating.
8Spray the frame evenly until all surfaces are coated.
9Place the frame in the oven at 400 degrees and allow it to bake for 15 minutes.
10Remove the frame from the oven carefully using the gloves. Allow it to cool down before handling.
