[BobAsh]

I've never really been a fan of powdercoating, mainly since you have to give up control of the project. But since I got started on my new pre-unit project I've been giving it a hard look. (Robbie, I know we talked about this!)

Anyway, I figured if I could do it myself it might be worthwhile. A fun project if nothing else. SO here goes: First I got a double oven off of CL; figured I could make the thing one large cavity.

Job one is the teardown

After removing the porcelain-on-steel oven boxes, I cut the facing ends like a "T"

Spread the panels and reinstalled

With the original rock wool packing of course

 

[BobAsh]

Then the upper

And start screwing the whole thing together

The door was intimidating but I got lucky. I found some surplus paintbooth sections that were formed sheet metal 24" wide; perfect for what I wanted. All I had to do was bolt in some unistrut for the top and bottom ends. Also, one in the middle for good measure and installed the window from the original oven.

There was a gap at the back wall to be filled, but there was plenty of sheet metal left over from the oven teardown

Then I hung the door.

SO the last issues were to latch and seal the door. Off to Home Depot for some fiberglass rope- they sell this to repair wood-burning stove doors. I started with these shallow channels that are intended for hanging shelf brackets

I put a piece of safety wire every few inches and screwed it down to the oven. Then I twisted the wires, securing the rope to the channel.

Almost ready to go! Last job was to insulate and skin the outside of the door

And build the latch (made from a welding hammer)

 

[BobAsh]

I looked at a lot of the lower-end powder guns. They run from Harbor Freights $60 gun to many thousands of dollars, but I finally settled on the Caswell gun. $140, and it's adjustable from 30-50 kilovolts.

My "spraybooth" is a rolling clothes rack from the attic and a dropcloth. I screwed a wire shelf to the top to give me places to hang the parts.

50 kilovolts in action!

My test piece was this engine mount; pretty manky but I carefully grit-blasted, then sanded it to get it somewhat smooth.

After coating, it looks furry as if flocked; which it has been I suppose.

When the part gets up to temp, the powder flows out and becomes shiny

Then you set the timer for 10 mins and out it comes! Ready to use as soon as it cools.

 

[bobberadam]

bad ass! thanks for the tech.

 

[BobAsh]

I'm very pleased with the results. There's hardly any cleanup; no "overspray". You just sweep up the powder that doesnt stick but there was hardly any.

Powder is about $10 a pound, which they claim will cover 70 sqft. Seems about right, I bought 2 pounds and it looks like more than a quart of paint.

 

[[email protected]]

inventive and impressive - nice work

 

[Finnrodder]

Thats cool!

 

[sixball]

I had the Casswell setup myself. I used a single oven, and was able to do alot of stuff, basically anything that would fit in the oven. With the extra capacity of your oven, you can do much more.

Sixball

 

[Tony the torch]

now I want one. our powder coater has a $35 minimum.

 

[BobAsh]

It's big enough to take my pre-unit swingarm frame...somewhere around 20x20x40.

Costs:

$100 oven
$140 gun
$15 in hardware (hinges, channel, rope)
$6 chipping hammer (a luxury item, but its handy since you can run the door without a glove)

$261 total

 

[ElkCreek]

That is Wicked! Awsome post. Thankyou! Very Talented.

 

[deluxe72]

Doing things yourself is cool. Savings tons of money and having something pretty to look at as a result is even cooler.

 

[swooshdave]

Not unusual to find free ovens on CL. As long as you can pick them up. Doubles like this would be more rare.

 

[BobAsh]

Not unusual to find free ovens on CL. As long as you can pick them up. Doubles like this would be more rare.

I saw some free ones and some as low as $20, but I really wanted the flexibility of the large cavity.

It probably would have made more sense to just use free oven and then just throw it away but I do love a project. And it'll do my frame.

 

[Loffer]

its good to pre heat , clean and then coat. .

 

[hillbillyhell]

If you're just cooking for 10 minutes after the powder flows out, you're undercuring the powder and it won't be as durable as it should be. Get yourself an IR thermometer, and don't start your "time" until the part itself is at cure temp.

 

[Blue Collar Moto]

Good deal. Like the setup. I've always envisioned taking two stand alones and mating them up side by side.

 

[harleyd4me]

I love it to but you never did tell the secret ingredient !!
What the hell did you tell your Mrs happened to her oven, and live. LOL

 

[Markee]

Every garage should have this set up for small parts, Its just to easy. Only trick i've found for good results is to be careful not to put to much power on (which it will stand up to let you know), if you do you can blow on the area and re apply.

 

[Hogridenfool]

I bought my kit from eastwood and an oven was free on craigslist (the range didn't work)of course I had to pick it up,I mounted it on a 3ft high frame with wheels when it's not in use I move it under the deck in the backyard.
as Tony the tourch said a minium of $35.00 at the powder coater and my powder coater won't do small pieces like spacers and bolts,whats nice is you can put everything off the motorcycle in a single oven but the frame.
I really like the idea of the double oven.