powder coating (first post no proper pics)

[cycleruk]

Late last year and early this year i found myself bulding and rebulid 2 bikes< i enjoyed it so much ( i learnt a lot) that i wanted to take it a step futher. Last year i sprayed painted a bike
it was ok but i felt i could do beter so decided to look into powder coating, When i found out you could do it at home i was well up for it. This thread will document everything i do to powder coat a frame, unfortunately its not that simple but is do able!!!

Items i need : oven (will need to be self bulit, more on this later). powder coating gun (all ready have this, Pics later) compressor to power the gun, and bits and bobs to prep the frame.Sorry that there is not many pics but that will change in the second post and beyond!

PLEASE NOTE
I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL POWDER COATER OR ELECTRICIAN AND EVERY THING I DO MIGHT NOT BE UP TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS
IF IN ANY DOUBT, SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP!


I HAVE TO SAY THIS AS 240V IS MORE THEN ENOUGTH TO SEND YOU ACROSS THE LIVING ROOM!!!!!!!

I have spent many hours (many hours!) looking through how everything works, what i need to do, the tools i require and so on and i have only just started the ball rolling. This thread will show everything i do with lots of pictures. Please feel free to ask questions and i will do my best to answer but do not relay on my answers alone as they may not be right.

Right now thats all out the way watch this space for more up dates!

 

[simon.r]

Looking forward to this!

I'm about to build up a bike and thought about documenting it and posting it as I've learnt so much from others who've done similar things. You may inspire me!

(What's the yellow stuff in the background - looks like the shavings from a butt-jointed PE gas pipe?)

 

[cycleruk]

Its an old bit of rope used to hold the frame up while i was painting and drying the frame. I will use something a little more heavy duty when it comes to curing the powder as the curing tempreture is around 200 degrees!

 

[cycleruk]

I now have the last of the bits required to start on the final strip down of the frame. paint striper, hot air gun plus old frame from the back garden (joys of alloy means it wont rust)

First, i need to take all the stickers off
heat up with a hot air gun to make the sticker go soft

Then start with a blade, peel the sticker away from the frame slightly.

Then peel away with fingers, remember, the frame may be a bit hot!

Unsure about the solvent free, odour free, safe properties of this paint stiper i have, i gave it a go on a small part of the frame. (it is spose to be as good as the solvent based striper but a hell of a lot safer). i was shocked at the results!!!

i was truly shocked at the result but it done the job very well indeed and i had no ill feeling after use.

After a few hours looking like this

It then turned out looking like this.

No more solvent based striper for me. 90% of a good paint job is in the prep work before hand. I still need to rub down and key the surface and degrease the frame but it could be a month or two, so i will do it when the oven has been done. I hope to have the last parts required (compressor and air brush) for the painting side of things this week, i will then introduce the powder coating gun befor commencing with the oven bulid

 

[cycleruk]

The tools i will require to paint have now turned up.

the compressor

it may be small but this little beast is more then enough to power the air brush and powder coating gun.

pressure regurlator and water trap

the regurlator is there to turn the out put down a bit, if i was to hook the gun or air brush up directy then there would be too much air going to them and they wont work propley. the water trap is there to stop any water going through the system, the gun also has one. water getting through will mess the paint job up big time.

air brush

the idea is to replace the stickers with painted on graphics and so on (thats the idea anyway)

powder coating gun

this is what i will use to apply the powder. The gun charges the powder with a positve charge then a earth strap goes onto the frame and the powder is attracted to the frame electrostatically.
Think of a balloon as the powder and the wall as the frame, you rube the balloon on your head and create a static charge and the balloon sticks to the wall, same pincipal..... simples!

next week, i can now make a start on buliding the oven and control pannel. Oven dimensions are as follows (aprox) 5 feet tall,3 and a half feet in width and 1 and a half feet deep. the oven will use two 2500 W oven elements ( i will wire every thing up in parallel so i can easly add if need be) i will use the following for the controls, pid controller and a higher then needed rating ssr with heat sink, on/off switch and will also be fused. options include a fan and light but it is a small oven so i dont think i will need it.


ive also been looking at what parts to use on the bike, (still need to paint the frame yet ) but looks like i will need to bulid my own wheels up so i will need to get hold of a dti and vernier gauge before i can start (the frame). Just thinking ahead

 

[vernon]

It would have been cheaper to buy a new bike

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Did this get finished?

 

[Garz]

Me interested too.

 

[Cheddar George]

I am also interested as i have an old frame in the garage.

I did check cycleruks profile page, he has been active recently. I was worried that his last post was a picture showing "High Voltage Hazard Do Not Touch".

 

[Garz]

So that's three interested folk (with probably more lurking) waiting..

 

[colly]

I interested.

 

[Chris-H]

and me

 

[Biglad82]

I started a project about 3 year a go, and had a word with a local vehicle repair garage, and for 50notes matt black powder coated my frame, saved me a hell of a lot of hassle and cash.. Can't wait to see more on this

 

[Garz]

I started a project about 3 year a go, and had a word with a local vehicle repair garage, and for 50notes matt black powder coated my frame, saved me a hell of a lot of hassle and cash.. Can't wait to see more on this

+1 Wise approach

 

[Tomba]

I started a project about 3 year a go, and had a word with a local vehicle repair garage, and for 50notes matt black powder coated my frame, saved me a hell of a lot of hassle and cash.. Can't wait to see more on this

Was the £50 for a frame you had stripped and prepped yourself or did the shop do the strip/prep?