Anybody doing it?

I spend a fair amount of time in the Winter building/repairing/restoring toys. Spray painting is problematic on two levels: Too cold to do it outdoors, can't do it indoors due to fumes.

I'm thinking a bench top powder coating system may be the answer. Going by the Ewe Toobers, Eastwood seems to have a good reputation and somewhat reasonable prices.

Some questions:

1. It seems that dust is a problem. Respirators highly recommended, etc. So I'm wondering if it's a good idea to do it in a basement that is used for many other things?

2. If not, and I'm banished to the garage (which I expect to be the case) can you do it in barely-above-freezing temperatures? I'd think the actual baking wouldn't be a problem other than longer times to get up to temp, but are temperatures of the powder and the object being coated critical?

3. Are there odors involved in the baking process?

4. Can an ordinary toaster oven be used to cure the powder? I'm sure it'd manage the required temperature (which seems to be 400°) but I'm a little concerned about the open element.

My problem is with large items and the oven.
I have a bunch of powder coating stuff from Eastwood but rarely use it since I started Cerakoting.
As far as doing it an basement is fine but I would figure out some sort of ventilation path.
That would fix any odor issues too.
A toaster oven can work OK for the most part.

How about a metal box surrounding the toaster oven? Use dryer ducting directed to a basement window using a computer cooling fan to pull the fumes out.

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
How about a metal box surrounding the toaster oven? Use dryer ducting directed to a basement window using a computer cooling fan to pull the fumes out.

I actually use that exact system to extract smoke/fumes from my benchtop lathe and mill. Works a treat!

I could fairly easily build a painting enclosure with a furnace filter to do the actual powder coating in.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
My problem is with large items and the oven.
I have a bunch of powder coating stuff from Eastwood but rarely use it since I started Cerakoting.
As far as doing it an basement is fine but I would figure out some sort of ventilation path.
That would fix any odor issues too.
A toaster oven can work OK for the most part.

Thanks. I can get a kit and an assortment of paints and prep from Eastwood for around $200 which is doable.

I powder coat bullets via the tumbling method, and always wonder about the guys I see spraying them. Where is all that over spray going? Powder coat makes one heck of a mess and is a pain to clean. I can't imagine spraying in your basement or garage without containment, I'd think everything would get covered.

My experience is bullets and some wrenches and hand tools.
It is put on electerasticly with air at 30 psi then to a confection oven at 400 deg for 20 minutes.
They make a brushon liquid for metal and I used on cast iron craftsman table saw in basement that would re rust after you sanded it while you watched. The stuff looked like sweet milk and the next day it was black.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:
My experience is bullets and some wrenches and hand tools.
It is put on electerasticly with air at 30 psi then to a confection oven at 400 deg for 20 minutes.
They make a brushon liquid for metal and I used on cast iron craftsman table saw in basement that would re rust after you sanded it while you watched. The stuff looked like sweet milk and the next day it was black.

edit to add two products=Evapo rust [er12] $16.85 and crc rust converter $20.73 from Amazon.
They work.

There should be no fumes if the powder is electrostaticly applied. The heating in the oven changes the powder to a solid by melting the powder molecules until they flow together. There should only be fumes if you overheat or burn the powder.
Most of the overspray goes into filters at the back of the spray booth or on the floor of the booth where it is swept up or vacuumed up.