Powder paint for model engines

[ShopShoe]

Brian,

I agree, take care and get rested up.

I don't know how it is in Barrie, but here in Central USA the doctors are advising that this year is bad for respiratory problems because of the weather. To paraphrase: "Even if you have never thought you had any allergies you may find out this year that you do." I have only been mildly bothered for most of my life, but this year I have had several bouts of colds, coughs, wheezes, and just plain uncomfortable days. And NO, it isn't COVID.

--ShopShoe

 

[phred]

not just the US and Canada, here in Aus also lots of respiratory problems.
Stay warm, stay dry and stay well.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Better late than never. I had one of my sons drop by this morning and help me lift the powder paint booth into it's final resting place. It is setting on top of my ancient table-saw that I use about once every five years. The height of my garage window from the floor dictated the overall shape of the spray booth. The bottom compartment is probably going to just be a storage area. The top compartment is approximately 20" square x 20" deep, and the exhaust blows out thru the window. I am recovering from my cold, but now my poor wife has it and she is sicker than I was. I still have to put some holes in the spray booth to hold the support rods which the object being painted will be suspended from.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Progress has been slow. In fact, progress has been non existent!!! Wife and I are still recovering from the chest cold from Hell.---But---I knew that I was going to have to be able to measure, in real time, what temperature my toaster oven reached before I started to actually cure powder paint in it. Searching thru my treasures I found this infra red temperature gun. I had bought it a number of years ago to see what temperatures were being reached by the model i.c. engines I build. I spent $3.50 today at the battery shop for a new 9 volt battery, and now I will plug in my toaster oven to see just how toasty it actually gets.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Hmmmm--I may have to educate myself on toaster ovens. Hottest temp I have been able to achieve is 350F according to my i.r. temperature gun, and it has to be 400F to cure powder paint. More research required---

 

[ChazzC]

Hmmmm--I may have to educate myself on toaster ovens. Hottest temp I have been able to achieve is 350F according to my i.r. temperature gun, and it has to be 400F to cure powder paint. More research required---

IIRC Quinn also had problems getting up to 400F; however, whatever temperature she was able to reach worked on the Eastwood powder she was doing.

 

[phred]

IIRC Quinn also had problems getting up to 400F; however, whatever temperature she was able to reach worked on the Eastwood powder she was doing.

the temp of the object may be higher, depending on how much infra-red it absorbs.
Also cant trust the IR gun as it also depends on the target.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I'll check with Quin and see what she has to say about it.---Brian

 

[Ghosty]

Brian,
Just put a small piece of scrap in the oven and then check the temp, does not need to be powder coated
Cheers
Andrew

 

[trlvn]

Your oven was used, right? I believe most of them have 4 heating elements: 2 each on top and bottom. Perhaps 1 or more of yours aren't pulling their weight? Should be replaceable...

Craig

 

[Brian Rupnow]

My google-foo isn't working worth a darn. Can somebody give me a link to Quinns website please.---Brian

 

[Grahn]

If you mean Quinn Dunki her website is https://blondihacks.com/

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Thank You Grahn----Brian

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay--I'm figuring things out as I go along here. The i.r. temperature gun that I have doesn't work when it is looking thru the glass door at an object that is in the oven. I'm getting wildly different temperature readings depending on whether the glass door is open or shut. So, for my next trick I just ran down to Canadian Tire and bought an analog temperature indicator with a big dial on it that I can see thru the glass oven door without opening it. There is a setting for "toast" on the top dial of the oven, and when I set the dial to "toast" I can see the top and the bottom heating element come on. (They glow red). I will post a picture when my camera battery charges up.

 

[ChazzC]

Okay--I'm figuring things out as I go along here. The i.r. temperature gun that I have doesn't work when it is looking thru the glass door at an object that is in the oven. I'm getting wildly different temperature readings depending on whether the glass door is open or shut. So, for my next trick I just ran down to Canadian Tire and bought an analog temperature indicator with a big dial on it that I can see thru the glass oven door without opening it. There is a setting for "toast" on the top dial of the oven, and when I set the dial to "toast" I can see the top and the bottom heating element come on. (They glow red). I will post a picture when my camera battery charges up.

The “Toast” setting typically keeps both sets of elements on 100% of the time so the only temperature control will be whatever the oven has as a safety feature that will shut it down until cooled. What you want to do is see what the regulated temperature is when you set it to 400F

 

[Brian Rupnow]

We are progressing!!! The toaster oven does indeed go up to 400 degrees F . It takes it a while to get up that high, but it does go. Next trick will be if I can get the toaster oven to shut off and then automatically turn back on to maintain that temperature for a pre-set amount of time.

 

[The Ignoble Troll]

Gordon---the cardboard box option is sounding better and better.---Brian

I worked at a place too cheap to spring for a proper paint booth. I took a cardboard box, added baffles and it worked like charm. Used it for months.

I've done the same at home for small jobs. Add a box fan with a merv 13 furnace filter and you're all set.

 

[L98fiero]

We are progressing!!! The toaster oven does indeed go up to 400 degrees F . It takes it a while to get up that high, but it does go. Next trick will be if I can get the toaster oven to shut off and then automatically turn back on to maintain that temperature for a pre-set amount of time.

There are PID temperature controls on Ebay, who generally buy them from China, or direct from Aliexpress for about $20 with the thermocouple, add to that a 25 amp solid state relay for another $10 then leave the toaster control on 'toast' and use the controller to control the temperature. I have one that controls the temperature within a degree, it says less but tat's debateable, but it would definitely do what you need.

 

[Gordon]

There are PID temperature controls on Ebay, who generally buy them from China, or direct from Aliexpress for about $20 with the thermocouple, add to that a 25 amp solid state relay for another $10 then leave the toaster control on 'toast' and use the controller to control the temperature. I have one that controls the temperature within a degree, it says less but tat's debateable, but it would definitely do what you need.

Brian: didn't you buy a kiln a couple of years ago? I added the PID control to mine because the original temperature control was just a rheostat and not at all accurate. It controls the temperature very well.

I don't know if you are just bored after your surgery but I think that you are overthinking this. I have not used my powder coating system a great deal but I have not sandblasted the parts or used a spray booth and I have just stuck the parts in the Salvation Army toaster oven and everything has turned out just fine. With the electrostatic gun there is not much overspray and is easily cleaned up.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Gordon--To a large degree I am overthinking it. I haven't felt like doing much machining since I had my knee replaced in May.--and that is very unusual for me. I have almost worked my way thru this whole powder paint thing, and then I really hope that I soon feel like getting back into the machining side of things.---Brian