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TrypWyr
09-13-2012, 08:56 PM
Hoping this section is okay for this...

I picked up a Craftsman Powder Coating kit last week and finally got some powder in today! The powder coating gun is a simple fan-driven plastic thing, but seems like it will work well for the little bit of coating I need for small parts. No way I can approach Tim's level of quality but I think it's better than spray paint, if I say so myself.

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I had this gear laying around and it was kind of scuffed up from its previous life. The coating is "Black Chrome II" and pretty dark. I think it turned out pretty good, being that it was coated with a cheap gun and cooked in a toaster oven!

Just wanted to share my joy at a new (for me) way of customizing my saber parts, and encourage anyone out there who though PC'ing was too expensive to do at home to give it a try. There are cheap versions of the good tools and you can actually get decent results! :D

Tryp

Yoshi-Taka
09-13-2012, 09:10 PM
Did you PC the threaded sections as well? Or just the main part that you see? It looks pretty good; I'm impressed.

TrypWyr
09-13-2012, 09:31 PM
Not on the threads. The kit I bought came with high-temp masking tape and it came in handy. I was actually worried that the powder would "leak" past the tape like paint can, but I got very clean lines, much better than expected.

Thanks for the kind words! :)

Yoshi-Taka
09-13-2012, 09:36 PM
Right on. I might have to give this a try myself in future projects. Can you post a picture of just the MHS gear piece by itself? Or is the saber fully constructed?

TrypWyr
09-13-2012, 10:12 PM
Nope, not in a build yet. It was an extra piece I had around and due to its scuff marks I wasn't sure where I would ever use it. Now though, you can barely see or feel the scuffs. A nice side effect!

Here are some better pics, the last best represents the actual look of the piece. I can't wait to try out my other powders! Although the toaster oven is a real pain... may be time to upgrade to a full size oven in the garage, for this and spray paint. My wife will love that... ;)

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shmoetech
09-14-2012, 04:35 AM
Very well done, for a cheap craftman you did a very clean job w/ it.

Yoshi-Taka
09-14-2012, 06:36 AM
Yeah, that looks really good. I'm very impressed. I'll have to try this myself for sure.

Kaide
09-14-2012, 11:42 AM
Here are a few tips from my personal experience.

Be carefully with that gun. It's got some cheap parts. Spesificly the lock for the powder container (the little red switch). It brakes easy. Make sure you ground whatever your spraying, other wise you will zap the crap out of yourself.
Keep you extra powder in a cool dry place when you're not using it. If it gets hot it will start clumping up (so don't leave it in the garage or storage shed)
Never powder coat MHS parts that are assembled , unless you don't mind never separating them again.
Try to avoid the inside of a blade holder part.
Powder coating adds to the ID of a tube, keep this in mind when using shroud overlays. They will still fit, but it will be tight & will most likely scratch up the coating when you slide the shroud over it.

Try to drill / tap after you powder coat to avoid messing up the hole diameters & threads. Or use the included hole plugs (although they are not perfect)

& wash the part with soap / water before coating. Oils from your hand can cause the coating to not stick correctly

Ok. Out of time on my lunch brake. If you have any questions feel free to message me

TrypWyr
09-14-2012, 03:57 PM
Wow Kaide, awesome advice, thanks!

I had read that about the cup lock, so I have been very careful with it. Didn't know about the zapping thing, glad I found out here and not on my own! :D

Kaide
09-14-2012, 04:07 PM
I found out on my own :(

Although it makes for a hilarious story.

And if you do brake the lock. Just take out all the screws out & romove one side of the outer shell & take the lock out. Works just fine without it

xl97
09-16-2012, 06:24 AM
many (many) of the bigger smiths use that exact same gun... although cheap in price.. I wouldnt call it a 'cheap gun' (per se`)


I'll throw in a few more tips as well...

1). your BASE is the most important..
meaning the condition your part is in will dictate your results (more or less).. this is not as MUCH true for black or dark/solid colors.. but lighter colors, chromes and trans colors will all reveal those nasty little defects! ;)

2.) do not OVER SPRAY.. or be too close.. this will give you that 'orange peel' look

3.) invest in some PC dissolver from Eastwood.. or a couple cans of aircraft stripper.. (to remove PC that has been FUBAR'd).. dropping, bumping, bad misting, bare spots..etc..etc... it happens to everyone :)

4.) nice resource (for me) are: lots of high temp tape (different thickness).. lots of aluminum foil.. is conductive 'and' helps cover large area for masking.

5.) sand, polish, BABY any part that is getting a trans color.. you may even want to attempt hot flocking or double coating trans parts.. as I found some times it 'peels/bleed' away form sharper edges..leaving a lighter color.

6.) Buy multiple empty jars/bottles for your gun.. this make not only store by switching colors much easier.

7.) If your guns permit differnt voltage levels.. (I dont think the craftsmans do).. if your part has many intricate details and grooves..etc..etc.. turn DOWN the voltage. having it up to high can create or add to what is called the faraday (cage) effect (sp?).. meaning there is so much voltage/electrostatic charge going on.. that it is pulled away from those detailed places.. (cant adhere as much as its pulled to over, bigger surfaces..etc)

sometimes different tips, lower voltage (and other things) can help eliminate that so its not a problem.

Kevin Starwaster
09-16-2012, 11:22 AM
Hoping this section is okay for this...

I picked up a Craftsman Powder Coating kit last week and finally got some powder in today! The powder coating gun is a simple fan-driven plastic thing, but seems like it will work well for the little bit of coating I need for small parts. No way I can approach Tim's level of quality but I think it's better than spray paint, if I say so myself.
Tryp

Tim certainly does some good work and I'm very impressed with his shop, but there's two pet peeves I have. People selling other people short and people selling themselves short.

Don't do yourself that kind of disservice. Practice practice practice! You can do good work and even failures will contribute to your eventual success.

While I'm ranting, sometimes you have to stop worrying about how to begin and just BEGIN. Once you take that first step, the next steps fall into place, almost by themselves. That's what you did here when you bought that kit and started using it, so good work!

Picky
09-17-2012, 05:14 AM
Congratulations for your results!
I was thinking to buy this exact Powder Coating kit!!! I have only a doubt... I searched everywhere but I didn't find any answer: I read that the metal to powder coat and the tip of the gun will be charged with a very high voltage (15000 Volts?!). But what happens if I accidentally touch the metal part or the tip of the gun during the usage? A high voltage can be very dangerous...

xl97
09-17-2012, 05:28 AM
you get a shock.

Kaide
09-17-2012, 11:39 AM
Lol. Yep, you get a good shock that will make you jump. I have done it twice. But it's just like a really really bad static shock like when somone scoots around on carpet the touches you while you're holding an appliance :P

Picky
09-17-2012, 12:27 PM
Lol. Yep, you get a good shock that will make you jump. I have done it twice. But it's just like a really really bad static shock like when somone scoots around on carpet the touches you while you're holding an appliance :P

Ok, I have a lot of experience of those situations... :lol:

When I read that the voltage would go up to 15000 Volts I thought immediately to a very serious danger. Luckily the safety standards are well studied :)

Silver Serpent
09-17-2012, 01:52 PM
Voltage doesn't do damage. Amperage is what does the damage.