Powder Coating

[Bigfoot]

I have been playing with powdercoating. Here is my first real attempt. This is a set of XJ shocks that I am going to put on the MNS. I did one and took some before/after pics.

[Wildkat]

That is really, REALLY nice Harry!

Awesome job!

[Bigfoot]

Thanks. Now it is time to start dismantling the bike. I am still looking for a cheap oven that is big enough to do the exhaust and forks. A sandblaster will come in handy as well. As you can tell, I am pretty excited about the results.

[79XS11F]

That does in deed look nice.
Is this a DIY sort of kit ?
Rob

[Bigfoot]

Yes, I bought a powdercoat gun at Sears on closeout for $46. I picked up a cheap toaster oven to bake parts in at walmart. I ordered the powder off of the internet from www.columbiacoatings.com. Just like painting, prep is the key. The actual coating and baking is very easy.

[Ivan]

You might look for an old pottery kiln. I bet that would be good for cooking parts in.

I would love to get my header powder coated.

Harry, your talents are manifold. That shock looks really nice. Let me know how the XJ shock works out, been considering a set for my XS since Ia m a tad heavier than the average rider...

[fredintoon]

Thanks. Now it is time to start dismantling the bike. I am still looking for a cheap oven that is big enough to do the exhaust and forks. A sandblaster will come in handy as well. As you can tell, I am pretty excited about the results.

Hi Harry,
DIY as big an oven as you need with rectangular sheetmetal air conditioning duct wrapped with pink fiberglass insulation and an electric stove element inside.
Or instead of the duct use a chest freezer off the dump but it'd have to be old enough to have a metal inner liner not a plastic one.
But sandblasting needs a serious air compressor and those cost serious money.

[TADracer]

Pick up an old electric kitchen oven. you might be able to find one at a used appliance place for cheap.

[xs11jack]

How about

the Free section of craigslist.org? plenty of stoves, etc.

[Bigfoot]

I have been watching the craigslist here in KC. I am sure it is just a matter of time till one falls my way.

[crazy steve]

Powdercoating ovens

Thanks. Now it is time to start dismantling the bike. I am still looking for a cheap oven that is big enough to do the exhaust and forks. A sandblaster will come in handy as well. As you can tell, I am pretty excited about the results.

Go to the Eastwood PC forum and do a search; there's several guys who built their own, some out of discarded stoves. One guy even built one that was big enough to do frames and would 'break down' when not in use. And you don't need a 'good' one. It's doesn't matter if the top burners are bad; all you need is a functioning oven, and as the oven generally gets used less they're usually good even if the rest isn't. Try an appliance store; I'm sure they would be glad to get rid of one or two dead 'haulaways'...

Mine had NO good top burners, but the oven works fine. I stripped off the top and 'extra' controls on mine and put a piece of sheetmetal on the top (handy work surface) with some fiberglass under it. I also put a set of cheap casters on it, so it can be rolled around easily. Find one with a bottom drawer and you have a handy place to store your PC equipment. Total cost for mine? Free stove + new cord + casters = $30. Only issue I had with mine was it had been sitting for awhile and mice had nested in the top. I had to remove/change the top insulation as the mouse pee absolutely REEKED the first time I used it. Something to check...

Don't have a range/stove electrical outlet in your garage? Good news; you don't need one. After removing the top burners, most oven elements only draw about 12 amps max at 240v, so change the cord out and make up a new one with #12 wire and a 20a/250v rated cord cap. All you need is a 20 amp/240v circuit. This is for a 3000 watt element (most are this size or smaller), so if you run more than one element or get one with a higher wattage, recalculate your amps so the circuit is big enough (watts/volts=amps). This info will be on the stove wiring diagram, found usually inside the rear cover.

Powdercoating exhaust... let us know how that works out. I haven't seen any powdercoating that is rated for those kind of temps, even the 'high-temp' stuff. If it doesn't work, the bad coating will be a B***H to get off.

'78E original owner

[Bigfoot]

Got a free oven yesterday. Everything works. Next weekend we are going to wire the garage for 240v.

[madmax-im]

Wow

That looks awesome...Powder coating looks to be superior to paint any day...and your results look quite professional..doing the rest of the bike will make it stunning...cant wait to see the end product pics...