[TR] Powder coating

[Fisher, Ed]

Here is a message I copied and saved from the year 2000, and it was from Fred Thomas, a true gentleman.  I bought the Harbor Freight unit he suggested, still have it, and we have powder coated many, many parts with it.  I was trying to teach my teenage son that there isn't much you can't learn and figure out with a little curiosity and getting past the fear of admitting that you 'don't know it all', so I mailed Fred personally and he sent me a manila envelope full of instructions and pictures to get us started.  I used that goodwill gesture to show my son, now grown and gone, the caliber of people in the world ready and willing to help others, even virtual strangers.  He is now in a profession helping others.

As another lister suggested, get an old electric oven and cure your parts in there.  I even made an insulated extension that fit over the door, in opened position, to the oven, which effectively doubled the depth allowing me to PC longer parts; valve covers and such.  The powdered parts don't really care about thermal uniformity, as long as the parts get hot enough for long enough it will flow.  I think 375F for about 20 minutes in a pre heated oven usually did the trick unless the parts have a big mass, then just extend.  Below is Fred's message.  May he rest in peace, and may we remember the goodwill he exemplified.

Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 20:17:45 -0500
From: "Fred Thomas" <vafred at erols.com>
Subject: powder-coat

Listers, anyone thinking of doing P/C and have not purchased a kit yet, you
should check out the kit from Harbour-Freight (99.00), much more sturdier
and heavier built than Eastwoods, several added features the other kit does
not have, such as, foot feed instead of a handle held electric charge to the
coated part, this leaves you with a free hand, 2 seperate air control vavles
for more even air flow, gravity feed over head cup container, instead of air
pushing the powder out, and a much heavier transformer supply box, nice
unit, I received mine today, try it tomorrow. If you have any interest, you
can check it out on their web page item #  42802 @ www.harbourfreight.com
"FT"

Ed Fisher
Dallas, Tx


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