Harbor Freight Powder Coat Paint

[Luremaker]

I am almost out of the powder coat I purchased a few years back from Eastwoods and noticed that Harbor freight has a few colors at $4.99 lb. Has anyone tried Harbor Freight's Powder Coat? If so how do you like it compared to other brands.

16 Oz. Powder Coat Paint, Red

 

[Luremaker]

Well yesterday I picked up a lb of Harbor Freight's powder coat in red, yellow, black and white. I give it a try and take a few pictures.

 

[crazyal]

How do you bake the paint after spraying it?

 

[Workstead]

Can these colors be mixed for a different shade?

 

[Luremaker]

How do you bake the paint after spraying it?

I bake it in an old kitchen oven I have in my shop ay 350-400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. I have used several brands of powder paint before with excellent results.

My neighbor built a large walk in oven to bake larger pieces.

 

[Luremaker]

Can these colors be mixed for a different shade?

I have blended other polyester powder coats before with good results but have not tried blending Harbor Freight's powder coat. BTW, Harbor Freight's powder coat is made in India.

 

[Workstead]

I have blended other polyester powder coats before with good results but have not tried blending Harbor Freight's powder coat. BTW, Harbor Freight's powder coat is made in India.

Thanks.

I picked up an HF Powder Coater at a yard sale recently ($10 - missing the scatter tips) and plan to use a yard sale toaster oven ($1) to bake the small items I will coat.

India - interesting.

Clem

 

[tim l]

I bake it in an old kitchen oven I have in my shop ay 350-400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. I have used several brands of powder paint before with excellent results.

My neighbor built a large walk in oven to bake larger pieces.

What type of element did your neighbor use to heat the walk-in oven?

 

[Damifino]

What type of element did your neighbor use to heat the walk-in oven?

I would imagine the elements looked something like this to heat a walk in oven.

 

[jcfreer]

i have used the white it smokes more than the other power that i use

 

[Luremaker]

What type of element did your neighbor use to heat the walk-in oven?

Basically all it is a small insulated room with a few kitchen oven elements wired into the side walls. I am not totally sure how he controls the temperature.

Finally have a little time. I'll spray a few small scrap pieces with my air brush and see how the turn out. Pictures to follow. I has hoping the yellow would be close to an industrial yellow but instead it is somewhere between a yellow and pale orange.

 

[Luremaker]

Here a picture of Harbor Freight's powder coat. I applied it to a few old blades I had laying around. I did not want to spend the time setting up my electric powder coating gun so I applied it using a little air gun similar to a liquid air brush. I first heated up the metal using my propane torch then simply sprayed on the powder. When the powder coat hits the heated metal it instantly melts onto the part. I then baked them at 400 degrees for around 15 minutes.

As you can see the yellow, white and red turned pretty good while the flat black not so good. Later I'll paint a few larger pieces.

 

[Baby Grand]

Those look like ... lures.
Great thread - I had no idea powder coat could be a home brew operation and the results look very nice.

 

[JimRB]

I have seen the infared heater at someones shop. Advanced Powder Coating - Infrared Light Cure System Instructions

 

[6sunset6]

What kind of surface prep do you need for powder coat? For rusty metal spray primer I just wire brush.

 

[jcfreer]

i sand blast

 

[Luremaker]

What kind of surface prep do you need for powder coat? For rusty metal spray primer I just wire brush.

On those blades, which are nickel plated steel, I only wiped them down with a paper towel. Prep for powder coating is basically the same as with all other paints. Poor or little prep and your paint may not adhere well.

 

[Luremaker]

Those look like ... lures.
Great thread - I had no idea powder coat could be a home brew operation and the results look very nice.

Yep, those are old spinner blades I had laying around. I've been powder coating metal lures and brackets that I've made for quite some time now with really good results. For small parts you can heat the part then swish it in the powder, heat and spray the powder, or use a fluidizing bed. For larger parts I use a gun I purchased form Eastwoods.

 

[Luremaker]

i have used the white it smokes more than the other power that i use

What other powders have you used? I've used Eastwood's, Columbia Coating's, CPS and now Harbor Freight's.

 

[jcfreer]

that is all i have used i have two others but the colors are plain have not found a use for then