doing candy over chrome

[teamdooracer]

I've been doing a lot of translucent/candy colors over chrome lately and have a lot more to do. I am having issues getting the color to stick to the chrome part. Is it best to do the color while the chrome is still hot. If so do I do it right out of the oven or let it cool for a couple minutes first?

[SCOTTRODS]

I've been doing a lot of translucent/candy colors over chrome lately and have a lot more to do. I am having issues getting the color to stick to the chrome part. Is it best to do the color while the chrome is still hot. If so do I do it right out of the oven or let it cool for a couple minutes first?

Need more details,.....

Specifically what are we talking about? Are you shooting your candies over chrome POWDER, or real chrome? That's the single most important item....

secondly,.... if you are shooting over a chrome powder,.... which one are you using?

[teamdooracer]

It is a chrome powder. I was using the reflective chrome from eastwood. I have just recently switched to the chrome (ss) from powder buy the pound. I haven't used the pbtp chrome yet as I just ordered it today.

[SCOTTRODS]

It is a chrome powder. I was using the reflective chrome from eastwood. I have just recently switched to the chrome (ss) from powder buy the pound. I haven't used the pbtp chrome yet as I just ordered it today.

Well,..... I kinda expected you to say "extreme chrome". That one gives a lot of folks issues. I haven't much experience with the reflective chrome powder from EW, but I understand the issue you're having.... I think.

first make sure you did a full cure on the chrome powder. Second,.... Do not remove the hook you hung it from, as a matter of fact, leaving it AS WAS could help a lot. If you do remove the hook, go back and make sure you bring the hanging spot back to bare metal.

Make sure you have a Great Ground on the part.... Multiple grounds is OK in this case. Maybe even preferred. Ground the gun to the same Great Ground of you can.

Sometimes when having a hard time getting a second coat to stick, I can take my bare hand, and touch the part in an area close to the hook, and it will "jump start" the attraction. This may be a trick that helps also.

On the chrome powders, If I understand them right, There is a metal ingredient in the actual powder. This can cause issues with the part retaining some of a charge. One way to eliminate that, is to "pre-heat" the part. That is,... Put it in the oven to warm it up to around 150 for a little bit, then remove it from the oven and shoot the powder after it cools down enough to touch it with your hands comfortably. do not blow air accross it or wipe it,... or anything else. Just Shoot the second coat.

Powder coating being a "plastic" of sorts. will get a static charge in the surfacce from thiings rubbing, or causing friction on the part. If you are rubbing the part, or blowing it with air before trying to lay down the second coat,..... DON'T. The little friction caused by these items will set up a charge that will sometimes repel charged powders.

Let us know if any of this helps.

[teamdooracer]

Thanks I'll maybe try jump starting it with my finger. I normally don't remove the part at all. The first coat will stick perfect and the second is a bit iffy. I normally just let it cool off and then shoot the second coat. No blowing it off or removing it from the hanger.

[SCOTTRODS]

Thanks I'll maybe try jump starting it with my finger. I normally don't remove the part at all. The first coat will stick perfect and the second is a bit iffy. I normally just let it cool off and then shoot the second coat. No blowing it off or removing it from the hanger.

If all you do is pull it from the oven, cool it down, then shoot the second coat,..... you should be fine. There's something wrong with the ground you're using for the part, or a weak gun. Most times this turns out to be a ground issue.

What gun is it you're using? I don't guess that matters so much, but the hobby lines of guns are pretty low output on the electrical side.... Try lowering the air flow and increasing the distance if it's "trying to stick at all". If the gun is adjustable, lower the KV adjustment and increase the distance to part as well.

Good luck.

[teamdooracer]

I use the hypersmooth pony 50kv gun. How should I do my ground? Also what is this extreme chrome that people have problems with. I've never seen it from the places I purchase powder.

[SCOTTRODS]

I use the hypersmooth pony 50kv gun. How should I do my ground? Also what is this extreme chrome that people have problems with. I've never seen it from the places I purchase powder.

I'm not sure where all the sellers are that sell extreme chrome, but PBTP used to, roseys still does,... doesn't matter really. It's been problematic for many. That's the reason I suggested it might be the issue...

Grounding the gun, part and everything in sight, to a ground is the best way to ground any gun. I'm thinking you've been around long enough that this should be old news, but here goes:

Grounding is the most common problem known to the powder coating world. What you're looking for is a ground to EARTH. A grounding rod can be bought at HD or Lowes.... Bothe sell prtty much the same thing. A copper clad, 8 foot long steel dowel, to be driven into the ground either through the floor of your shop (this requires a drilled hole larger than the rod) or outside the shop, nearby the booth you're shooting in. The ground rod should be connected to the booth, the hanging rod, gun ground, and even the electrical outlet ground, if you can handle this, using a large gage wire, at least a couple of times the size of your electrical system in your home. All should share a VERY good ground. I have been using 4 gage jumper cables until recently (I did some scavenging from my grounding system for another porject), now I'm using an extension cable temporarily, stripped all 3 wires back, and twisted thema ll together, at both ends, and used a heavy terminal ring at the booth hanging rod... Jumper cable sized wire would be EXCELLENT for the connection between the rod and whatever you'r going to attach to it.

Other than that, It can be a matter of weather (not as likely as the ground, but possible). If it's too dry, it can be a problem, or if it's too humid, the same.

[teamdooracer]

I am going to have to try redoing the ground. I've always just plugged it in but not sure how good the ground is in the outlet. So basically I need to drive in a new ground rod, run a ground from the outlet directly to the rod, run #4 ground wire to the hanging wire, and also run a #4 wire to the gun itself. Am I corrrect?

[goincrzy]

Im just gonna throw my 2cents into this, Ground eveything you can and you wont have a problem..
I ran a ground wire from my rod to my control box and to my hanging rack\part.. So i have 2 seperate wires that go from my ground rod outside to my powdercoating area.. My booth is homemade so its all made of wood and grounding that would be pointless.
I switch my ground wire that is on my hanging rack to the part directly if i seem to be having a problem, usually i just leave it on the bar that goes across my booth that i hang parts from..
Now there is a ground wire\stud that comes off the control box, i ran a ground wire to that and coupled the wires together....

After i did this, i havent had a problem yet.. i just did this a week ago cause i was having problems. Things are so far so good..

Hope this helps ya out a bit.....