Starting a Powder Coating Business

**attentiontodetail** · 02-04-2010, 11:26 AM

Hello Guys! New to the forum and the trade of powder Coating. I have been Powder Coating in my garage and I am wanting to next step and turn this into a business. I am just looking for general advice and really wondering about the best way to get my name out there and to get business. Currently having a web site built and shopping for a larger oven. Any help would be appreciated.

**tedsfab** · 02-07-2010, 07:04 PM

i would pick one specific market . dont try to over do it ... alot can be done with a 4x4x6 oven and a decent powder coat gun . dont try to buy the biggest oven you think you will need just to do car frames . not everyone will have a big item to be done . i know alot of guys making very good money with just a 4x4x6 oven and a 500.00 pc gun .

i would also hit up the local car clubs , bike shops etc ... heck even join a few clubs if you can just to help promote the business .

and also welcome !

**XaboveX112** · 02-08-2010, 07:29 AM

+1 with what TED said....

I would also try hitting up some manufacturing businesses in your local area... If you can land even a small contract to Powdercoat for a local company that used to send their product out its a good soild foot hold in the industry. Although not that glamerious and often times boreing work they pay the bills... After that you can focus on local car/bike groups and take on what ever you feel comfortable doing.... Key is to have fun as well as pay the bills

... Also one thing im doing is along with my big oven im keeping a small oven servicable so you can cut down on your overhead and increase your turn around time on the small stuff..... GOOD LUCK TO YOU

Little plug here.... If you are looking for an oven check out Teds website.. I cant wait to save up enough money and get my oven from him

**attentiontodetail** · 02-08-2010, 10:37 AM

I appreciate the comments guys. I am actually going to get a oven I found. It's 4x3x6 I figure it will be a good start Since i will be able to do motorcycle frames, rims, rear ends, etc. How do you suggest I go about approaching car clubs? Flyers, business cards, just a phone call? Going to car/bike shows with some items to display. Also you mentioned a 500.00 dollar gun, right now I have a HF starter gun that I learned with and a Hot coat gun from Eastwood. Are these not sufficent for a good start? Thanks again.

**XaboveX112** · 02-09-2010, 07:30 AM

Yes your Hobby style guns will work.... The only problem you will most likely have is when you go to shoot more than one coat due to the fact that those guns dont have adjustable voltage... They are good guns to have in a small shop expecially as back up guns, but in my opion and im sure most's opion you will definatly nothing a better, smoother, and an easier to shoot process with an upgraded gun... I started with and Eastwood Hobby gun and after a few months with that upgraded to a $500 ish range gun just for the convience and results were definatly better quality of work....

The best way to get into the car clubs ect. are to try and work your way into them with out being pushy... I also did the first few parts for the club at no cost to them as a promotional piece they they showed their friends and so on... Also going to the local car gatherings can never hurt, sometimes its worth it and sometimes not so much, but its definatly worth it to get your name out there in your local community.

**attentiontodetail** · 02-09-2010, 10:19 AM

Again I appreciate the advice. I am sure what you say about the better guns is true. I guess i just don't have enough experence yet to know how much diff. a better gun could make. But as I get into it more im sure I will want to upgrade to produce the best product I can. Do you price by the piece or by the hour like how long the part would take? Im going to get my new oven in 2 days im just worried about spending the money and not making it back. Thats why im trying to get all the advertising ideas I can. I like doing powder coating and I just want the work to come in. I guess it probally just takes time to get your name out there? They say word of mouth is the best advertising. I worked at a motorcycle and powersports shop for 8 years and they said I could set up a small advertisement in there. I think powdercoating is pretty big in the powersports indusrty. When I was racing motocross and riding sportbikes I was always getting stuff done. I see your sportbike pic on there Xabovex112...........

**XaboveX112** · 02-09-2010, 02:35 PM

I definatly agree with you... Your gun might work for you but as you get deeper and deeper into this obsession we call powdercoating you will probally choose to upgrade your gun... The way you have to look at your gun and your oven is as the life blood of your business, and lets face it in business you have to spend money to make money... Also compared to most start up business's a small scale powder shop really isnt that costly compared to most...

If you have a bike shop that is willing to put up small advertisments you might want to try the idea i just made(sure im not the first one to do it).... I Took some aluminum BudLight bottles and did a nice 2 stage powder on them (this case its Xtreme Chrome with PBTP Blue Transparent and PBTP Glass Clear)... Then i cut a slot in the top for my business cards.... The reaction i have gotten back from them has been great and in my opion sure beats flyiers or just business cards...

Again good luck to you and its good to focus on the motorsports industries i.e. cars, bikes, ect but dont limit your self... Again like i said before a manufacturing contract even though not that glamerious will pay the bills

...

And my self because im still small scale and dont have much overhead I charge by the part after me figuring in about how long it will take me to do it and how much powder... For example i will do a set of calipers for a car for about $80 which might be low compared to bigger guys with more overhead... Again there isnt much cost in spraying small stuff so you just need to figure out what your time is worth and what you need to keep in business...

**SCOTTRODS** · 02-10-2010, 07:29 AM

An analogy for you on the guns,...... A "hobby gun, Versus a Professional gun is like Going from a Ninja 250, to a Hyabusa...... for speed and power. Sure there's a Nice 600rr or an SV650 in between,.....

**attentiontodetail** · 02-10-2010, 10:20 AM

I really like the bud light bottle idea that looks great. Question though. I know you sprayed the chrome first and baked, then what let it cool and put a decal on it and sprayed the blue? If so did you use a normal decal and peel it off before bake? Or some kind of hi-temp decal and left on until after bake? I have a buddy who owns a vinyl decal shop and was wondering about that. And scott I like your analogy about the guns and bikes. I have spent alot of time riding and know you can't cant do anything cool or make too many friends on a ex 250 ninja. LOL

**XaboveX112** · 02-10-2010, 04:01 PM

To answer your question.... Both ways will work.... When I first got into masking i used to have my buddy cutt the logo out of Green High Temp Masking tape which was stuck to Wax paper to go thru his machine... This prooved effective but leaving the tape on during the cure cycle leaves raised edges.... If you dont care about a smoot to the touch finish this is the easiest way to do it, just the green tape is really sticky and hard to peel back off... The other way to do it would be just have him cut it out of regular vinyl and you just have to peel it off before you start to cure the blue, or you can get the bottle up to cure temp and flow out then pull it out and remove...... Sorry not trying to confuse you just wanted to give you some options.... On the bottles because they are hard to handle before the powder full cure i would suggest using the high temp masking tape till you get the hang of it... Plus its just a display so it dosnt need to have smooth sides(even though the clear coat helps out big time to smooth).