From hobby to Job

[getastro]

How many of you guys have turned this powder coating from a hobby to a full time job? Are you making good money at it? I am just looking before I leap. Thanks gentleman

[Blademan]

I started out along time ago just powder coating fishing lures, gradually moved up to car and bike parts, I live in a veery smal;l islolated area on the southern oregon coast so hot rodders are scarce, luckly for me one of the largest manufactures of marine hatches and handles is located here, they contract for the navy and coast guards and custom yacht builders , they had been shipping all there pc stuff over 150 miles away to have it done...Now I do it all, if it wasnt for this company my wife would make me as she puts it ..a real job...I make a very comfortable living now, but if it wasnt for that manufacturing company at my back door this would be just a hobby..

[Noob2PC]

I am currently doing this just to support my own Project car. I am growing and getting more and more work finished and out there. I am going out on a limb and giving away Gift Certs to the local car clubs to raffle off or give away as Prizes at their event/shows. Nice thing about Big Block Motors, I can charge per square yard with those HUGE Air Cleaners and Valve Covers they have ! I hope to have enough work by the end of the year to possibly make it a full time business. When It gets to that point I will convert my 10x10 shed to a shop and wire it up with 110 and 220.

[trsick]

We started out doing PC as a hobby. We (my 22 year old son & I) opened up a commercial shop last Oct 01, 2004. At first the work came in so fast we could not turn it out fast enough. We backed off from advertising. Now we direct market to Car, hobby & Motorcycle clubs & shops. We are also lucky enough to have a large marine & science industry. We are not making tons of $$, but since day one, we have made enough to pay the bills. Every week we are suprised at how many people look us up & from how far away we are drawing new customers. We are now looking at offering some polishing & small chroming service, as many of our customers are asking for it.
Bob

[Zpider]

We started ceramic coating about a year ago, i asked around for it here in Sweden, turned out no one did it so we are alone in the country doing the ceram coatings and Swedish agent for Techline. PC just started up as it was close to our other business and most equipment was already in the shop. I guess i could live on it making it a fulltime job, but for now i run it weekends a evenings with a consultant job as main income. But, if all goes well this summer, next year will be the year i make it my main job.

[filburn]

To all who previously posted that they are doing powder coating professionally, What kind of safety regulations do you have to follow? What type of ventelation requirements are there? Can you just suck the vapors given off while powder coating into the atmosphere? Please let me know.

Mike

[DALE]

Fillburn- regulations vary from state to state and if you are located within a city, they may have their own zoning regarding it. Luckily most don't cover powder coating yet but that will eventually change. Most areas fumes can just be blown outside, the dust from the booth should be filtered though. It is always best to check with officials in your direct area.

This is probably not the exact answer you wanted but to cover every city in every state would take a team of lawyers months.

Also remeber shops with no employees only owner/operators fall into another catagory where many regulations don't apply.

[filburn]

Thanks alot, that is what I was looking for. do you have a powder coating shop? If so how long you had it?

thanks, filburn

[Zpider]

Same here in Sweden, it varies a lot depending on employees, location etc...

[trsick]

Hey Filburn:
When I first open my commercial PC shop, I too was VERY worried about how my local & state townsmen would react & regulate the powder coating industry. I live & work in a very environmentally sensitive area. What I did find was that they really did not know what PC was all about. My only real obstacle was the local Fire dept. They were concerned with the hazards of PC. I got some outstanding help from the PCI website, but more so from Mr. Craig Dietz (Powder Coating marketing Mgr. of DuPont). He supplied a very positive letter about how the EPA overwhelmingly prefers PC to liquid paints. I also was quick to point out how this was NOT an liquid paint business & that there would be no haz mat waste. I also provided information on how my parts cleaning process would bee done with Biodegradable soap & no solvents. Along with an MSDS sheet. the Fire dept. & permits were a breeze.
Good Luck
Bob