New to this

[boston_jake01]

I am trying to find out some info before I invest in anything. I am looking to do some small parts for my Harley.
1. is the Chicargo Electric pwder coater ok?
2. what type of air compressor do I need?
3. sand blasting ya or na?
and anything else I can'nt think of
Thanks
Rich

[boston_jake01]

anyone please..

[bzer1]

1. Yea it's ok. Functional but not IMHO the best choice.

2. Something small will do if you're only coating and filling tires. Like the oilless compressors sold at your local hardware store. For sandblasting you'll need something substantially more powerful. If you're only intending to do your own parts just pick up something small, strip,and sand down your parts.

3. Ya for me but I own a shop.

4. If you intend to use a kitchen oven to cure your parts...USE AN ELECTRIC OVEN THAT YOU WILL NEVER USE FOR COOKING FOOD!!!!!!! Although, if you have spent the time to read past posts about curing methods you probably already know this, I have seen people try to short cut by using their kitchen oven. They say things like "It's only once...No big deal" or "What could possibly go wrong?"

[boston_jake01]

what does IMHO mean?

[boston_jake01]

I was thinking of getting a 26 gal. air comperssor would this be ok for both striping and powder coating, as wellas running a impact gun for the romoval of some parts.

[boston_jake01]

what would you recommend for powder coater?

[bzer1]

IMHO= In My Humble Opinion

A 26 gal compressor(I'm assuming about 2-4 HP and about 5-7 CFM) will do the job for the gun, and it will actually run an impact gun. What I mean by stripping is using something like zip strip, or similar, then sanding by hand to profile the surface. You will most likely need something with a few more ponys to properly operate even a small blast cabinet. Basically you need to figure out your budget then price your equipment. Just remember that diaphram or oilless compressors are very loud and they run down very quickly. If you plan to use your compressor quite a bit you might want to get one with a piston type pump. It will be a few bucks more but it will be worth it in the long run.

[boston_jake01]

what would you recommend for a Gun, Compreeor and bast cabinet?
I saw one that is on this site for 199. Is this a good gun for the job I am looking to do? http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/hvpc.html I would like to do a good job on the bike but then possible to do some other parts for friends and others maybe even make some dough...
I would really appreciate any help you could give me.
Thanks
Rich

[bzer1]

If I were in your place I would start with this one http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_coat.htm

As far as a blast cabinet is concerned, I started with a benchtop setup but quickly learned my lesson and only used it twice before I got rid of it. In the course of building up my shop I learned that you really do get what you pay for. My suggestion would be to avoid blowing your budget on a complete but inadequate setup. Get a decent compressor, the caswell gun, a used kitchen oven, and some high heat masking tape. Use chemical strippers and sand by hand for your first few parts. You should be able to get everything you need right here, including unrivaled tech support. As far as an oven is concerned you can pickup ovens at scratch and dent stores or from the news paper. My first oven which I still use for dry film lube curing came from Lowes and was a floor model which I picked up for $75. If you feel that you really need a blaster you'd be better off building your own. A decent blaster with a dust vac is in my estimation far too expensive for just starting out and not really knowing if you'll continue with powder coating. Besides it's not completely necessary if you don't mind doing a little bit of work.

When you buy a compressor you really need to think 3 or 4 years ahead of where you are now. I have a 65 gal single stage 3 cyl putting out around 18 cfm at 100psi. This is ok for the short term for my shop but will most likely be replaced within the next year. The best way to choose a compressor is to figure out the requirements of your biggest air user, and add a 25% margin of error. So in your case you're thinking of buying a blast cabinet. A small cabinet will require somewhere around 5-7 cfm as a minimum. If you go with the minimum you'll run out of air and take frequent brakes. You'll also need some sort of air dryer to keep moisture out of your blaster. So with a min requirement of say 7 cfm you're looking at most likely a 10cfm compressor. I say 10 because small compressors never put out their listed cfm. That is about a $400-$500 compressor unless you find a used one. You're gonna need enough power for it as well 220v 20A. This can start to get expensive after a while. All hope is not lost, but you really need to look at some of the creative ways people have gotten around breaking the bank on equipment. There are many posts on how to build your blast cabinet right in this very forum. I would stay away from the benchtop blasters.

[boston_jake01]

bzer1, thank you very much for the info. I will continue to look thru the site for cheaper ways to get things done.
also, I will try to post the before and after pics. of the parts.
I have another question can I powder coat over chrome or do I have to remove the chrome and if so how?
thanks