Greetings Gents.

Just an update, the powder coating oven works!

here's some pictures of the oven:
http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm/Projects/..._Coat/Oven.htm

In true RCM fashion, I started with what was free / handy, and worked
up from there. The interior walls of the oven are fabricated from
scrap heavy duty galvanized roofing panels (free from a welding
friend, left over from one of his projects.

After many sleepless nights on how to turn these corrugated panels
into a box, I finally stumbled onto the idea of wrapping the edges
with 1 5/8" galvanized channel from Home Despot (normally used for
metal stud framing work).

Once the panels were edged, I pop riveted them into the ~3'x3'x6' tall
rectangular box, and added some angle iron hinges and feet. Now the
problem was how to insulate the dang thing.

I searched for some of the rigid fiberglass duct board, but promptly
turned that idea down as "Holy Mother Of Pearl!" is that stuff
expensive ($45 a 4x10 sheet, the best price I could find locally, and
it was only 3/4" thick, couldn't find any 2" stuff locally)

After much head scratching, I picked up some cheap R14 wall
insulation, peeled off the paper liner, tacked it to the chamber walls
with spray contact cement (Not much contact cement, just enough to
temporarily hold the stuff in place).

Once the insulation was in place, I wrapped the whole stinking thing
with Al roofing flashing held in place with Al duct tape (the most
expensive part of the whole project). At 400F internal temperature,
the outside skin is just above room temp

Three salvaged oven heating elements provide 6KW of heat, resulting in
a 20 min run at full power to get up to working temp (400f), then the
elements run at about a 40% duty cycle to keep the oven at temp.

Here's some pictures of the first test samples I coated:
http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm/Projects/...at/Results.htm

The 'Peace Sign" is coated in Candy translucent purple, but the camera
flash makes it look blue.

One pole is coated in "Black Chrome" (which is way cool!)

The second pole has a base coat of black chrome followed by a second
coat of candy purple (which turned out WAY FREAKING COOL!)

Considering I had no clue, I'm pretty impressed with the results! I'm
using a horrible freight powder coat gun, and powders from he

http://www.columbiacoatings.com/ (no affiliation, other than a happy
customer)

So tonight, I lift my cup to Gary Brady and all you fine folks here on
RCM for the excellent advice and inspirations!


Take Care,
James Lerch
http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm (My telescope construction, Testing, and Coating site)

Press on: nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge