An oven or infrared heating is required for the powder coating procedure to cure the powder on different materials. You can buy a costly powder-coating oven or build your own one to coat large parts.
This powder-coating oven is made mostly of a steel stud and steel track frame that is welded together. The frame will have insulation sandwiched between sheets of metal on both sides.
Except for the floor, which is made of 16-gauge sheet metal, this oven is entirely made of 20-gauge sheet metal. The floor’s heavier gauge metal is installed to handle the powder coating rack load.
Here are the steps to take for a successful DIY powder coating oven project if you want to design and build your personal powder coating oven.
How To Make A Powder Coating Over By Yourself?
Step 1: Framing
- All of the studs and tracks used to construct the oven’s structure should be composed of galvanized steel.
- All of the framings will be riveted together.
- Drilling a hole is the initial step, followed by inserting a rivet using a rivet gun, pulling the trigger, and finishing the task.
- You’ll save a ton of time with a pneumatic rivet gun and still have your hands free at the end of the day.
- As soon as you have studs, rivets, and a rivet gun, you can begin constructing the floor frame.
- Make sure to precisely cut and estimate the floor to the size your oven will be.
- The floor will be on top of your walls.
- To make the floor square, you will overlay the studs so they enclose one another at the corners.
- Once the studs are in position, you can use a locking c-clamp to secure them there.
- Then, you will rivet where the top and bottom overlap.
- For the studs that may pivot, start by adding one rivet to each corner.
- Before adding another rivet to each corner, use a speed square to sidle up each corner and ensure it is exactly 90 degrees.
- Add more studs to the floor to strengthen it even further once all four sides have been trimmed to length and riveted in place.
- Make sure to use sheet metal that is thick enough to prevent the floor from bowing in and hold it with enough anchoring to keep it stable.
- For the walls, the very same stud, track, and rivet structure is used.
- The side walls are constructed similarly; be careful to gauge and consider the rear wall’s thickness.
- Then, one at a time, you will set the walls on top of the floor and rivet them to it.
- The side walls will be installed and riveted to the floor once the back wall is in place and installed.
- Then, put together the ceiling in the same manner as you did the floor.
Step 2: Skinning
- Following the framing of the building, sheet metal skinning will be applied.
- Here, you’ll need lengthy, straight cuts.
- You should choose a thickness that falls between 16 gauge and 26 gauge.
- It is less expensive and will enable the oven to heat up faster if you use a thinner gauge. Although more expensive, a thicker gauge is more durable and will better maintain heat after the oven is hot.
- On the inside of the floor, the first sheet of 16-gauge is laid down and riveted into place. Extra stud supports are also placed at the bottom.
- The sheet metal holds the structure together and prevents the frame from bending or collapsing, so don’t compromise on the rivets here.
- Due to the tiny projection of the rivet heads (around 1/16″), the sheet metal does not fit smoothly against the frame during this stage of construction.
- Use a high-temperature sealant between the sheet metal and the frame to create an absolutely airtight seal before riveting the sheet metal into position.
- The four openings for the heating elements can be produced with a Dremel and a cutting disc once everything has been skinned.
- Use a straight edge and a square to mark all of your cuts correctly.
Step 3: Convection Blower
- This oven will use a convection mechanism to maintain a constant temperature inside the entire oven.
- This procedure is highly recommended because consistent and predictable oven temperatures are crucial for powder coating.
- The hot air coming from the oven is sucked into a high-temperature blower at the top, which uses ducts to pump the air back down to the bottom to circulate it.
- This aids in balancing the oven’s internal temperature.
- For the vertical ducting in this oven, 10″ wide x 3.25″ deep stack ducts will be used.
- The ducting to the blower will be completed using the same metal studs that were used to construct the oven frame.
- To stop forced air from escaping into the oven frame, a high-temperature sealant should be applied to the ductwork. These sealants have a 600°F (315°C) temperature rating.
- After applying the sealant, the upper sheet metal duct piece should be riveted into position.
- The oven’s convection system is now complete.
- A big oven like this one can have temperature changes of up to 50°F from top to bottom without circulating air. So, this is crucial for powder coating.
Step 4: Lighting
- Three recessed lights are installed in the ceiling of this oven design.
- Thanks to their recessing, they won’t ever get in the way of the powder-coated interior components of the oven.
- It does require some extra work and some extra pieces to recess them.
- All that would be required is the ceramic light fixture and appliance bulbs if you decide not to recess them.
- Use a hole saw to drill a 2 1/8″ hole through the middle of one 6″ duct cap if you plan to use the porcelain light fixture.
- The wire connectors on the rear of the light fixture are accessible through this hole.
- Using a cutting fluid and operating the drill at low speeds will extend the life of a hole saw when used on metal.
- Drill two screw holes on both sides of the previous hole.
- Mark the duct top using a porcelain fixture as a reference point.
- Install a porcelain light to a 6″ duct cap with the given hardware.
- Drill a hole through the other 6″ duct cap so light can pass.
- Drill the duct cap featured with a 4″ hole saw.
- Put the two duct covers together, one on each side of the 6″ duct connector.
- Then utilize the same steel studs used for the oven build to frame the assembly you just finished.
Step 5: Insulation
- The purpose of insulation is to reduce the heat rate transmission from the oven’s inside to its exterior.
- Fortunately, the majority of insulating materials are graded using an R-value that considers thickness, making them directly comparable.
- The better the insulation, the slower the rate of heat transmission and the greater the R-value.
- The insulation’s ability to insulate will be diminished if it is crushed inside the oven walls.
- Mineral wool is the ideal insulating material for a powder-coating oven.
- Every stud needs to have insulation inserted between them. Using a sharp utility knife, trim the insulation to fit the openings.
- You must put on full protective gear, including gloves, safety goggles, and other accessories when working with insulation in order to avoid being irritated by the substance.
- The ductwork on the rear of the oven, the four heating components, and the full upper side of the oven is then covered with insulated panels.
- Steel studs and rivets must be used to frame these panels.
Step 6: Heating
- The power of an oven’s heating element can be ranging from 2,000 to 3,600 watts.
- For each cubic foot of inside oven size, you must account for 100 to 150 watts of the heating element when determining your required wattage.
- If you live somewhere cold, you should get an oven that uses about 150 watts per cubic foot of power.
- You may determine the size of the heating element you require by using a BTU calculator.
- Simply enter the oven’s interior measurements in inches, the local average temperature, the target temperature in Fahrenheit, and the anticipated total wattage of the heating element.
- Following that, the calculator will display how long it will take for your oven to achieve the appropriate temperature.
Final Verdict
The size of your powder coating oven can be customized, and you can incorporate elements to increase the effectiveness of your powder coating. The fact that nothing droops into the oven compartment makes this oven special.
The oven’s entire interior can be used. The walls have recessed lighting, fans, and heating devices, among other things. This method of building the oven enables you to construct a powder coating rack that precisely fits the oven with no empty space.
The rack would be used for powder coating exclusively, after which the rack would be rolled into an oven for curing.
You should plan to spend at least $1000 bucks if you are going for this build.
FAQ
Can you create an oven for powder coating?
In order to cure the powder on various properties for the powder coating process, an oven or infrared heating is required. You can either invest in a pricey powder-coating oven or build your own by using the instructions in this article for coating large objects.
Is it possible to powder coat without using an oven?
There is a technology for powder coating that is flame sprayed. It doesn’t need an oven. This technology uses a hand-held flame pistol to deliver heat to powder in order for it to “cross-link” (cure), much like metal spraying. While being launched from the gun, the powder is heated.
Can powder coating be done in a propane oven?
Yes, you can use a gas oven, but bear in mind that powder coating in a space with little ventilation and right next to your gas oven should be avoided because a cloud of powder could potentially be combustible.