5 Reasons Why Powder Coating at Home Is Not Cheap & Easy

So you have some smaller sized metal items you want to powder coat and you think, “Hey, I have an oven. Maybe I can just save some money and do it myself at home.” We get it. Who doesn’t like to save money?

Since part of the powder coating process is similar to spray painting, it can be tempting to just purchase a consumer powder coating kit, including a powder coating gun and try it at home. You might even have read some articles online that claim that powder coating is really easy, so why pay somebody else to do it for you.

They’re wrong. Maybe the writers are experienced powder coaters, and it’s easy for them. Or maybe they’re just paid writers looking for something interesting to write about, but here at Steel Advantage in Phoenix, AZ, we know that it takes time, practice and the right equipment to get powder coating right the first time and every time.

So why shouldn’t you just powder coat your own parts at home?

1.Food Safety: Let me ask you a question? How many ovens do you have at home? Can you afford a second oven? While electric kitchen ovens and toaster ovens can be used in powder coating, you can’t use the same oven that you cook food into powder coat. That’s because any powder left in the oven will produce toxic fumes that will get into the food. You might think you’ve cleaned all traces of the powder, but tiny amounts you can’t see could still be there. Do you really want to risk poisoning your family for the sake of a DIY project like powder coating to-go coffee mugs?

2. Oven Size: Okay, let’s say you have a second oven you can use exclusively for powder coating at home. How big is your oven? Most kitchen ovens, even commercial sized chef’s ovens aren’t even close to the size of the smallest oven a professional powder coating specialist might use. At our shop in Phoenix, we can powder coat anything up to 10 feet x 10 feet x 10 feet. The dimensions of the average home oven are only 30 inches x 30 inches x 25 inches. Maybe you can powder coat your to-go coffee mugs in one, but motorcycle parts, not so much.

3. Skill Level: Even regular spray painting isn’t as easy as it looks. And yes, powder coating uses a spray gun too, but how good are you at getting something your painting evenly coated? If it’s your first time powder coating, your finished product isn’t going to look even close to the quality of a professional job. We’re not trying to discourage you from learning to powder coat but maybe look for a course on powder coating before you attempt it yourself, unless, you’re just changing the color of those to-go coffee mugs we mentioned.

4. Cost: If you have the money and you just want to teach yourself how to powder coat your to-go coffee mugs in the comfort of your Phoenix area home, then great. However, if you’re like most people, you probably don’t have a lot of money to spend fixing your beginning powder coating mistakes. If you try powder coating motorcycle parts or other metal pieces at home and they don’t come out looking as good as you expected, you’re stuck having to pay a professional anyway, and you’re now stuck with that powder coating kit you also invested in.

5. Time: Do you even have the time to powder coat stuff at home, including learning how to powder coat yourself by practicing on to-go coffee mugs? Probably not. But when you hire a professional to powder coat your metal items, you have extra time to spend with your family and to get other chores done around the house.

So take our advice here at Steel Advantage in Phoenix, AZ, don’t poison your family, and save time and money by hiring a professional to powder coat your stuff for you. And if you’re going to powder coat your to-go coffee mugs, get a second oven just for them.

What’s your opinion about DIY powder coating? Let us know in the comments section below. And if you have any questions about powder coating services in the Phoenix area, give us a call today.

Categorised in: Metal Working

This post was written by Writer