Who needs powdercoating done?

[jed.only]

If they're charging that much for just coating...NOT the prep work...then yeah, that's way over the top. Like I said, doing my frame was quoted at $160...that's doing all the stripping/blasting/prep/finish work.

Oh and I hate all you people with your Ohlins shocks....

yeah dude, i about fell over. 120max and id have been fine with it. im buying a junk oven and doing my own small items very very soon. who knows, maybe ill get ambitious and open up a shop. give ole Escobar a run for his money!

[Escobarclan]

Dammit Jed!

Joking aside, look at www.eastwoodco.com, seems as though they have the best powdercoating supplies/tools for the price.

[renobruce]

Joe, no more pics please. Obviously you have some sick toys. I'm beginning to suffer from moto-penile envy. Yes, it's a true medical condition common among those who post pics.

I just got an e-mail from a friend/competitor in Calif. He took a pic of his oven, can't get it on here for some reason. It's the neatest thing, he just welded 3 4x8ft panels together with a roof, welded some hinges on and a panel door. On two sides were 2 regular kitchen ovens welded to the outside of the booth, with the panel openings cut to heat inside. It's his $200 treating booth, unbeleivable. This was going to be my biggest expense, not anymore!

I can say, when I get this started (I'm reasonably sure now), that you guys aren't going to be corralled into steep prices. Just like our polishing, we're going to be outdoing the comp.

He must be working off of his property, because he wouldn't be able to get that to fly in a legitamate business location. The fire dept. would shut him down. Not sure what the regulations are in your neck of the woods, but there are certain codes you must go by unless you are doing the powdercoating "on the sly", like an automatic fire suppression, a proper listed bake oven, clearances, venting, etc.

[Escobarclan]

Not sure Reno. As for my location, Arkansas. Rural. Code enforcement is something we see on T.V.

[jed.only]

Dammit Jed!

Joking aside, look at www.eastwoodco.com, seems as though they have the best powdercoating supplies/tools for the price.

i have been eyeing HOTCOAT since it came out YEARS ago. just never been in a place where i could have a junk oven OR a garage. apartment living sucks!

[jed.only]

by the way, what part of AR? im in Tulsa, OK and trying to relocate to NW AR like Bentonville for my job.

[Escobarclan]

Ahhhhhh........a potential customer!

[Escobarclan]

Mena, Ar. Ozark Mountains, same town where the iran-contra affair took place.

[mr20turbo]

ever think of thermal coatings?

here is our local shop: http://coolcoat.org/index_files/Page310.htm

if you offered polishing, powder and thermal coating i think i would just ride the bike there, find a local residence, find a local job, and just start handing you cash until everything was i wanted done was completed.

[dpep]

I am looking to take the exhaust system on my 83 1100E to black which was stock for that year instead of the chrome (1982) it is now. I thought I would probably go the ceramic route, but I would certainly consider powder coating. The problem would be shipping. Heavy, and exhaust systems are a bitch to pack.

How much time would it take to do start to finish? If you could do it while I wait it might give me a good excuse to take another trip to the Ozarks.

[Escobarclan]

Come on down Turbo !

I checked that link. The main problem with these sites is that you have to 'get a quote'. At least they should toss you a ballpark figure, like a model specific price list so we have an idea of what the expense may be.


Dpep, eventually (soon) I plan to start this up, I haven't thought of prices yet. It appears as though I can get a full powdercoating section with minimal cost up soon, I may very well order the pro-kit today and get an oven to at least capitalize on the small jobs right off. At the same time I have to get a plan going for building a full sized treatment oven (like described above.) I'm going to see if I can get dad started on lighting the new shop area and running another 100-200 amp source.

Today I've tasked my son to work on examining and getting quotes on various parts from every website he can find. This is what we did with polishing. Since we live in a low cost area, with a low average wage I'm absolutely certain we can under-cut everyone. Amazing how much they charge......

The pain (I'm sure most of you know) of anything new are the 'unknowns', there's always a hitch or two somewhere, unexpected expenses and surprise decisions.

[drhach]

.. its powder, and an oven. even the labor isnt that hard or time consuming, a blind guy could do it, seriously.

I think you're oversimplifying this. I considered getting in to this business and as Renobruce stated, doing it right and by the local codes can be expensive. The stuff that Caswell Plating sells is for hobbyists. If you want equipment that can work all day and not break down, you will be spending $$$. The same goes for ovens. A proper oven is not cheap. Also consider that this is somewhat akin to a plating process. You need to apply electricity for the powder to stick, so you have electricity costs as well. There also are OSHA compliance issues and on and on. It's not the most expensive business and the learning curve isn't like what it takes to be a rocket scientist, but don't discount what it takes to do it right. The key words here are doing it right. Because if you are sloppy in your work, you will get a reputation. If it was that cheap and easy, there'd be a lot more powder coaters and they'd all be really cheap. As in most things, the concept is simple, the application is a little harder.

It seems like the guys that stay busy are the ones that find a niche like getting involved in the local motorcycle/Hot Rod community. Once you get a reputation, people will advertise for you. Being that you already doing polishing, it probably wouldn't be a far cry to tell your customers that you do powdercoating as well.

PS RenoBruce, check you PM's

[LeeGS550E]

I think you're oversimplifying this. I considered getting in to this business and as Renobruce stated, doing it right and by the local codes can be expensive. The stuff that Caswell Plating sells is for hobbyists. If you want equipment that can work all day and not break down, you will be spending $$$. The same goes for ovens. A proper oven is not cheap. Also consider that this is somewhat akin to a plating process. You need to apply electricity for the powder to stick, so you have electricity costs as well. There also are OSHA compliance issues and on and on. It's not the most expensive business and the learning curve isn't like what it takes to be a rocket scientist, but don't discount what it takes to do it right. The key words here are doing it right. Because if you are sloppy in your work, you will get a reputation. If it was that cheap and easy, there'd be a lot more powder coaters and they'd all be really cheap. As in most things, the concept is simple, the application is a little harder.

It seems like the guys that stay busy are the ones that find a niche like getting involved in the local motorcycle/Hot Rod community. Once you get a reputation, people will advertise for you. Being that you already doing polishing, it probably wouldn't be a far cry to tell your customers that you do powdercoating as well.

PS RenoBruce, check you PM's

Agreed - its not nearly as simple as powder+oven=fantastic powder coat. I've been doing it as a hobby for a year now. I've got a PID & contactor controlled oven and have got a pretty uniform process going, and still have random problems that cause my finish to be less than professional. I'm toying with the idea of doing this as a side business (just did a quad frame, A arms, springs, etc for $100), but without very good equipment, a standard process, and good experience, you are risking alot of rework. And powdercoat is tough to remove!

You've also got the cost of sandblasting. So either you get a high CFM air compressor, a sandblast booth, and all of the PPE that goes with it, or you find a sandblaster near you that can do good quality work and isn't too busy doing tractor trailers to blast your box of random motorcycle parts.

Gee, do I sound negative? Escobarclan, I say go for it! Just play around with it for a while before you start advertising. Otherwise you're going to have unhappy customers and alot of rework cost that you'll be eating.

[jed.only]

i stated the basics. there arent many more steps to the basics than what i outlined. sure, there are other costs, regulations, etc, but like you said before, it isnt rocket science. a person like escobar having the business that he does, it woldnt be a far jump, that was my point. he runs a business, they deal in a cosmetic service for parts, so he is aware of what prep needs to be done.

[jwhelan65]

Agreed - its not nearly as simple as powder+oven=fantastic powder coat. I've been doing it as a hobby for a year now. I've got a PID & contactor controlled oven and have got a pretty uniform process going, and still have random problems that cause my finish to be less than professional. I'm toying with the idea of doing this as a side business (just did a quad frame, A arms, springs, etc for $100), but without very good equipment, a standard process, and good experience, you are risking alot of rework. And powdercoat is tough to remove!

You've also got the cost of sandblasting. So either you get a high CFM air compressor, a sandblast booth, and all of the PPE that goes with it, or you find a sandblaster near you that can do good quality work and isn't too busy doing tractor trailers to blast your box of random motorcycle parts.

Gee, do I sound negative? Escobarclan, I say go for it! Just play around with it for a while before you start advertising. Otherwise you're going to have unhappy customers and alot of rework cost that you'll be eating.

I agree, I have had several dozen pieces powder coated over the last few months. The place where I had mine done is a commercial lighting company that fabbs exterior light fixtures. I happen to be good friends with the guy who powder coats. All my parts were sqeezed in on a large conveyor as the color I chose came available. For the most part everything turned out very well, however some parts had to be re-done do to human error. It is a very delicate process, in some cases the way in which the part hung on the hook effected that particular spot. Initial prep work, sanding, taping off etc, are vital to the finished product. I have attached some pics of a my wheel that I just got back today. The wheel seals were removed but the bearings were left in and taped off. It has a few small bumps on it, but overall it turned out very well.