One of the most sought-after finishes in anything from appliances, furniture, and even vehicles is the powder coating finish. This is true because a powder-coated finish is not only aesthetically pleasing but is among the most durable finishes that can withstand harsh conditions. Thankfully, you do not need to pay an expensive sum to have this done, because the equipment is available even for the DIY enthusiast.
Speaking of equipment, the most critical part that one must acquire for an outstanding powder coating finish is the best powder coating gun. This brings us to why you are here and what this article is about. Advances in manufacturing technology today have made it possible to make powder coating requirements compact enough for use in your own garage.
TOP 7 Best Powder Coating Guns Available Today
Eastwood Dual Voltage Powder Gun
The Dual Voltage powder coating gun from EASTWOOD is arguably one of the most sought-after powder coating gun systems because of its simplicity and ease of use features. perhaps the most notable and convenient would be its quick-change powder bottle that makes changing colors a breeze.
The system runs on 15Kv and 25Kv of output voltage, ensuring that you can easily coat large and smooth areas and at the same time do recess and tighter nooks on the surface. This powder coating kit can deliver an extra durable finish in less than an hour. The kit also comes with a removable diverter and 6 feet leads. the gun is activated via a switch that is conveniently located in the trigger position, winning points for ergonomics.
Mophorn Powder Coating Machine 50W 45L
The Mophorn powder coating machine system is a massive 45L beast of a machine capable of undertaking larger projects. Mophorn is well-known when it comes to powder coating machines, and this version shows just how well they make these machines. This is why this powder coating machine is used more on sensitive equipment, such as medical machinery like dental or laboratory equipment. The whole powder coating system is made up of high-grade stainless steel, making it resistant to corrosion.
The Mophorn is a relatively low-pressure powder coating machine, allowing for a larger volume of flow for the components. It has a proprietary powder pump that allows for uniform texture when being applied. the output voltage is self-adjusting as well, so you know the powder is perfectly applied no matter the shape of the surface. furthermore, the whole powder coating system is set up on a wheeled contraption, making it a breeze to store and move around the work area for projects. The Mophorn powder coating machine’s components are designed to be easily replaceable and maintained, especially the high-voltage parts.
Harbor Freight Portable Powder Coating System
Harbor Freight is another good name to be associated with in terms of powder coating machinery. In particular, the machines they make are perfect for the home DIYer and are perfect for doing wheels, engine components, furniture, and even firearms. The smooth but durable finish that comes out of this powder coating rig is easily cleaned as well as lasts a lifetime.
The system comes with an 8′ lead with convenient clamps and mainly operated via a pedal. The pedal means that one of your hands can be free should you need to make adjustments to the surface being painted. Harbor Freight also sells their own powders that have canisters that screw directly to the gun itself. What this means is that when you buy their powder you also get a free powder tin along with it. It is required to be powered between 10-30 PSI to shoot its load of powder, with up to 120Volts of output power voltage.
Red Line EZ50
This powder coating gun from RED LINE is one of the most compact powder coating kits out there as the whole thing is basically just the gun itself. All the relevant controls are in the gun itself, the powder flow knob is located at the rear of the gun facing the user. This makes it easy to adjust the powder flow on the fly, and combined with an automatic powder control it ensures an even coat without the clumps and surges so common to inferior products.
The gun is ideal for coating small items, and can do several coats. You can use any texture, from metallic, chrome, and textured powder coatings with no problem. It also has an extra long cable of 10 feet, making it hassle-free when working in a 360 degree around the surface to be painted. It also comes with easily replaceable powder cups which makes changing colors a breeze.
Hyper Smooth 02 LED
If you need a powder coating system that delivers consistency across multiple coatings, the Hyper Smooth 02 LED from Kool Koat should fit your requirement perfectly. What is great about this machine is that it is suited for both the professional and the DIYer alike with its easy to use controls. The control box will give you all information you need at a glance, and provide convenient access to the control knobs.
A standard air gauge will let you see exactly how much pressure you are operating on. The kit also comes with three kinds of nozzles, 2 powder hoppers, ground and power cables, as well as a power supply. The control box conveniently places all the controls and gauges in one place for convenience, providing an air pressure knob as well as the voltage knob easily within reach.
MXBAOHENG Portable Powder
The MXBAOHENG powder coating gun is one of only two Chinese powder coating systems to make it to this list simply because of their super functionality and workmanship. It might be news to you, but MXBAOHENG is known when it comes to coating and painting solutions. The MXBAOHENG PC03-5 is their latest line of powder coating kits and comes upgraded with 5 adjustable output levels. The new version is a direct response to its customers complaints, which is rare for Chinese manufacturers.
The build is compact, which makes it ideal for both home and professional use and the greatest thing is that it costs just a fraction of similar machines that offer the same feature and functionality. This makes for easy storage and easy set up. The finish out of the powder coating system is smooth and resistant to UV light, oil, and general wear and tear.
CGOLDENWALL Portable Powder Coating System
The CGOLDENWALL Portable Powder Coating System is as compact as it gets without sacrificing features. The size makes it perfect for both home and professional use and will fit in any garage or workshop. Fitted with a pedal mounted switch, this kit allows you freedom of movement with your hand as you coat the surface. The adjustable output voltage makes it ideal for both recessed and flat surfaces, and the only limit would be the size of your curing oven.
With an output voltage range of 25KV+/-5KV and a very low requirement for air pressure, this kit is very easy to use and set up. The powder cups can be quickly and easily replaced as well, making it easy to switch colors. The leads are just the right length for flexibility when working around objects without tangling up. A fully adjustable airflow valve allows you complete control of how much powder to release.
Buyers Guide to Choosing a Powder Coating Gun
If you are in the market for buying a professional powder coating gun for your coating system, you will be flooded with thousands of products. This can be confusing at the best of times, and choosing the wrong product for your needs can be a hassle and a waste of money. We don’t want that, that’s why we listed down a checklist of the factors you need to consider to narrow down the options when buying the best powder coating system.
Spray Rate
When choosing a powder coating system, the spray rate is among the first things you should check and tick off in your list. Ideally, the spray rate should be fast enough to ensure coverage of the material with the minimum powder wastage. The rate could be fast but causes a lot of excess powder to overspray, causing unnecessary waste in the process.
To be specific the spray rate refers to how big of an area the professional powder coat gun can spray in one minute. With this in mind, get the one with a higher spray rate especially when your projects require you to spray larger areas. If you plan on powder coating smaller items such as powder coating firearms, the spray rate would not matter much. However, a certain amount of care would always be needed when setting up your equipment to ensure minimum powder wastage is achieved.
Output Voltage
While how fast the powdercoat gun covers an area is important, there is such a thing as voltage output in their particular case. The gun sprays charged powder particles that make them stick to the surface to be painted. Depending on how far the surface to be painted is, the charge can be adjusted for full and even coverage. This means that there should be varying output voltages that will depend on the surface to be painted.
To sum it up, crank the voltage up when painting smooth and even surfaces, and turn the voltage down when painting corners and hard to reach nooks and crannies. The higher charge will attract the particles to the nearest surface and the lower the charge the farther away the gun can spray them. Because of this, the best powder coating equipment can be adjusted to have an output voltage from 20Kv to 100Kv.
Transfer Efficiency
When it comes to powder coating, transfer efficiency is also noteworthy. This is about how much of the powder coating material in the spray gun is transferred to the surface being prepped. The efficiency is then expressed in percentages where 100% is the ideal number to look for. In the process of selection, get the gun with a transfer efficiency that is closest to 100%.
The higher the level of efficiency, the more economical and practical the electric powder coating gun would be, saving you a ton of money in the process. With higher efficiency, there will be less wastage of materials as well as the power being consumed will also go down. This will translate to hundreds of dollars being saved in the long run.
Ease of Use
It will not make sense if you choose an affordable powdercoat system that is awkward to use. In this regard avoid a kit that has a different orientation in the handles or a ton of adjustable bits that will only get in the way. Having an easy-to-understand and comprehensive manual of instruction also belongs in the ease of use category.
One thing about powder coating that can easily get frustrating is when you need to swap out colors. Fortunately, the best powder coating system has several interchangeable powder tins to hold different colors. This makes it easier to clean as well as a breeze to swap out, instead of pouring out and then replacing it with an entirely different color.
Durability
The workshop, whether a dedicated one or just a corner in your garage, is not a friendly place for fragile items. It should go without saying that your powder coating starter kit should be made really well to stand up to daily wear and tear and then some. Chief among the things you should watch out for would be high-quality materials, with resistance to bumps and scrapes. The powder coating equipment should also be able to have oil, dust, and water resistance as these are common in workshop environments.
A good rule would be to get the one with the least amount of maintenance needed, as repairs can be money pits as the equipment shows its age. Also, ensure that the equipment has proper storage and properly cleaned after every use to promote its longevity and usefulness.
Tips and Nozzle Replacement
Another crucial factor in choosing your powder coat kit would be the selection of tips and nozzles that are included in the system as you purchase it. These adapters will change the spray rate as well as how the particles will be dispersed to the surface being applied. Smaller bore nozzles can be ideal for small areas as well as those with recesses, and bigger bore nozzles are ideal for large, smooth, and relatively flat surfaces.
With this in mind look for interchangeability of nozzles and tips, as well as how many because in this case the more options, the better. A wide selection will ensure that you cover all angles, starting from the most intricate pieces to larger projects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Can You Powder Coat a Gun?
Yes, you definitely can, however, the restriction would be the laws that are regulating firearms in your area. With this, please ensure that you get in touch with gun authorities before doing such a project. Technically, however, one can only ever safely powder coat a gun on its non-moving parts, such as the outside areas. The reason is that internal mechanisms of a firearm operate in almost exact tolerances and powder coating them may cause the device to malfunction.
Which Is Better Anodized or Powder Coating?
The short answer would be powder coating because while anodized is more durable than a regular powder coating, it can only be applied to aluminum as opposed to a powder coat which can be applied to all surfaces. Furthermore, an anodized surface cannot be re-coated whilst a powder-coated finish can be redone infinitely.
An anodized finish is also considerably more expensive than a regular powder coat finish. This is because the process for anodization is more complex than powder coating systems.
Anodizing vs Powder:
Is It Better To Powder Coat Or Paint Wheels?
The answer is a yes as a powder coat is considerably more durable than paint. Think of powder coating as enveloping your item in a cocoon of hard and durable plastic. While paint may be easier and more accessible, it cannot compare to the durability of a powder-coated item. Wheels are especially bad to paint because they are prone to be subjected to harsh conditions and those conditions would just ruin paint every time. A powder-coated wheel would last longer, look better, and save you some money in the long run.
Can You Powder Coat at Home?
Yes, most of thepowder paint gun and kits sold all over are home-use kits rather than an exclusive workshop deal. The process itself is quite straightforward and can be learned in a few hours. Aside from the kit itself, some household appliances can be used for the curing of the coat itself, and the most popular choice is an oven. Home powder coating kits became popular as the benefits of a powder-coated finish became apparent.
The applications are endless, but the most popular would be using powder coating on vehicles such as boats and cars, as well as hobbies and firearms. Wheels are a favorite among DIY enthusiasts to powder coat and they do most of them at home, right 8in their garages.
Powder Coating At Home With Amazing Results:
Conclusion
The popularity of do-it-yourself home powder coating kits shows no signs of slowing down because of the immense benefits of powder coating and the way it adds years to the longevity of a product. Not only that, but powder coating produces a more even and stable finish and yet be almost on par when it comes to cost.
Traditional painting, especially on vehicles, takes a lot of practice to master as well as labor-intensive. On the other hand, powder coating takes very little training and practice to master, and therein lies its attractiveness. Choosing any one of the exceptional products we listed down above will bring you that much closer to completing your dream project, right at the comfort of your home.
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