Powder Coating Area
The Powder Coating Area within our Metal Shop at Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) consists mostly of Level 2 equipment.
Additional PPM training is required to use any of our Level 2 equipment.
All our Powder Coating Equipment combined occupies about 90 square feet (6'x18').
It is a small but important part of the 5,500 square foot building that we lease.
Powder Coating Area hand tools should be marked with pink tape, paint, or powder coating.
Safety First
Members must know the following information:
- In case of emergency, call 911.
- Our physical location is:
- 735 East Pikes Peak Avenue
- Colorado Springs, CO 80903
- use this when ordering pizza or an ambulance
IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY
sign
PPM Fire Escape Plan
- Fire Escape Plan maps are posted throughout the Makerspace.
- There are 7 fire extinguishers on the fire escape plan map. Review the PPM Fire Escape Plan for locations.
PPM Emergency
Evacuation Plan.pdf
PPM Fire
Prevention Plan.pdf
PPM Fire Escape
Plan
First Aid
- There is a FIRST AID Supply Cabinet in our Kitchen Area.
- FIRST AID Kits are available in four areas: the Kitchen, Metal Shop, Wood Shop and CNC Room.
FIRST AID
Supply Cabinet
FIRST AID
Kit
Eye Wash Stations
- Emergency Eye & Face Wash Stations are mounted in four areas: the Kitchen, Wood Shop, CNC Room and Vented Room.
Emergency
Eye & Face Wash
Station
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Wear protective equipment in all Wood and Metal Shop Areas.
- Wear gloves when using Isopropyl Alcohol and other cleaners.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Hazardous Chemicals
- All hazardous chemicals must be stored in the yellow hazardous chemical storage cabinet located in the Vented Room.
- Review the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information of unknown products before use.
- SDS information is available via the QR code on the hazardous chemical storage cabinet or this spreadsheet.
- Do not bring dangerous chemicals to the makerspace.
- Spray paint, stains, and other approved items must be stored in the hazardous chemical storage cabinet in the Vented Room.
- Please DO NOT paint indoors.
Flammables Cabinet
in the Vented Room
Impairment
- The use of PPM equipment requires you to be alert, attentive, and focused.
- Do not use any PPM work area, or any PPM tools, if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Classes and Training
New Member Orientation
Area Leader — Quinn Hackenberg
- To help out in the Powder Coating Area contact the Area Leader on Slack.
Classes
- PPM announces all its Upcoming events, including classes, on Meetup
Training
- Max part size to powder coat is 36"x45"x91"
Part prep
- Remove anything off the part that can’t handle 400°F
- Part must be clean and degreased to prevent contamination of media
- Sandblasting part first gives more grip for the powder to stick to and last longer
- If the part has been sandblasted, bake the part in the oven at 180°F until the part reaches temp to degas and discharge part. Then allow to cool.
- Tape anything off with high temp tape (PET, Kapton, Fiberglass) that you don’t want to be powered coated
- Once the part is cleaned and discharged do not touch part with your hands
Powder coat gun prep
- Make sure the gun is completely clean by blowing off any powder off and in the gun with air compressor
- Completely clean out all powder from the powder bottle if using a different color
- Only fill bottle 2in, NO MORE. The bottle needs air circulation to work properly.
- Set gun to high voltage for most things for the first coat and use low voltage for very small parts or second coats
- Set gun PSI to 3-5 PSI
Powder coating
- Place part on rack or hang from rack using stainless steel hooks or wire
- Connect ground wire to rack or wire
- Check ground by moving powder coat gun close to part (1-2in) and push power button to verify there electricity aches to the part. If not, adjust ground until you have a strong arch.
- Hold button and spray powder 6-8 inch away in a circular motion around part until the part is evenly coated.
- Start coating the parts that are deep and have 90 degree angles (low voltage may help if it’s not sticking) then coat the rest at high voltage
- Check evenness with led light
- If air from the gun is blowing powder off part PSI is too high
- If the powder is not sticking, the part may have not been cleaned well enough or not discharged enough
- If you mess up or want to restart you can blow off the powder and restart
Baking part
- Preheat oven to the temperature specified for the powder
- Place part in the oven being careful not to knock off any powder from part
- Measure the temp of the part until its at the specified temp for the powder being used (using IR thermometer)
- Once the part has reached temp bake the part for the specified time for the powder being used
- Carefully remove the part from the oven and allow it to cool down before handling
- To add a second coat, coat part hot at 180°F with good ground and on low voltage and rebake
Tips
Links to external sites:
- How to Powder Coat — Eastwood
- POWDER COATING COLLECTIONS — PRISMATIC POWDERS
Equipment Lists
Powder Coating Equipment
| Picture | Item | Manufacturer | Model Number |
Reference Materials |
powder coating paint gun, dual voltage |
Eastwood | Powder Coating | ||
 |
powder coating
paint booth |
N/A | ||
 |
huge (36"x45"91")
powder coating oven with PID controller |
Trevor Banks | N/A | |
Hand Tools
| Picture | Item | Manufacturer | Model Number |
 |
IR thermometer | ||
 |
small clamp | ||
- Powder Coating Area hand tools should be marked with pink tape or paint or powder coating.
- Return all tools to their proper location after use. This rule applies to all areas of our Makerspace.
- Pikes Peak Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so we can provide a receipt for any donations you make.
Benefits
- PPM members enjoy discounts at the following local merchants:
- (bring proof of membership)
| Company | Website | Benefit | Directions to |
 |
Woodcraft of Colorado Springs | 10% discount | 4438 Austin Bluffs Parkway |
 |
CO Lumber Specialties | 10% discount | 3636 Stone Avenue |
 |
GENERAL AIR | 10% discount | 3031 N Nevada Ave. |
 |
ACE Hardware Uintah Gardens | 10% discount | 1830 W Uintah Street |
- Map of stores that provide PPM member discounts
- Map of helpful local resources curated by our makers
- At home LightBurn subscriptions can be purchased at a discounted rate for being a PPM member.
- The discount code is saved as a Pinned Message in our 'laser-cutter' channel in Slack.
Policies
Materials
Powder Coating Powders
| Color | Item | Safety Data Sheet | Curing Procedure |
Supplier | Date |
| Sassy Pink | PSS 3063 | Safety Data Sheet | 20 Minutes at 350°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 |
| Neon Green | PSS 1221 | 10 Minutes at 400°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 | |
| Space Dust | PPB 10713 | 10 Minutes at 400°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 | |
| Ink Black | PSS 0106 | 10 Minutes at 400°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 | |
| Flatter Black | ESS 4441 | 10 Minutes at 400°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 | |
| Super Grip Black | PTB 6419 | 10 Minutes at 350°F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | 02/10/22 | |
| Black | MATTE BLACK, Item 93306 | 400°F for 15-20 mins after flowout |
Harbor Freight | ||
| Clear | SOFT (SATIN) CLEAR, PPS-1334 | 10 MIN AT 400° F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | ||
| White | GLOSS WHITE, PSS-5690 | 10 MIN AT 400° F | PRISMATIC POWDERS | ||
| Yellow | Mirror Yellow, # 10292 | 400° F for 20 mins after flowout |
Eastwood Company | ||
Powder storage bottles
- Donate for "General Supplies" via PayPal: bit.ly/ppmstuff
- Or, leave donations in a black payment box, or use a QR code.
Red Tags
- If equipment needs repairs, place a Red Tag on it and report it via the Pikes Peak Makerspace Slack channel #red-tags-issues
- This advises others on the malfunctioning equipment and ensures that actions can be taken to service/repair the equipment.
Member Showcase
Powder coated
hood latch with spring
by Trevor Banks
Powder coated
bracket and pulley
by Trevor Banks
Powder coated
valve cover washers
by Trevor Banks
- For even more member projects, visit our #showcase channel on Slack, or follow our social media links.
Related Pages
Links to related PPM Wiki pages:
- Metal Shop
- Metal Shop — CNC SHOPMASTER
- Metal Shop — Sandblasting Cabinet
- Metal Shop — Welding Area
- Wood Shop
- Vented Room
- Shed
Hand-Curated Links
Links to member-recommended external sites:
- When Powder Coating Jobs Go Wrong — on ifscoatings.com
- 110 Powder Coated Household Items — on Pinterest
For Additional Help
- Use the PPM Slack channel #powder-coating or #metal-shop
- List of all PPM Slack channels
- Note that we have a Slack channel (#job-board) for members to post, discuss, or accept job opportunities either within PPM or from the community.
Search the PPM Wiki — include Content pages as well as Multimedia.
Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.
Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) is dedicated to supporting our maker community in their creative processes by providing shared space, shared tools, materials, software, and a knowledge base to turn their ideas into reality.