Powder Coating provides a premium coating ideal for many automotive, marine, home, and garden applications. Eastwood’s HotCoat® Powder Coating System is a breakthrough refinishing system for the home hobbyist providing professional performance at a fraction of the cost of industrial equipment. The cured finish resists most chemicals, fuels, acids, thinners, brake fluid, UV light, and is much more durable than liquid coatings (up to ten times). Powder coating is environmentally friendly! It produces no toxic wastes and uses no solvents. The Eastwood HotCoat® PowderCoat System allows you to coat a part and return it to service in less than an hour! Now you can powder coat any metal part that can withstand the 400°F (204°C) cure temperature utilizing an electric oven or our Infrared Light Cure System.

CAUTION
Read and understand all instructions and precautions before proceeding. This unit uses high voltage as well as powder which may become flammable under certain circumstances. Eastwood shall not be held liable for consequences due to deliberate or unintentional misuse of this product.

Powder coating dust, like common household dust, when confined and suspended in air, poses a fire and potential explosion hazard if ignited. Good housekeeping, adequate ventilation, dust control and isolation from potential ignition sources is required!

When coating internal areas such as boxes, tubing, etc., apply powder in stages so that a dense dust cloud will not form. Coat small areas at a time and allow cloud to dissipate before moving to next area. DO NOT TOUCH EMITTER TO OBJECT! This will create a spark which may ignite dust cloud.

DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE! READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING! The power supply is a sealed unit and contains no user serviceable parts! Contact with the emitter will result in an unpleasant shock! To eliminate the shock hazard, touch the emitter to the ground clip after each use. (If you have a medical condition or pacemaker check with your doctor before using.)

Contact with the emitter will result in an unpleasant shock.

DO NOT TOUCH THE EMITTER BEFORE CONTACTING IT TO THE GROUND CLIP!

Electrical Safety Dos

• Make sure you, your work area, and your equipment are dry.
• If you are using an extension cord, make sure it is a grounded cord in sound condition with no damage or frays, and of the correct wire gauge.
Electrical Safety Don’ts

• Never bypass the ground plug. Grounding is important for operation of the unit and prevents shock.
• Do not touch the emitter until after the activation switch is released and the emitter has been touched to the ground clip to discharge the emitter.
• Once you are spraying the part with the powder, avoid touching the gun to the part or other grounded objects.
• Do not step on, kink, or pull the wires. Before using the gun inspect the condition of all wires.
• Do not touch or hold the part while coating.

Before you begin using the HotCoat™ Powder Coating System make sure you have the following:

• An electric oven or toaster oven large enough to fit the parts you will be coating. If you’ll occasionally be coating larger parts, you may want one of our Infrared Light Curing Systems (#10180 and #10680). Do not use an oven used for food preparation or located in a living area, as mildly toxic fumes are given off by the powder during the curing process! Do not use a gas oven! Used ovens can be obtained very easily for little or no money by checking your local newspaper classified section or by calling appliance stores and remodelers in your area.
• An air supply source for the gun. A modest air compressor capable of at least .5 cfm at 5-8 psi. You can even use a portable air tank with regulator. The air supply must be dry and the use of a moisture trap is strongly recommended.
• A grounded 110-120VAC outlet or heavy-duty grounded extension cord to plug in the 6’ power cord. NOTE: Unit must be grounded to work properly and safely!
• A clean, safe, well-lit, well-ventilated work area.
• An activated charcoal respirator like our Professional Respirator (#34229) to wear while the coating is being cured.
• A dust mask like our Dust Mask (#13000) to wear while handling and applying powder.
• Disposable vinyl or Nitrile gloves (#43098 M, L, XL) to handle powder and cleaned parts.
• A pair of Goggles (#43090) to provide eye protection during coating and gun cleaning operations.

Remove all items from the box. Compare with list below to make sure unit is complete.

• A 6 ft. 120 volt, 15 amp electrical input cord
• A 6 ft. lead with ground clamp which is attached to the part you are going to powder coat
• A remote activation switch with 6 ft. lead
• An 8 ft. high voltage gun power lead

• A sheet of clean glossy paper or spoon for transferring powder
• A roll of aluminum foil
• A roll of High Temperature Masking Tape 1/2” wide (#10027) or 1” wide (#10115) to mask bolts and other areas where powder build is not desired (See Masking the Part, page 8)
• High Temperature Silicone Plugs (set of 30, #10078) to seal threaded holes and close tolerance openings. These plugs also work great to support parts in the oven during curing (See Masking the Part, page 8)



• A spool of .041” Stainless Steel Safety Wire (#43045) to hold parts while powder coating and curing. It’s better to use clean wire than coated wire to prevent contaminants from falling on to the powdered surface
• Clean cotton rags or lint free paper towels
• An extra disposable Moisture Separator (#34066) It should be replaced monthly if used daily.
• A pair of leather heat-resistant gloves
• A quick disconnect air coupler
• A timer
• A tarp to collect powder dust for easy clean up
• A can of PRE Painting Prep (#10041Z). Apply prior to powder coating and allow to air dry. Proper surface preparation is the most important factor in achieving a durable finish

Other Available Products
Infrared Light Curing Systems (#10180 and #10680)
Used in place of an oven to cure items which have been powder coated.

Electrical sub-assemblies are not replaceable. If you damage any of the electrical parts call Eastwood at 1-800-227-8321 and a Technical Representative will gladly assist you in finding the best resolution to the problem.

As with normal refinishing, powder can only be applied to clean, bare metal surfaces. Properly clean the part to be coated by removing all traces of old paint, rust, grease, oil, etc

To chemically strip off old finishes use Eastwood’s Paint and Powder Remover Qt. (#10550ZP), Aer. (#11189Z) or the environmentally-safe Eastwood DeKote® Qt. (#10410), Gal (#10411), Aer. (#10408Z). To mechanically strip the old finish use a Cleaning Disc (#31095), wire brush, Radial Bristle Brush (#31176), Abrasive Blasting Gun (#22009) or sand paper to completely remove paint. Heavy paint coatings are often more efficiently removed by using Paint Remover. If removing old powder coating, see page 16.

Chemical Rust RemovalOnce the part is free of paint chemically remove the rust with Eastwood’s OxiSolv Rust Remover pint (#16025) , gallon (#16027), or 20 oz. spray (#16026), and Eastwood OxiSolv Super Gel Gallon (#16028).

Mechanical Rust Removal
Rust can be removed with a wire brush, Cleaning Disc (#31095), Radial Bristle Brush (#31176) or by abrasive blasting. Eastwood has a wide variety of abrasive blasting equipment, including our blast cabinets and Blast out of a Bucket Gun (#22009).

Filling Minor Low Spots
Metal-2-Metal Polyester Filler (#10021Z) can be used as a filler for corroded or pitted areas prior to powder. Apply Metal-2-Metal as you would any body filler and finish by level sanding and feathering all edges with 180, 220, and 320 grit paper. Do not build filler more than 1/16” or lifting may occur during heat cure. Filler applications should be pre baked at 400°F for 20 minutes before final sanding and powder coating to assure against shrinkage. If you prefer a single stage (non-catalyzed) filler, try Lab Metal 24 oz. net wt. (#10207Z) or Hi-Temp Lab Metal 24 oz. (10288Z).

Grease and Oil Removal

Metal part must be free of any oil, dirt, or other contaminants before powder coating. Clean with Metal Wash (#10120), PRE Painting Prep (#10041Z), PRE Quarts (#10194ZP) or acetone.

Once the part is thoroughly dry the powder can be applied. Handle the cleaned part with vinyl or Nitrile Disposable Gloves (#43098 M, L, or XL) to avoid contamination. Finger prints can affect adhesion! Determine how the part should be positioned in the oven before coating. Use the High Temperature Plugs (#10078) and/or High Temperature Tape (#10027) to protect critical tolerance areas.

TECH TIP: Use aluminum foil to mask areas or intricate parts.

Helpful Hint: Practice masking, applying powder, and curing test pieces prior to coating final parts.

Hanging or Placing the Part for Coating
Bend wire hooks to hold the part during powder application and curing. Our .041 Stainless Steel Safety Wire (#43045) works well for this application. Don’t use a coated wire as debris from the wire coating may fall on the part during the curing process. High Temperature Plugs (#10078) can often be used to support the parts above the trays, and plug bolt holes.

Preheating the Oven
Before powder coating the part - preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
NOTE: Preheat to 350°F for Gloss Clear (#10093). Check temperature with an oven thermometer or the Argent Silver Base (#10102), Reflective Chrome (#10285), Chrome Smoke (#10543) and Gray Metallic (#10341) need to be top-coated with a clear or translucent finish to protect the metallic coatings from oxidation and dulling over time.

Note: Gloss Clear (10093) should go into an oven preheated to 350° F and allowed to cure for 20 minutes at 350° F after complete flow out has occurred. Curing at higher temperatures may cause yellowing.

PROBLEM: Pitted Finish

• Make sure the gun is thoroughly cleaned before changing to another powder.
• Make sure part is completely cleaned of all contaminants (see page 7).
• After cooling, wet sand the areas with 400 grit to level pits. A second coat of powder can then be applied to the entire part.

PROBLEM: Coating Porous Materials In some cases, contaminants in porous materials will cause pits in the powder. Porous cast iron, die cast, cast aluminum, and magnesium parts trap contaminants that, when heated, will outgas and cause porosity problems as the powder is cured. To avoid this, follow these Preheating instructions: For large or heavy parts, and to prevent pitting from occurring, preheat the part to 450°F for 30-60 minutes. The time that a part needs to be preheated varies with size. Once the part has cooled, use PRE Painting Prep (#10041Z) or acetone to remove the newly exposed contaminants. Wipe the part repeatedly until no further contaminants come off on a clean white rag. Let the part cool to room temperature before applying the powder. NOTE: Die-cast metal and solders vary widely in formulation, many of which can be difficult to powder coat and, in some cases may even melt at 400° F.

PROBLEM: Orange Peel “Orange Peel” is when the coated surface resembles the surface texture of an orange. A certain amount of orange peel is unavoidable especially with polyester based powders. An orange peel condition can often be removed by sanding the part with 400 grit sand paper (wet or dry) and compounding as you would conventional automotive finishes. If you want to buff by hand, use AutoSol Polish (#13170). The main cause of orange peel is insufficient coating, over-baking, or excessive powder build up. You will know if powder build up occurs because the powder will start to stand on its end like hair. If this happens, stop applying powder and with light air pressure blow off some of the powder. If powder does not apply evenly due to moisture build up, replace moisture trap on gun and use fresh powder. Cured powder can be finished in the same manner as liquid paint.

PROBLEM: Poor Spray Pattern If the gun does not spray, the air pressure could be too low. Moisture could be clogging the Disposable Filter (#34066). Replace if necessary. The level of powder in the cup should be at least one inch deep from the bottom of the cup to flow efficiently through the gun. The deflector should be about 3/16” from the end of emitter.

PROBLEM: No Coverage or Poor Coverage in Recessed Areas Hold the gun so that the side or peripheral discharge of powder goes into crevices, recesses, and sharp angles. In extreme cases, gun can be used without a deflector and static tubes. Exercise care to maintain at least 3” from part being coated to avoid a spark.

PROBLEM: Poor Coverage When Applying 2nd Coat (Hot Application) Powders can be applied to hot surfaces. To use this technique, pre-heat the part to cure temp. This may take 10-40 minutes depending on size. After pre-heating, remove part from oven and immediately apply powder. You will notice that powder will flow immediately upon contact. Exercise care to avoid drips and runs. Place coated part back into pre-heated oven set at cure temp for an additional 20 minutes to complete the cure.

The coating can be removed using Eastwood’s Paint and Powder Remover Qt. (#10550ZP). Remember powder coatings are more solvent resistant than other coatings and may require more time than paint to remove. To speed results, cover the part with a heavy coating of remover and cover the remover with a plastic bag to prevent evaporation. Plastic Media such as our Poly Abrasive Material (#22020) also works well in removing powder coating. Eastwood has a wide selection of abrasive equipment that can use this material.