When you purchase a new home appliance, there’s always an alternative for recoating your old parts. Powder coating is used to repair or replace plastic, metal and wood pieces that are worn out or not attractive anymore.
1. Prepare the Appliance Parts
Remove any dirt or loose particles using warm water and mild soap. If the surface is very dirty, use a solution that’s safe for the type of material. Regular dish soap is suitable for metal and plastic parts, while castile liquid soap should be used on wood pieces.
2. Remove the Worn Areas
Using coarse sandpaper, remove any dents or flat surfaces from the appliance parts so you can apply a new powder coating with the paint gun. To ensure that you’re removing the right areas, test out your equipment on a spare piece of metal or wood before moving on to the appliance part.
3. Start Painting with Powder Coating
When applying powder coating, it’s best to use a spray gun for more accurate results. You can purchase paint guns in various styles and sizes, depending on your needs. Pay attention to the instructions from your manufacturer and always follow the recommended safety precautions.
4. Use a Heat Gun to Dry Powder Coating
Using a heat gun helps speed up the process of painting and drying powder coating on your appliance parts. In comparison with an oven, a heat gun is safer for quick jobs because it doesn’t turn on when plugged in.
5. Bake the Appliance Parts in an Oven
Using a preheated powder coating oven, bake your appliance part for about 5 minutes to completely dry powder coating. Do not forget to place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven before baking, since powder coating can damage your ware easily when it comes into contact with the heat source.
6. Clean-Up and Maintenance
Once you’ve completed your job, clean any remaining powder coating from the nozzle using a wire brush or cloth dipped in an organic solvent to prevent sticking and clogging. Some spray paint gun cleaners are available at local hardware stores.
7. Protect the Finish
Once you’re done powder coating the appliance part, allow it to dry for at least 30 minutes under room temperature. You can then protect the new coat with a thin layer of clear lacquer to increase durability so you won’t need to re-coat in just a few months. You can also add a UV inhibitor to prevent the paint from fading in harsh sunlight.
The process of powder coating, when done right, completely transforms your appliance parts and gives them a new aesthetic look. This is because of how the exterior of the part is covered in tiny microscopic particles that are heated by an oven to form a thin protective barrier around your appliances. Once this process is done, the part can easily be cleaned and also provides a smooth surface with low friction that’s resistant to both stains and scratches.
You can apply this technique on metal, wood and plastic parts where plastic elements of your appliances such as handles and switches have broken off.
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