Discussions

Is it cheaper to do powder coating yourself? The Real Story Behind At-Home Kits

A lot of people who like to do things themselves are tempted to try powder coating because of all the YouTube videos that show how to do it. You buy a cheap gun online, use an old toaster oven, and cross your fingers. The reasoning is, "Why pay a store $200 when I can get a kit for $100?"

We love the DIY spirit, but when you add up the costs of powder coating at home, it doesn't make sense most of the time. Also, people often don't think about the safety risks. Let's look at the real costs of setting up a home rig versus hiring a professional like Rusty Lions.

The Actual Cost of a DIY Setup

You need more than just the gun to get a result that doesn't peel in a month.

Cost of a powder coating gun: $100 to $500. Cheap guns don't have a good electrostatic charge, which makes the coats uneven and causes the "Faraday Cage Effect," which keeps powder from getting into corners.

Curing Oven: $50 to $150. Be careful: You can't use your oven in the kitchen! Fumes from powder coating are bad for you and will ruin food. You need a special oven for your garage.

Air compressor: $150 or more. You need air that is dry and free of oil. The powder will clump and bubble if there is any moisture in the line.

The price of a sandblasting cabinet is $200 or more. You can't powder coat until you blast first. Brushing the wire isn't enough to give the powder the "tooth" it needs to stick.

$50 for safety gear (goggles and a respirator). Powder is a fine particle that is bad for your health if you breathe it in.

When you bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, it uses a lot of electricity.

Minimum startup cost: $600 to $1,000.

The Drawbacks of Doing It Yourself

• Size Limits: You can only use parts that fit in a toaster oven unless you make a huge custom oven. You can't do frames, rims, or furniture.

• Quality Control: Professional shops use guns that cost more than $3,000. They charge the powder particles just right so that they can go around corners. DIY guns often leave bare spots where rust can start to form.

• Chemical pretreatment (phosphating) is the key to professional powder coating cost. Pros have tanks for dipping. Most do-it-yourselfers skip this step, which causes adhesion failure.

The Cost Comparison for Professionals

Let's say you want to paint a set of brackets for your motorcycle.

• Do-It-Yourself Route: You spend $600 on tools, work for 5 hours, and get angry. You have to strip it and start over if you mess it up, which is very hard.

• The Rusty Lions Route costs between $50 and $100. It takes a few days to finish the job. The end is guaranteed.

When Is It Smart to Do It Yourself?

You should only do it yourself if:

You want to coat hundreds of small things, like fishing lures or small brackets, over the course of many years.

You like the process as a hobby and don't mind the money you have to spend at first.

You don't care about being perfect in "Show Quality."

Why should you hire Rusty Lions?

For most people, the "savings" of doing it yourself are not real. You could have paid for professional service five times over by the time you buy the tools and break a few parts while you learn how to use them. We have industrial batch ovens, professional blasting rooms, and 20 years of experience working with all kinds of metal.

Save time, money, and your lungs. Let the experts take care of it. Take a look at our low prices at Rusty Lions.