I went out and bought a blast cabinet yesterday and some Aluminum oxide.

Are there any secrets to keeping the dust down????

I'm thinking maybe using a shopvac with an inlet/outlet and a filter somewhere to keep from recyling the dust.

 

Most higher end cabinets come with a vacuum systems - mine has a completely separate vacuum with a 5 gallon receptacle for dust. You could prolly rig one up with a shop vac.

 

Does yours have a "return" line for the air or would that be excess?

 

No return line - the cabinet itself is not pressurized. I got it from TiP about 20 years ago - they still sell the same one here:

http://toolmonger.com/category/retailers/tp-tools/

 

You can also buy just the vacuum system :

http://www.tptools.com/dg/15_Abrasiv...Collector.html

 

Bought a cheap shop vac, works like a champ. I blasted the 05 valve covers and put another healthy dose of paint stripper on the 98 valve covers.

It is much easier to strip the paint from them first, then blast them. The factory stuff is HARD to get past. Almost as hard as powdercoating is to get off.

 

Latest attempt

 

thats getting pretty good man

 

So are you for hire as of yet?

 

Ehhh, I don't know if I'm too comfortable with other peoples stuff yet.

It's one thing to take one of my parts, work on it and sell it if it turns out OK.
Completely another to start messing with someone elses stuff.

With that being said what are you trying to coat??

 

Valve covers for an 05, thought about trying the whole process myself, you using the oven on post?

 

Yes, i'm using the one on post. If you do coat there, make sure you blow out the oven and any powder residue from the cabinet. Otherwise you may end up with something unexpected in your part.

 

i didnt even think about using the one out here. when are they open/closed? what's all in the shop?

 

The shop just has a cabinet and an oven. You will need your own gun and powder. The shop is open Wed-Sun. Check redstone mwr website for the hours.

 

Latest project,

I bought a C&L intake tube and sanded down most of the casting flash and removed the C&L logo.

I will coat it chrome to match the intake hat that I did in chrome as well from Page 2.

Also a picture of a valve cover that I did in gloss black.

Although, I think that black valve covers, with the black/polished intake hat and a chrome inlet tube may look pretty good.

I plan on doing the inlet, some covers, cobra brake calipers on one day soon.

 

I went out and did the C&L intake last night.

 

Been using the Sears kit with good results. My question is, what do you do about the area where the ground clamp has to attach to the part? Can you go back later and redo that small section (I guess you'd have to hook the ground to another portion of the part that already has powder on it? Would that work?)

 

I use the Chicago kit, I use heavy gauge wire to suspend the parts and connect the ground to the wire. The C&L was supported from a wire from inside the PCV tube. Cobra upper hat was suspended by wire inside one of the bolt holes, etc.etc.

I just did my rear diff mount and installed my delrin bushings today. Here's a pic of the final product.

 

I'm currently doing the disc brake dust shields, which really don't have threaded bolt holes, so where ever the hanging clip is, there is going to be at least a small area that will not get coverage which will eventually lead to to rust:

 

If you're really worried about it you can always re-coat the part again later and get coverage over the part that the wire was on.