Curing 'ceramic' engine paint
 

Hey everyone

I sandblasted al the brackets, fan, … etc. All these parts are now ready to be prepped and painted.
I will use VHT high temp primer (engine enamel prep) and after that VHT ‘GM satin black’ engine enamel. (apart from the water pump that has to be Chevy orange).

The product discription says that after the paint is completely air dried, it must be cured to substantially increase the durability of the finish. It has tob e baked at 200 F for 1 hour…

No one I know will let me bake engine parts in the kitchen oven (nasty chemicals etc.).
How do you guys cure/bake painted (‘ceramic-ish’) parts?

PS: Don't mind the brown stuff on the waterpump. It's a self-etching primer.


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Go to a job shop in your area, painting job shop @ powder coatings, liquid, coat. Ask if you could pop a couple parts in their oven. Most folks will let you. At least where I live.

I guess your only choice is to sit the parts in front of an electric heater, preferably with a fan, just for an hour or so. Just keep rotating the parts every 15 mins.

I went through this project last winter with Eastwoods ceramic engine paint. Never cooked it on, I just never let my garage go below 60 degrees over night.

Any painting job shops around in your area? I'm sure they'd let you throw a few parts in one of their ovens.

I bake just about everything I paint-much more durable finish and no waiting to handle.

You can get a large toaster oven as cheap as $60- but around $100 they come with a digital readout/timer and auto shut off. That's the ones I highly recommend-

Richard

I blasted my headers then used VHT primer and top coat followed their directions to a tee. Baked them in the kitchen oven. Odor was not bad but it was summertime and left the windows open while I was away.

I used my kitchen oven to bake brake caliper paint. No big deal.

You guys are not married or you would be dead meat.

Lol, my wife is a car girl. Anyway, 200*F is not near high enough to burn paint but it will bake nicely.

:withstupid: :rofl:

I wait until my wife goes to visit her sisters before I wash my shop rags in the washing machine. Shhhhhhhh!

Buy a cheap free standing stove/oven at a garage sale or Craig's list, plug it into a garage outlet and bake away.
When you are finished with all your baking needs, sell the oven or take it to the dump.
Great place to bake any powder coated parts you do yourself and heating parts prior to assembly.

Will search for a cheap or free oven in the neighborhood. Thanks for the advice guys!
Any tips for baking parts? Or is there nothing special about it.

A kitchen stove is 220V and 30 amp service. Do you have that in your garage?

Most homes have a dryer circuit 220 volt 20 amp in the garage.
You really should have one in any garage or shop for power equipment and tools.
If you don't, run one off the main or sub panel, easy to do, but may require a building electrical permit in your jurisdiction.

I will try it on a piece of scrap metal and see...
I already send an email to the POR15 seller. Hope he answers.
I'm thinking of isolating the underside of my car (with the bridge up) with towels, and then putting an electric stove under it. Forming some sort of 'heatbox'.

I second "oldCarBum". I picked up an electric stove/oven for free on CL.Maybe go to an appliance dealer.They usually have trade-ins that are waiting for the scrap man to come pick up.

Buy a cheap bbq grill and bake the part outside

If you want to get "serious"-

This guy built one using metal studs- sheet metal and some oven heating elements!!!

Ingenious-

http://nastyz28.com/threads/my-powde...-build.231536/




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Depending on the part- if it has been soaked in oil- you want to bake it BEFORE you paint it.

I always just use my gas grill. Easy to control the heat and it has a thermometer on the top.