DIY Bathroom Hardware Makeover // Powder coating project
Total time: 4hrs
Cost: Free ~ $20 (If you have the equipment)
Difficulty: Novice
TOOLS USED
Air compressor (I used my 60gal for the blast cabinet and a pancake compressor for the powder)
Screw driver
MATERIALS USED
From Brass to Beautiful
If you’re anything like me, I am not a fan of polished brass and either is my fiancé. Thing gave me an idea to learn a new skill, powder coating. This is my very first powder coating project so I am sure there is better ways but either way, I am super happy with the results!
First things first, you have to remove all the hardware from the cabinets, doors and drawers. Also keep in mind that this process requires an oven that can get to 400 degrees or more. So my next step was to remove all the plastic that I thought would melt in the oven. That being said, I didn’t remove the plastic on the hinges and that worked just fine.
After I got rid of all the plastic, the next step was to clean up all the metal, because it is brass and steel, I chose to use glass beads that wouldn’t damage the surface. I did have some peeling happening on the door handle but after powder coating, you can’t see it. This is an Eastwood medium size blast cabinet, it hooks up to your air compressor and works perfect for these kinds of things!
My favorite part, adding color and powder coating! I used a copper pipe to hang all the hinges on so that I could get an even coat of powder on the hardware. After that I baked it in the oven for 20min past “wet“. Wet is when you check on the powder after a few minutes to see if it looks wet. After that, start the timer for 15-20min at 350-400 degrees.
Now you get to put everything back and enjoy your hard work. For me, it took about 4hrs to do it all. Of course I got a lot more to do around the house but this was a good first step in trying to save some money. I’ve heard you can use hammer tough spray paint as well but powder coating will hold up to much more use and abuse.
Zach's pro tip
Make sure you remove all the clear-coats before you powder coat it. The static charge will not work if there is any kind of finish on the item. Also don’t touch the item until it cools down… don’t ask me why I know this :D
