Powder Coated Iron Pipe Candleholder

I've seen some cool candleholders around town made from plumbing fittings so this holiday season I made a bunch of powder coated iron pipe candleholders for friends. I've always wanted to try my hand at powder coating since it produces a beautiful durable finish and this is a project that lends itself very well to powder application. The candleholder tops swivel for several different candle configurations and the threaded fittings allow you to screw the candles in for a good hold.

To make the candleholder, the first thing you'll need is some pipe fittings. They are easily acquired at any plumbing supply or hardware store. I got mine at Center Hardware in San Francisco for 40 bucks. They didn't even seem to mind me sitting on the floor playing erector set as I worked on my design. You can use galvanized or black iron pipe, but the black pipe is cheaper so I went with that (see next step for full parts list).

About Powder Coating
Powder Coating is an electrostatic process where a charged pigment dust is sprayed into the air with a handheld gun. The pigment particles become positively charged in the gun and stick to the part which is connected to ground. You see powder coating all over the place: bicycles, motorcycles, park benches, cars. My initial impression was that it looks so good I figured the process would require expensive equipment or some hard-won skill. Turns out neither is really the case--you can powder coat at home with an inexpensive kit and an electric oven.

Powder Coating Kit
The powder coating kit I used was $140 online from Eastwood. The deluxe kit comes with two free colors, so I picked red and yellow, both very vibrant. You'll also need an air compressor with a regulator that can be set to 8 PSI. Pretty much any small air compressor will do, and if it doesn't have a pressure gauge, just pick one up with 1/4" NPT fittings.

To flow and cure the powder coating for small parts you can use a toaster oven, but for this project I wanted to assemble the pipe fittings into several large segments and coat them all together, so I needed a bigger oven.

Little Gotchas
One gotcha is that you can't use a gas oven to cure the powder coating, so the thing that made this project more complicated was getting and installing an electric range (my house only has gas). In the end I was glad I did, because I wouldn't want to eat anything out of the oven I used anyway. I picked up a used electric range for $75 off of Craig's List.

Another gotcha is that you have to thoroughly clean your parts. Oil, dust and any label glue on the iron will prevent the powder from sticking. I boiled my parts to get the labels off then cleaned them with acetone (outside).

Finally, remember that the powder pigment is a very fine dust and will easily coat your lungs and get in your eyes, so get a NIOSH-approved respirator and wear goggles while working. You'll need a workspace you can sweep or hose down after the dust settles. I made the mistake of leaving the door open between my workshop and a room where I keep some computer servers. Afterward, I noticed the server filters had turned red and yellow from all the powder they sucked in. But it all vacuums up or blows off easily.

These little things aside, this project was doable over a weekend. Ok, on to assembly!

Step 1 Assemble the fittings

You can use any pipe fittings in any design you want, so be creative and play around with different shapes. In general, go for a sturdy base, and make sure the candles will be held vertically (unless you want wax dripping everywhere).

I used all 1/2" NPT fittings (normally for natural gas). Here's my part list for this design:

Base
4 - 90 degree elbow
4 - 3" nipple
2 - Side outlet tee
3 - 6" nipple

Top
Note: This list is for two tops and holds four candles
2 - 90 degree elbow
2 - Close nipple
2 - Side outlet elbow
4 - 2" nipple
4 - 45 degree elbow

Be sure all the identical parts you're buying are actually the same. Sometimes stores stock several different brands, which could have slightly different external dimensions. This could make your candleholder look asymmetrical or skewed (could be nice too if you intend it).

Be sure your pipes are clean. I boiled the ones that came with labels, then wiped them down with acetone (outside). Dirty parts will prevent powder from sticking. The professionals will media blast (sand blast) the parts first, so you might do that if you have the equipment. After cleaning, it's good to pre-heat the parts in the oven set to 500 degrees F. This will burn off any dirt left over. After the parts cool completely, wipe them down again with acetone and a fresh rag.

Hand tighten all the fittings, then use a pipe wrench to secure them and get them into their final positions. You can use two pipe wrenches on adjacent parts or a vice to precisely position a stubborn piece.

Comments

[papagun]

So... can we get a "How to make your own Powder Coat Kit"? I think some would balk at considering $140.00 to be "inexpensive".

[snowluck2345]

you can get the harborfreight powder coat gun for around 50 dollars.

[Lordinquisitor]

Any Info on whats needed to Make your own gun, which Is what we really need.

[brettlevine]

I don't have that info, but do think replicating the model I bought would be pretty straightforward. Tricky part is getting the charge unit right.

[gallatea]

Great demo. I have an old parrot cage that I've been wanting to re-powder coat. I'd need an oven the size of a flat bed truck though. In any case, this was fun to learn about the process. I love the contrast of what's going on in the garage and backyard vs. the all white couch/white rug living room.

[brettlevine]

So I've seen infrared panels that are used in large ovens. I think that's how they do it in the pro shops. I wonder if we could build something that would work. I'm interested in powder coating 10' long pipes.

[flattop]

If you want to avoid putting teeth marks on the fittings from a pipe wrench, you can use a pipe section as a lever. For example, on the base, you can hand tighten the side outlet tee, the nipple, and the elbow, then put pipe in the tee and elbow and use those to tighten and position the pieces. When you're happy with it just unscrew the pipe from the elbow. No teeth marks and no need to buy two wrenches (use that money to buy more powder).

[nagutron]

Hey, so the material to be coated needs to be conductive, right (charged pigment particles attaching to any item connected to ground.) Are there ways to powder coat, say, aluminum?

[brettlevine]

You can powder coat aluminum, but I think anodizing is even more beautiful. I'd like to try it with a kit like this one: http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/aluminum.htm. There's even a process that allows powder coating of MDF and wood: http://www.process-heating.com/CDA/Archives/7840aadb9d268010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____.

[jason]

Aluminum conducts electricity just fine.

[nagutron]

You're right. My bad.

[khameed]

pretty cool!

[benchun]

gotta love the inflatable hot tub

[Weissensteinburg]

Cool idea! I think I like it a little bit more without the paint.

[brettlevine]

It's definitely easier to put together. However, the iron will eventually rust, so at least a clear coat is a good idea.

[benchun]

powder coating comes in clear, right? that's probably way better than just spraying on some clear coat.

[omnibot]

That is soo sweet!

[nagutron]

Nice instructable, Brett. Now I want to powder coat everything :) Featured and rated up.