Use Acetone to Prepare Parts for Power Coating

If you are powder coating, the last preparation step I like to perform before applying the powder coat is to clean the parts using acetone. This removes all the oil left on the part, including oils from your hands and fingers. As such, once you clean the parts you should not touch them with your bare hands again.

This step is referenced in Powder Coating Basics.

I made this at TechShop Detroit (www.techshop.ws).

Step 1: Prepare Hangars

You will hang your parts using a conductive wire if you are powder coating. In this case, I used an old coat hanger and cut up some pieces and then bent them into 'S' shapes. A great alternative if you are using heavy parts is the hanger shown in Never Drop Powder Coating Hanger.

Step 2: Hang Parts

Hang your components on your hangers. Note that you will have to wipe them clean while they are hanging so make sure that they are securely hung so that a decent amount of pressure can be applied without having to touch the parts with your hands.

Step 3: Clean Parts

Acetone dries really quickly so wipe down the part and keep track of which areas have been cleaned. Note, during this step if you are using paper towel or blue shop cloths you may end up leaving little fibers on the part. This is not good for powder coating and you will see bumps on your finished product. Either use a smooth rag or paper-towel that is "crisper" and won't dissolve.