I’ve taken training on the two previous powder coat ovens so I suppose third time’s the charm… will there be a requirement of training once the oven and booth are ready for use? Can those of us who have had prior training just get a list of instructions for use or do we have to be re-programed from scratch?
The gun is very different, it is real one with gauges and everything. Also, there are two oven controllers. Very different machine. Wouldn’t training make sense?
So, I’m going to ramble here for a minute. While we’ve done a couple of test runs, I’m not sure that we’ve considered it completely functional yet. And, @rlisbona may be training on it during the tutoring session (currently full, but more classes coming Events |Dallas Makerspace Calendar soonish).
Everything is different we will need retraining but it shouldn’t take that long. @delpn and @Mrholthaus are working out the kinks.
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Honestly, and with all humility, it’s just not that complicated. Unless there is something really involved with the powder coat gun there’s just nothing new to be added to previous training. I suspect the gun should be limited to 20 PSI but the particulars of that should be in any user’s manual. For people previously trained, a supplemental check list sheet should be all that is necessary. I disagree that everything is different. Just from a cursory look, it has two controllers: One for temperature which is contactor controlled (and I assume PID) and a timer (controls all else) , which should be permanently set to something like 60 minutes. To be clear, I am talking about people who were trained on the previous systems and not newbies. I just don’t see the necessity.
@steve_a, Id encourage you to meet up with Nate & Max. Perhaps it is something you can help along
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Thanks. Very useful suggestion. I’d love to. I don;t know Nate and Max but I’d love to help move this along.
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https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/19359
That’s the Metal Shop committee meeting. All interested parties are welcome.
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The quality of the previous powdercoat work done at DMS left a lot to be desired(just look at the yellow bollards outside). We would like to raise the standard of cleanliness to put it bluntly. It isn’t about the PID controls or safety, as much as it’s about personal responsibility and cleanliness. Since we have no idea who is on the current AD and have no way of accurately policing it, we will be creating a new AD.
We hold training and keep ADs for two primary reasons.
- To protect the member from hurting themselves or others nearby
- Protect DMS equipment/discipline against damage from misuse.
Our cold saws, bandsaws, belt sanders, grinders, vapor hone…etc all suffer a bunch of abuse because people don’t care about anything but their project. These are great tools and consumables would last much longer if people used them correctly.
I wish just once someone would volunteer to go pick up replacement blades, sanding belts, welder parts, steel for projects…etc for metal shop. But basically it’s all put on three people. The kicker is that those who tend to do the most damage tend to volunteer the least. They also are not present at our monthly metal shop meetings where we discuss volunteer opportunities like setting up and training for powdercoating. This post isn’t intended to point fingers at any particular individual it’s just trying to inform interested parties as to why we operate the way we do.
For those interested we have our monthly meeting next Saturday if you would like to learn more about current metal shop projects.
Since DMS just spent $10k on this setup we would like to see it kept nice and outputting quality finishes.
Quick note for anyone reading this: the more you do for DMS the more DMS will do for you.
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Wow… you just found a nerve and jumped on it…Volunteer… I have given up on that. Not because I’m not willing, but nothing seems to happen when I throw my hat in… Just for the record… included are pictures of the oven I scratch built for under $1000 and got beautiful results. If your results were not what you expected like the bollards… I might have some insight.
The short answer is we should require supplemental training at a minimum.
There are several powder chemistries available and people need to understand the implications of their use both for quality control and safety.
For example can anyone tell me what chemistry was used on the bollard or what chemistry the powder from Summit racing is? Do we have TDS or SDS for it? (Just as an example)
The reasons for additional training are multiple . But mainly because there are cleanup procedures, safety knowledge, general handling of the equipment. and quality control education. If you know all of it maybe you can further educate us on it.
Powder coating itself is relatively simple. But awareness is the bigger concern in my opinion.
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I’ve given this a week so quick reply. To be clear, I will follow all requirements laid out by the people in charge. The chemistry you mentioned… the very people testing the oven don’t know. I referred this question to my wife, who is a 4.0 in chemical engineering from a major university and she wanted to know why I was worried. I could hear her eyes roll when I told her. People who have already been trained are already, as you put it “Aware” but that doesn’t mean they will not do something boneheaded. That’s true in ANY discipline at the space. This was never about newbies, it was only about people who had taken previous training. SO, I see the shattered glass has yet to be replaced… I think that is the fault of the builder… AND there is yet to be a class for using the booth and oven. I VOLUNTEER to hold classes… so tell me what to do.
We are an all volunteer organization. For those people volunteering their free time to work out the kinks and figuring out electrical, consumables, cleanup, storage, safety, training etc, we have run the booth and oven multiple times and powdercoated multiple parts, we spent most of our metal shop meeting yesterday talking about it. Anyone who has paid attention knows there are a small subset of members who cause the majority of damage, cleanliness, and safety issues, usually because they are confidently incorrect in what they think they know. We are trying to anticipate what can go wrong. We are not excluding anyone from helping. Come to our committee meetings, and/or check in with @delpn and @Mrholthaus to see when they are going to run it next.
For those people who just want to use the new spray booth and oven you will just need to be patient or use your own equipment.
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I have been a member for several years and have taken the powder coating class twice. I welcome taking a new class, even if we had purchased the exact same equipment. I know some would jump right in saying they had already taken the class and been checked off, even though the equipment has been unused for 2+ years. I think that is because there is such a variable level of experience within our DMS community.
A mandatory class for new equipment seems to be a reasonable and minimal standard for Dallas Makerspace to implement. This would be especially needed for costly equipment that would have the potential for harm to individuals, the equipment, and the surroundings. It would also be a way for DMS to again reinforce the importance of safety, consumables, and cleanup as rlisbona mentioned.
Will there be a FOB-enabled mechanism implemented on the equipment for it to be used after training has been completed?
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