There are many powder coating kits available commercially. They each come with a different set of supplies and equipment, but all serve the same purpose of allowing powder coating to be performed at home. All powder coating kits come with a spray gun to be used to apply the coating and usually a selection of different tips to allow for various spray patterns. Most powder coating kits also provide a few starting colors so the gun can be used right away. One item that not all kits come with is an air compressor so the gun can be used.
Power coating is the process of applying a fine powder to a surface to create a durable colored coating. At home, the powder must be applied with a spray gun. The quality of the spray gun that comes with a home powder coating kit can vary greatly. A poorly designed gun will have a large amount of overspray, causing the coating dust to spread far beyond the target item. A high-quality gun will have several tips and possibly be adjustable, allowing for a focused application of the coating.
Some more expensive powder coating kits come with a collapsible spray box. This is a set of panels that can be assembled into a box shape with one side open. These boxes are good to have because they will capture the overspray and keep the powder isolated. This can be advantageous when powder coating an item, because the overspray — which is just powder — can be gathered up and reused.
One vital piece of equipment that only some higher-end powder coating kits come with is an air compressor. The spray gun requires compressed air to move the powder onto the surface of the object to be coated. Canned air might work for small parts but also might have insufficient pressure to coat a larger piece. If a powder coating kit does not come with an air compressor, then one will have to be secured separately.
One item that none of the powder coating kits comes with is an oven. The final step of powder coating is to bake the part in an oven so the powder melts and forms the completed finish. The oven must be electrical, because the powder could cause ignition with an open flame, and it must not be an oven that is used for making food. If it is not possible to get a separate oven for the powder coated part, then some options include very powerful heat lamps or space heaters.
