Enclosure baking!

[buzzo83]

Let's say you've put on stickers on your enclosure and have clear coated it!  Can you bake the enclosure again, without harming the decals??  Thanks, I just wanna know before I give this a try!

[John Lyons]

Hmmm I don't know, you will probably have a 50/50 chance that the art will get messed up.
Baking the box melts the paint sort of, and lets out all the solvents.
The only thing baking acomplishes is getting the paint dry fast instead of a couple weeks or more. If you already have nice artwork and you are happy with it then I would not bake it. If  I did I'd use a low temperature for a long time. Something like 100 degrees  or so for a several hours.
In fact I think you would be ok with a low temp for a long time. Simulating drying out in the hot sun etc etc.

John

[jimbob]

You can always move to Phoenix, Arizona and set it  on a table in the back yard- But even then I think It gets too hot.

[Pushtone]

I'm doing this now to dry the clear coat over a window decal (plastic sticker)

I use two 100W light bulbs in clip lamps about 3 inches above the box. Gets very hot.
To hot to hold the box but not hot enough to melt the plastic sticker.
Excellent way to dry paint.

My powder coater bakes at 400 deg. That would definitely melt a sticker.

[jimbob]

My powder coater bakes at 400 deg. That would definitely melt a sticker.

I was thinking about buying one but i wasnt sure where I would bake it. What do you use?

[John Lyons]

Assuming you just want pedals done you can use a toaster oven for powdercoating same as with the paint baking. As long as it reaches 400 degrees your good to go. Now if you want to powdercoat an amp chassis...then your'll have to be a two conventional oven household!!

John

[buzzo83]

I'd hate to have messed up all the artwork after all that work was done.  I may just clear coat over the artwork and just let it dry in the sun.