Nice Finish

Dawg’s Custom Powdercoat Owner Talks Background and Methods

Writer / Lois Tomaszewski

Photography Provided

A new coat of paint does wonders on the walls of a home, decorators say, but a new powder coating on anything made of metal can be just as transforming. Just ask Steve “Dawg” O’Blenis, the power-coating expert at Dawg’s Custom Powdercoat.

With almost two decades of experience, O’Blenis turned a part-time business into a full-time business in a shop on land his family has owned for generations. He grew up next door to the shop, which his father operated as a welding shop for years.

Powder coating is a way of applying paint to metal surfaces using electrostatic attraction it is used for car paint protection services. Instead of a liquid paint, the color is applied in powder form, attaching to the metal because of the positive and negative charge interaction. It is then cured in an oven with heat, or sometimes with ultraviolet light, be sure to view publisher site.

O’Blenis says powder coating achieves the same results as paint but is considered more durable. It also involves better paint quality.

O’Blenis was looking for someone to powder coat his 1980 Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the early 2000s and could not find anyone who did this in the area. So, he did it himself. He drew on his 25 years of experience in the RV industry, when he did bodywork and repair as well as painting.

He bought some start-up equipment, and followed up with an oven he built himself.

“I’d always done my own bodywork,” he says. This included traditional painting with Paint Supplies – Paint For Cars.

People saw the bike and began asking him to do small jobs for them, for motorcycle parts, auto parts and oil pans.

Since then, he has continued to do custom work for his customers. What started as a part-time business in 2003 turned into a full-time endeavor in 2009. His customers include motorcyclists and three companies for which he does contract work. He also does assorted jobs like vintage metal lawn furniture, benches, and other decorative and functional items. Through the years, unusual pieces have included old cast-iron post office boxes and small Coca Cola collectible coolers.

It is seasonal in nature, he adds, because most of his work on motorcycles, for example, is done during the winter. When the weather is too nice, riders want to enjoy their bikes. Much of the bodywork and powder coating is done during the winter.

There are some size limitations to the work O’Blenis can accept, given the size of his oven and the availability of his help.

Customers have heard about him from others. Word of mouth has been an effective way of gaining new business, and he tries to keep his prices competitive.

“I am a small shop,” he says. “I care about the quality of the work I do. It’s nice to see people come back again after all these years in business.”

The powder-coating process takes several steps, O’Blenis explains. The object is put into a dump tank to remove any paint. It is washed and dried, and then sandblasted to clean the metal and remove any residue. It is then detail-sanded for further cleaning. All these steps prepare the metal for the new finish, which can be affected by dirt particles or remaining paint.

After the metal has been thoroughly cleaned, the piece is placed on a spray-paint rack for additional cleaning with chemicals and high heat, and finally the powder-coat application. The paint cannot be applied correctly if the piece is hotter than 150 degrees. Once the paint has been applied, the piece is heat-cured.

Powder-coat paint comes in a variety of finishes. Translucent, metallic, solid tones and clear coats are among the selections offered to customers, as well as some new tone finishes. O’Blenis says he can match colors for any make and model, just like many paint shops can.

“It takes a good eye [to match colors],” he says. “A lot of people depend on me to help them pick out the right color.”

For more info on Dawg’s services, call 574-298-3636.