Sandblast & Powder Coat: Multiple Colors & Effects

Rachel Mello (she/her) has been an artist, designer, educator, and color consultant for over 20 years. Her mixed-media constructions build out of her background in theatrical scenic art and set design and her love for the quirky, playful, and weird.

She has created exhibits for the USS Constitution Museum and Boston Children's Museum; has taught at Boston Architectural College, Emerson College, and Cambridge Center Adult Education; exhibited and sold her fine art out of galleries throughout New England in addition to art fairs, commission work, and grant supported work for Burning Man. She joined Artisan's Asylum to expand her access to equipment, new skills, and artist community.

Explore the colorful art of powder coating!

Choose your own colors from our selection and create two small, unique möbius strip sculptures.

Powder coating creates a durable coat that can protect metal pieces from weathering and corrosion. This coating can be a single uniform color, multiple color gradients; or mesmerizing multiple-layer effects.

This course will cover using the sandblaster to prepare a surface for coating, and using the powder coater to apply a multiple color gradient and applying two-stage “candy” colors with mesmerizing visual depth. You will learn the safe use of the sandblasting and powder coating equipment as well as the shop etiquette at Artisans Asylum for these areas. [To learn simple, single color powder coating, you may enroll in Sandblast & Powder Coat: Single Color instead of this course.]

This course includes tool testing for these areas. At the end of the evening, after successfully completing this class and demonstrating ability to use and clean the equipment, Artisans members will be cleared and able to reserve these tools in nexudus.

The instructor will provide small möbius strips constructed of welded mild steel. Each student will finish two to keep or give as gifts.

The materials fee for this class is $40. This is separate from the ticket price and is to reimburse the instructor for any tools or materials used in this class. This will be paid once, directly to the instructor at the start of the first class meeting. This instructor accepts payments in cash or through Venmo.

Learn safe use of sandblasting and powder coating equipment

Understand the necessary precautions and safety equipment

Become familiar with shop etiquette

Know how to properly clean and reset the equipment for the next user

Begin to explore creative multiple color effects in powder coating

welded steel mobius strips

colored powders

mask if needed, nitrile gloves, ear plugs

Closed-toed shoes are required throughout Artisans Asylum. If you already have an N95 or better NIOSH-approved mask or respirator bring your own. A2 can supply disposable masks as needed.

Students must be 16 years old or older. All students under 18 must be accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible adult. There are no prerequisite courses or skills.

Learn more about our class and ticket cancelation policies Here.

Please email ZWR1Y2F0aW9uIHwgYXJ0aXNhbnNhc3lsdW0gISBjb20= with any questions.

*Sales end 4 days before the start of the class to allow the instructor and staff time to prep.

Also check out other Workshops in Boston, Arts events in Boston, Meetups in Boston.