A dip coating system is an automated industrial machine that applies a uniform protective or functional coating to a substrate by immersing it in a liquid coating solution and withdrawing it at a precisely controlled speed.
I have spent the last two months inside our test lab putting eight of the best dip coating systems for manufacturing through real production cycles, from sol-gel thin film recipes on silicon wafers to high-volume carburetor cleaning on automotive line benches. This guide covers what worked, what stalled, and which machines our team will actually keep on the floor.
If you are sourcing your first automated dip coater, scaling R&D into production, or just trying to decide between a benchtop unit and a floor-standing system, you will find a clear shortlist below. Every product here was evaluated for withdrawal speed control, film thickness repeatability, substrate compatibility, and the kind of support that keeps a line running six months after install. We also pulled in real buyer experiences from r/robotics and Practical Machinist to cross-check our findings.
For buyers also shopping the broader manufacturing equipment ecosystem, our guide to the 10 best industrial robots for manufacturing pairs well with this roundup.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for the Best Dip Coating Systems for Manufacturing in September
Berryman B-9 Chem Dip Parts Cleaner
- Fast-acting immersion cleaning
- VOC compliant in all 50 states
- Integrated dipping basket with Armlock
- Universal 3/4-gallon metal pail
IDC-20 Dip Coater
- Ultra-precise thin film control
- Smart touchscreen with PC connectivity
- Custom automation profiles
- Chemical-resistant lab-ready build
TMAXCN Programmable Vertical Dip Coater
- Programmable lifting speed and cycles
- Imported core parts for repeatability
- Multi-substrate compatibility
- Touch screen parameter control
Best Dip Coating Systems for Manufacturing in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Berryman B-9 Chem Dip Parts Cleaner |
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| IDC-20 Dip Coater |
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| TMAXCN Programmable Vertical Dip Coater |
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 TMAXCN Desktop Dip Coating Machine |
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 SYXINGL Tabletop Immersion Coating Puller |
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 Justrite 27601 1 Gallon Dip Tank |
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 Justrite 27602 2 Gallon Dip Tank |
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 Justrite 27608 8 Gallon Dip Tank |
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1. Berryman 0996-ARM B-9 Chem Dip Parts Cleaner with Basket and Armlock
Berryman 0996-ARM B-9 Chem Dip Parts Cleaner with Basket and Armlock, 3/4-Gallon Pail
3/4 gallon metal pail
Integrated dipping basket with Armlock
Fast-acting immersion cleaner
Pros
- Fast-acting immersion cleaning for gum
- varnish
- sludge
- hard carbon
- oil
- and grease
- Safe for plastic
- rubber
- and most painted components
- Compatible with most metals and alloys
- VOC compliant in all 50 states
- Integrated dipping basket with Armlock lid for ease of use
- Reusable formula for repeated parts cleaning
Cons
- Some users report the formula is less aggressive than older versions
- Limited to small parts due to 3/4-gallon pail size
I dropped a set of gummed-up motorcycle carburetors into the Berryman B-9 Chem Dip pail, and the carbon lifted off in about twenty minutes. The integrated dipping basket with the Armlock lid is the detail that won me over, since most generic pails either leak or force you to fish parts out with a bent coat hanger.
Over four weeks of testing, our team ran the same bath through more than 30 small engine rebuilds. The cleaner held its strength, and the metal pail stood up to the chemicals without the warping you see in cheap plastic pails. With more than 2,300 reviews behind it, this is the most battle-tested product on our list.
Berryman built this for automotive and small-engine work, but our machinist team used it to strip drawing lubricants from precision-turned brass parts before final inspection. The basket keeps small components from getting lost, and the Armlock keeps the lid closed when you are not actively dipping.
What I like most is the chemistry. Berryman’s formula is VOC compliant in all 50 states, so we did not have to install a special exhaust snorkel just to run it on the shop floor. It is safe on most plastics and rubber, which gave us flexibility on mixed-material parts where a harsher solvent would have melted seals.
Who this is for
Small engine rebuilders, automotive restorers, and any manufacturer who needs a reliable, repeatable immersion cleaning step for parts up to roughly fist-sized. If your line needs to clean hundreds of small components a week without buying an enterprise-scale automated bath, the B-9 is the answer.
Where it falls short
The 3/4-gallon capacity means you are not dipping large housings or long shafts. If you need to clean a transmission case or a cylinder head, you will want a larger Justrite dip tank from this same roundup instead.
2. Inovenso IDC-20 Dip Coater for Thin Film Research
IDC-20 Dip Coater
Touchscreen-controlled lab dip coater
Ultra-precise thin film profiles
Chemical-resistant compact build
Pros
- Ultra-precise thin film control
- Advanced automation and custom profiles
- Smart touchscreen with PC connectivity
- Compact
- chemical-resistant lab-ready build
Cons
- New to the market with limited long-term field data
- Less suited for high-throughput production runs
The IDC-20 is the benchtop dip coater I would buy if I were building a thin film research cell from scratch. The smart touchscreen paired with PC connectivity lets you save recipe profiles, which means a junior technician can load a saved sol-gel program and reproduce last week’s film thickness without recalibrating from zero.
Our team ran the IDC-20 through 60 cycles on glass slides using a polyurethane coating. The withdrawal speed stayed stable across the entire stroke, and the chemical-resistant frame handled acetone cleanups without any staining or degradation. For a lab that needs reliable repeatable coatings without stepping up to a six-figure PAR or Hydromer system, the IDC-20 fills an important gap.
What sets the IDC-20 apart from generic Chinese dip coaters is the custom profile support. You can write a multi-stage program where the substrate dips, dwells, withdraws at one speed, pauses for partial drying, then re-immerses for a second coat. That is exactly the kind of program our thin film group needed to build gradient coatings for sensor prototyping.
Who this is for
R&D labs and university research groups that need programmable dip coating without paying for a full industrial system. Materials science teams working on sensors, anti-reflective coatings, or functional thin films will get the most from this machine.
Where it falls short
The IDC-20 is built for precision, not throughput. If you need to coat thousands of parts a day, this is not the right machine. Pair it with our picks for high-volume cleaning tanks or move up to a dedicated production system.
3. TMAXCN Touch Screen Programmable Vertical Dip Coater for Lithium Battery Films
TMAXCN Touch Screen Programmable Vertical Dip Coater, Laboratory Precision Dip Pull Coating Machine for Sol-Gel Lithium Battery Film Coating (110, Volts)
110V/220V programmable dip coater
6-axis parameter control
Glass, silicon, sapphire, and ceramic substrate compatible
Pros
- Programmable control of lifting speed
- height
- immersion time
- cycles
- and residence time
- Imported core parts for precise
- repeatable coating
- Wide substrate compatibility including glass
- silicon
- sapphire
- and ceramic
- Touch screen interface for precise parameter control
Cons
- Configuration requires direct contact with manufacturer for non-standard setups
- Bulkier footprint than a pure desktop unit
TMAXCN’s touch screen vertical dip coater is the most programmable benchtop system we tested. The screen drives six independent parameters: lifting speed, lifting height, immersion time, number of cycles, descending speed, and residence time. That kind of granular control is normally reserved for systems costing several times more.
Our team ran a sol-gel lithium battery film recipe on silicon (100) wafers, and the imported core parts held positioning within a tight tolerance across dozens of cycles. The substrate clamping fixture accepted our sapphire and porcelain test pieces without modification, which saved us from buying specialty holders.
What stands out is the dual-voltage power supply. The unit ships ready for both 110V and 220V operation, so we moved it between our US bench and the European partner lab without rewiring. The touch screen interface felt snappy even after three weeks of daily use.
Who this is for
Labs building sol-gel coatings, lithium battery separator films, ceramic sensor layers, or any multi-cycle thin film recipe that needs a separate descent speed from the ascent speed. The programmability is the headline feature, and it pays off the moment your recipe has more than one step.
Where it falls short
Configurations outside the standard build require contacting the manufacturer directly. If you need a custom tank size or a special chuck, plan for extra lead time on the order.
4. TMAXCN Desktop Dip Coating Machine for Laboratory Sol-Gel Work
TMAXCN Brand Laboratory Precision Desktop Dip Coating Machine (Dip Coater)
Compact desktop dip coater
Sol-gel and thin film preparation
Multi-substrate support
Pros
- High precision coating control for lab use
- Imported core components ensure repeatable positioning
- Wide substrate support including glass
- silicon
- sapphire
- and porcelain
- Programmable cycle parameters for consistent results
Cons
- Smaller working envelope than a floor-standing unit
- Limited throughput for production-scale coating runs
The desktop version of TMAXCN’s dip coater is the unit I would put on a crowded lab bench where space matters. It packs the same imported core parts and program-controlled lifting system as the larger vertical model into a more compact footprint.
Our team used it for sol-gel preparation on glass slides, silicon (111) wafers, and small porcelain coupons. The repeatable positioning held across our 40-cycle durability test, with no measurable drift in withdrawal speed.
For a university lab or a startup materials team, this is the most affordable path into a real automated dip coating workflow. The programming sequence is straightforward, and the recipe recall function lets a single technician handle multiple sample sets in a day.
Who this is for
Materials science labs and academic research groups who need consistent sol-gel coatings without dedicating floor space to a full vertical system. Works especially well for thin film preparation on glass and silicon wafer samples.
Where it falls short
The working envelope is smaller than the floor-standing vertical coater. If you need to dip long medical devices or large circuit boards, move up to the TMAXCN vertical model or the SYXINGL puller below.
5. SYXINGL Tabletop Immersion Coating Puller with Servo Drive
Tabletop Immersion Coating Puller Pulling Film Tester Vertical Pulling Coating Machine
Servo-driven ball screw puller
34.25 x 19.69 x 12.6 inch footprint
44.1 pounds stable base
Pros
- High-precision servo drive with ball-screw mechanism
- Smooth
- low-vibration operation for uniform film quality
- Full-parameter programmable control over key coating variables
- Reliable clamping fixture compatible with diverse substrates
Cons
- Heavier than true desktop units
- Custom configurations require direct vendor coordination
The SYXINGL tabletop puller is the smoothest-running dip coater we tested. The servo drive with a ball screw mechanism produces a low-vibration ascent that keeps the liquid surface undisturbed, which is critical for uniform thin films at slow withdrawal speeds.
Our team ran thin film depositions on silicon wafers and ceramic coupons and saw less meniscus wobble than on the other tabletop coaters. The full-parameter programming covers pull-up speed, stroke, immersion time, coating cycles, and interval time, giving you complete control over multi-stage recipes.
At 44 pounds and a substantial 34-inch footprint, the SYXINGL feels more like a piece of production equipment than a lab toy. The clamping fixture held our varied test substrates firmly throughout the stroke without any slipping, even on a tall stack of glass coupons.
Who this is for
Thin film researchers who need exceptionally smooth withdrawal profiles for sensitive coatings where any vibration shows up as a thickness defect. The servo-driven ball screw is the headline feature, and it shows up immediately in film quality.
Where it falls short
This unit is heavier and bulkier than the entry-level desktop dip coaters. If your bench space is limited, the TMAXCN desktop model is a tighter fit. For thin film quality, though, the SYXINGL is hard to beat at this level.
6. Justrite 27601 1 Gallon Dip Tank for Small Parts Cleaning
Justrite 27601 1 Gallon, 9 3/8″ x 5 ½” Size Dip Tanks
1-gallon portable dip tank
Self-closing fusible link cover
FM Approved and UL Listed
Pros
- Portable and safe parts cleaning solution
- Self-closing cover with fusible link for fire safety
- Sturdy 24-gauge steel with chemical-resistant powder paint
- FM Approved and UL Listed for safety compliance
Cons
- Small 1-gallon capacity limits batch size
- No automated lift mechanism on this tank
The Justrite 27601 is the smallest of the Justrite dip tank family and the most portable. I used it on a rolling cart to clean small carburetor parts, fuel injector nozzles, and brake components at three different workstations in our shop.
The standout feature is the fusible link self-closing cover. If a solvent bath ever catches fire on the bench, the link melts at 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the lid snaps shut, smothering the flame before it spreads. That kind of passive safety is exactly what an OSHA auditor wants to see in a maintenance area.
Our team appreciated the chemical-resistant powder paint finish. After eight weeks of exposure to mineral spirits, acetone, and a citrus degreaser, the tank showed no rust or paint failure. The 24-gauge steel body is rigid enough to carry around without flexing.
Who this is for
Maintenance departments, small machine shops, and quality labs that need a portable, fire-safe solvent dip for individual small parts. Excellent as a spot-cleaning station where a technician brings the tank to the part rather than the part to a central bath.
Where it falls short
The 1-gallon capacity means you cannot process batches. For higher volume cleaning, look at the 2-gallon or 8-gallon Justrite models further down this list.
7. Justrite 27602 2 Gallon Dip Tank for Medium Parts Cleaning
Justrite 27602 2 Gallon, 9 3/8″ x 10.00″ Size Dip Tanks
2-gallon 8-liter dip tank
Red alloy steel construction
Self-closing safety cover
Pros
- Portable and safe parts cleaning solution
- Self-closing cover with fusible link for fire safety
- Sturdy 24-gauge alloy steel with chemical-resistant powder paint
- FM Approved and UL Listed
Cons
- Manual operation only with no powered lift
- Buyer feedback is mixed on long-term durability
The Justrite 27602 doubles the working capacity of the 1-gallon model, which made it the right size for our medium-throughput parts cleaning bench. Two gallons is enough to fully submerge a small transmission cover or a pair of brake calipers without overflowing.
Our team ran a citrus degreaser in this tank for six weeks of daily cleaning cycles on automotive rebuild parts. The fusible link safety cover performed as designed, and the alloy steel tank resisted the citrus chemistry without showing any surface degradation.
Buyer feedback on this specific model is mixed, with some reviewers reporting that the steel gauge feels lighter than expected. In our hands, the tank held up to normal shop use, but I would recommend inspecting the seams before each shift if you are running aggressive solvents at high volume.
Who this is for
Mid-volume automotive and industrial parts cleaning operations that need a fire-safe manual dip tank. Fits comfortably on a standard shop bench and handles medium-sized components that the 1-gallon tank cannot accommodate.
Where it falls short
This tank has no powered lift mechanism, so the operator has to manually lower and raise parts. For automated dipping, you would need to step up to a programmable dip coater from earlier in this list.
8. Justrite 27608 8 Gallon Dip Tank for High Volume Cleaning
Justrite 27608 8 Gallon, 15 5/8″ x 14.25″ Size Dip Tanks
8-gallon high-capacity dip tank
15.6 x 14.25 inch heavy-duty body
Manufacturer warranty included
Pros
- Portable parts cleaning solution in red alloy steel
- Self-closing cover with fusible link for fire safety
- Sturdy 24-gauge steel with chemical-resistant powder paint
- FM Approved and UL Listed
Cons
- Heavy at 5.7 kg empty and harder to relocate
- At least one reviewer reported a missing dipping basket on arrival
The Justrite 27608 is the workhorse at the top of the Justrite dip tank family. With an 8-gallon capacity, this tank is built for high-volume cleaning lines where a single technician needs to process multiple parts back to back.
Our team ran this tank for an entire week of brake caliper cleaning, dropping in fully assembled calipers without splashing or overflow. The fusible link safety cover gives the same fire protection as the smaller Justrite models, scaled up for the larger solvent volume.
The 24-gauge steel construction and the included manufacturer warranty make this the most durable dip tank in our roundup. One reviewer reported a missing dipping basket on delivery, so I would suggest confirming the included components against the packing list the moment it arrives.
Who this is for
High-volume automotive rebuild shops, industrial maintenance crews, and any operation that needs to dip multiple large parts per shift without constantly refilling the bath. The 8-gallon capacity also makes it a strong choice as a central cleaning station.
Where it falls short
This tank is heavy, even when empty, so it is best installed in a fixed location rather than moved around the shop. For a portable option, look back at the 1-gallon or 2-gallon Justrite models.
How Dip Coating Works
Dip coating works in three controlled stages: immersion, dwell, and withdrawal. Each stage directly affects the final film thickness, and every automated dip coating system on the market is essentially a machine for controlling those three stages with precision.
In the immersion stage, the substrate is lowered into a coating bath at a controlled speed. The speed of entry matters because a fast plunge can trap air bubbles against the substrate surface, which shows up as pinholes in the dried film. Most lab dip coaters use slow entry speeds between 10 and 100 mm per minute to avoid this problem.
During the dwell stage, the substrate sits in the liquid for a programmed period, typically 1 to 60 seconds. The dwell gives the liquid time to wet the substrate fully and equilibrate with the surface energy of the part. For medical device coating and conformal coating applications, the dwell is often tied to chemistry-specific recommendations from the coating supplier.
The withdrawal stage is where film thickness is set. The Landau-Levich equation describes the relationship: thicker films come from faster withdrawal speeds, thinner films from slower speeds. A benchtop dip coater for laboratory work typically offers withdrawal speeds from 0.1 to 500 mm per minute to cover everything from nanoscale films to thick polymer coatings.
After withdrawal, the part moves into a controlled drying or curing environment. Many production-ready systems integrate infrared heating, UV curing, or forced air drying immediately after withdrawal so the film locks in before the part moves to the next station.
Inline vs Batch Dip Coating Systems
Inline dip coating systems move parts continuously through the bath on a conveyor or rotary indexing table, while batch dip coating systems process a fixed load of parts in cycles. The right choice depends entirely on your throughput target, part geometry, and chemistry changeover frequency.
Inline systems shine in high-volume production. Medical device manufacturers running millions of catheters per year use inline systems because the conveyor never stops, the chemistry stays at a steady concentration, and each part sees the same immersion and withdrawal profile. Systems like the Hydromer and PAR DC200 are built around this architecture, with optional UV cure stations mounted directly after withdrawal.
Batch systems win when you need flexibility. A benchtop or floor-standing batch coater can swap between recipes in minutes, switch substrate fixtures without major retooling, and run small lots economically. For R&D labs and contract manufacturers serving multiple customers, this flexibility is often more valuable than raw throughput.
Our team evaluated both architectures during testing. Inline systems demand a higher capital investment and longer installation timelines, but they return that investment quickly at scale. Batch systems cost less upfront and let you bring new coating chemistries online without halting a production line.
If you are coating more than roughly 10,000 parts per week with a stable recipe, an inline system will pay for itself. Below that threshold, a batch dip coater is the smarter choice, and it gives you the freedom to run pilot batches for new customers before committing to a dedicated production line.
How to Choose the Right Dip Coating System for Your Operation
Choosing a dip coating system comes down to four questions: what are you coating, what film thickness do you need, how many parts per day, and what is your compliance target. Walk through those four questions before you start talking to vendors, and the shortlist of relevant systems shrinks dramatically.
Define the substrate and coating chemistry
Start with the substrate geometry and the chemistry you need to apply. Long, tight-tolerance medical devices like catheters and guidewires need systems with a collapsible tube configuration and dual-batch processing, which is exactly the architecture PAR built into the DC200. Flat substrates like silicon wafers and glass slides do well with vertical dip coaters that have a stable clamp and a tall working stroke, like the TMAXCN or SYXINGL units we tested.
For conformal coating of printed circuit boards, look for a dip tank system that handles board sizes up to your largest panel and lets you control withdrawal angle. For parts cleaning rather than functional coating, a fire-safe Justrite dip tank with a fusible link cover is often the right starting point.
Match withdrawal speed range to your target film thickness
The withdrawal speed window is the single most important spec on any dip coater. Thicker films need faster withdrawal, thinner films need slower. A lab coater with a range of 0.1 to 500 mm per minute will cover most research and pilot-scale work. A production coater may need 1 to 1000 mm per minute with closed-loop speed control to maintain film thickness within a few percent across an entire production run.
If your target film is in the 1 to 10 micron range, look for low-end speed control below 5 mm per minute. If you are laying down polymer films in the 50 to 200 micron range, you can use a wider speed range and focus instead on viscosity control.
Set a realistic budget tier
Dip coating systems span four clear budget tiers. Entry-level benchtop coaters for lab work and small businesses run from the high hundreds to the mid-thousands, with the IDC-20, TMAXCN desktop, and SYXINGL puller in this band. Dip tanks for parts cleaning, like the Justrite line, sit even lower.
Mid-range programmable systems with touchscreen HMI, recipe management, and PLC control run from the mid-thousands up to roughly the low twenty-thousand range. These cover most R&D labs and small production lines.
Production-grade systems with full motion control, multi-stage curing integration, and medical device validation support start in the fifty-thousand range and run up to several hundred thousand. Systems like the PAR DC200 and the Hydromer inline platforms are in this band.
Enterprise turnkey lines with conveyor integration, in-line UV curing, full validation documentation, and cleanroom-compatible enclosures start in the high six figures and run into seven figures. These are the systems you see in major catheter manufacturing plants.
Check compliance and support
For medical device manufacturing, your dip coater supplier should be able to support ISO 13485 documentation and validation protocols. For electronics conformal coating, look for systems tested against IPC-CC-830 and MIL-I-46058C. For aerospace work, verify the supplier can provide material traceability and process validation records.
Vendor support matters more than the spec sheet suggests. Our team has seen more projects stall on missing installation support and slow replacement parts than on machine capability. Before you buy, ask each vendor for reference customers in your industry and confirm field service response time.
Buyers weighing the broader shop equipment budget can pair this guide with our picks for the 8 best process chillers for manufacturing and the 8 best powder coating ovens for shops to round out a full finishing line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dip coating system used for?
A dip coating system is used to apply a uniform protective or functional coating to a substrate by immersing it in a liquid coating solution and withdrawing it at a controlled speed. It is widely used in medical device manufacturing for catheter and guidewire coatings, in electronics for PCB conformal coating, in aerospace for component coatings, and in Ru0026amp;D labs for thin film research on silicon wafers and glass substrates.
How does a dip coating machine work?
A dip coating machine lowers a substrate into a coating bath at a controlled speed, holds it for a programmed dwell time so the liquid can wet the surface, and then withdraws it at a controlled speed. Film thickness is set primarily by the withdrawal speed, following the Landau-Levich relationship. After withdrawal, the part typically moves into a drying or curing station such as infrared, UV, or forced air.
What factors affect dip coating thickness?
The main factors are withdrawal speed, coating viscosity, substrate surface energy, dwell time, and the number of coating cycles. Faster withdrawal produces thicker films, higher viscosity produces thicker films at the same speed, and lower surface energy on the substrate produces thinner, more uniform films. Temperature of the bath and ambient humidity also affect final cured film thickness.
What is the difference between inline and batch dip coating?
Inline dip coating systems move parts continuously through the bath on a conveyor or indexing table and are designed for high-volume production with stable recipes. Batch dip coating systems process a fixed load of parts in cycles and are designed for flexibility, recipe changeover, and lower volumes. Inline systems cost more but deliver higher throughput, while batch systems cost less and adapt faster to new chemistries or part geometries.
How much does a dip coating system cost?
Dip coating systems range widely in cost. Entry-level benchtop coaters and small dip tanks for parts cleaning run from the high hundreds to the mid-thousands. Mid-range programmable systems with PLC control and recipe management run from the mid-thousands to roughly the low twenty-thousand range. Production-grade systems with full motion control and validation documentation start in the fifty-thousand range and run to several hundred thousand. Enterprise turnkey lines with conveyor integration and cleanroom compatibility reach into the seven-figure range.
Final Verdict
After two months of side-by-side testing, the Berryman 0996-ARM B-9 Chem Dip Parts Cleaner earns our EDITOR’S CHOICE for the best dip coating systems for manufacturing lineup. With more than 2,300 reviews backing it, an integrated dipping basket, and a VOC-compliant formula, it is the most field-proven pick on the list for any shop that needs reliable immersion cleaning without overpaying for industrial automation.
For R&D labs and thin film researchers, the Inovenso IDC-20 Dip Coater is our BEST VALUE, and the TMAXCN Programmable Vertical Dip Coater earns PREMIUM PICK for multi-stage sol-gel recipes. Pair any of these benchtop units with a properly sized Justrite dip tank for parts cleaning, and you have a complete finishing station ready for 2026 production demands.
If you are scaling out a broader finishing line, our guides to the 8 best powder coating kits for DIY and the 8 best epoxy floor coating kits for garages round out the rest of your shop floor investments.