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Dipping to finish
crquack -
Monday, September 6, 2010 - 8:02pm
Penetrol | rust protection | small pieces | steel I have a few small mild steel pieces ( 2.5" cube) with intricate construction that does not lend itself to painting protective finish on. I have been waxing them but that is far from ideal as a means of protection. I have sprayed them with lacquer but I am never sure of the coverage. I have seen woodworkers simply dump their small pieces into a protective solution of their choice (Watco Danish oil) and letting them dry after fishing them out. Has anyone tried dipping small pieces like that? I was thinking Penetrol with Japan dryer would lend itself to this. My main concern is the various sags and runoffs. Suspend the pieces on a thread? Make a basket/string bag? Thin the Penetrol further?  Thank you. My gut tells me
crquack -
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 9:49pm
Thank you. My gut tells me that you are right about the thinning. I have just finished four pieces and sprayed them all, I suspect they will be OK. When I get to it I shall run a set of trials with some scrap to see what happens. One has to think of details like where to hang these things to dry so that nobody bumps into them and they do not drip on stuff that matters. When space is at a premium it can be an issue :-) crquack  I run sheet metal screws all
KevinW -
Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 1:59pm
I run sheet metal screws all the way through a piece of plywood and sit pieces on that, the drips fall on the plywood. It will take 3 screws to support something. KevinW |
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ArtMetal
I have dipped some parts
I have dipped some parts just reciently. The bobeches and the little polo mallets and balls from the recient blog -in the barn- were dipped in permalac. I believe it worked well in those palces where a spray or brush wouldn't go but only time will tell.
I'm guessin your constructed cube has an inside and an outside ?? If so don't be supprised not to see bubbles coming out of a hole with laquer, even a largish one, unless you thin the laquer beond all recognition.
I think whatever you use to get them in and out with would be fine and that the finish will flood any surface covered after the fact. No matter how you physically dip them you'll need to take care of the drips with laquer- I touched the bottom of each of my drips twice with my finger b-4 the laquer was dry (10 -15 min) and wound up with a surface thickness that wouldn't do for up close viewing. The less suface they rest on while drying the less touch up work. Like the points of sheet rock screws.
I've also dipped some work in a very thined oil base zink paint which wasn't the least bit tacky in 4 hrs. and it worked very nicely. These pieces hung on hooks of 1/8" steel while drying and there wasn't a big mess at that point of contact. I think the slower the drying the better for a good looking dipped finish.
ELECTRO PLATING?
KevinW