Electrostatic Coating

[Brian Degulis]

I'm looking for a way to paint a couple of generators in a confined space. Overspray is a problem conventional spray would be a problem HVLP would be better but still not great. I was talking with someone who sugested Electrostatic coating equiptment. I've heard of it but never saw it working it's a process that charges the spray catodicaly and the piece being painted is grounded. The spray is atracted to the ground minimizing overspray. Anyone ever used it or know anything about it?

Brian

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Hey Brian... an outfit was contracted at work and came in and painted about 400 steel lockers with everyones clothes still inside. The finish is comparable to powder coating also. The stuff still needs to be degreased tho...Can you get a Hotsy cleaner in there? If not Gunk and rinse water from the hot water heater and a "toy" pressure washer (1200 psi) would work. ws

 

[yachtsmanbill]

If you have a bunch to do consider making it DIY... ws
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cach...ectrostatic+painting&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

 

[Brian Degulis]

I was planing to buy the stuff if we could use it on hull compartments at work. We are using an HVLP conversion gun now and it's better than conventional but still pretty nasty. Do you know if you get the same production speed as conventional? I've also heard that you need to be carefull not to use it around any un grounded metal containers or tanks containing flamables?

Brian

 

[yachtsmanbill]

That one is gonna take some research. I know that locker job was less than 2 days, in, prepping and gone. Grounding is the key. DO NOT GROUND through any bearings! It will burn them... arc welding too, which I am sure everyone here knows! ws

 

[Brian Degulis]

Hey Bill I got an Electrostatic gun been playing with it pretty neat completly diffrent than conventional spray this thing paints around corners.

Brian

 

[Trojan]

Yep, it paints around corners, underneath, on top, behind, inside and down the hall. Any place the electrostatic charge finds a completed path. In as much you have a grounded boat. Any piece of metal attached to the spray guns return path will be nicely painted. If you isolate the object you are painting from the rest it might work. But painting in a confined space could be a little tricky. Most of the guns and units are a little on the bulky side. You do have a high voltage cable along with the paint hose attached to the spray gun. Tricky as in not getting yourself shocked. Unless they have come up with a new smaller type spray unit, I don't think I would try to do it.

BILL

 

[yachtsmanbill]

COOL !! Do you have a problem grounding yourself and getting zapped? I would guess that if you paint one compartment at a time, along with all the other grounded equipment (all cleaned and prepped of course) it should really simplify the process. Got pics ?
Will it work with Awlgrip, or do you need their paint? As far as static discharge with paint fumes in a confined space, any unforeseen hazards? ws

 

[Brian Degulis]

You don't get zaped or have a real explosion hazard if you set everthing up right. Yes you can spray urethanes like Awlgrip you just have to use the right solvents to get the resistivity right. Epoxies also but not quite as well it's hard to get the resistivity low enough because of the solids in them and the solvents they are made with. I'm just going to be doing the generators but this would really be the answer for engines or anything else metal where overspray has to be kept to a minimum.

There are meters to check the paint and the rest of the setup ground etc. But they are very expensive. You can tell when it's right by the wrap if you shoot one side of a pipe the backside will almost be coated you can see it wraping around. You can also feel it in the hairs on your arms and neck and hear it on an AM radio. I should take pics of all this stuf just can't figure out how to re size them and get whatchamacallits down so they fit on here?

Brian

 

[DeeRow]

I should take pics of all this stuf just can't figure out how to re size them and get whatchamacallits down so they fit on here?

Brian

http://tinypic.com/ will host them and resize them when you upload them. It will also give you the text that you need to add the picture on message boards like this one.

Mark

 

[REBrueckner]

Brian,
I'm sure you've used cans of marine spray paint at some point: while there IS of course some overspray it can be minimized. I wrap all hoses on engines and gennys with aluminum foil. You can drape old sheets or plastic over nearby large areas without too much work. Furniture, too, if necessary. When doing an entire engine, I have removed hatches, opened windows, and operated a room air fan or two so as to get as many spray particles as possible out of the boat (and not asphixiate myself). Working in tight areas is not impossible with a typical can of spray paint...holding the thing vertical is not always so easy....

Turning off accessory electric power is always a good idea.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I've sprayed engines gennies before not with spray bombs but with conventional air. I got into the electrostatic not just for this job we will also be using it at work for hull interiors on steel boats. This job was just a good way to learn the process.

Brian