Posts by Travis Stirewalt

Matt,

AKA: Mr. Piano Man (yes, I will never forget your performance of Rectifier, Rectifier 2 and I hear you even performed a Rectifier 3!).

Welcome to the amazing, often under-appreciated and sometimes awe-inspiring world of finishing. Plating, Anodizing, Powder Coating, Painting, Galvanizing, Pretreating..... Sometimes many of us forget our first time in a job shop or oem. We forget just how amazing the processes are that we work in every day. I remember the first time looking into a powder coating hopper and swearing that what I saw looked like liquid. I will never forget when I was asked to put my hand in it (and did) that I swore my hand would come out wet!

Good to see and hear new blood in the industry. Great to see you in Charleston as well.

Take Care: Travis

The actual SOLVENT RUB MEK TEST that is the industry standard can be obtained through the Powder Coating Institute Handbook. Book is a wealth of knowledge. It is quite a detailed test description that I would not want to list out here. You can access them online at www.powdercoating.org.

Now, for our method of onsite testing, I simply take a bottle of MEK and dip a q-tip into into it. I shake off the excess and then with one hand I hold the q-tip and without much pressure (as if I was writing with a felt tip pen) I go back and forth over a 1 inch area approx 5-10 times. What I look for is a dramatic lift of pigment to the q-tip or a dramatic drop in gloss. These can be indicators that the part is under cured.

That said, I want to make it clear that some pigments lift easier than others and some powders lose gloss easier with the solven rub. The only TRUE cure test by solvent rub that I rely on is when it is done under lab condi …

Good morning. That is a fun problem you have there. It is always the unknown that takes the fun out this isnt it.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Please give me the steps in MFG. Are these parts handled by 1 or more operators as they are being punched, cut, welded?

2. What is your pretreatment method? Batch, Automated, 3 stage, 5 stage, spraywand?

3. Are there any silicones in your plant? WD-40 etc?

I worked with a company in the Charlotte area that had similar problems, we narrowed it down to 1 of 4 of the metal workers in the plant that was sneaking WD-40 onto is work station because it was his preference in lubrication chemistry. It was disasterous. The problem was not quite as bad as what we see with yours in the photos, however, the parts failed quickly in use from UV and weatherability.

Let me know about this. We might also be able to send someone in to help you. I am not so convinced that this problem is cure related as it would be more pr …

You are correct, good equipment, but at a price!

I recently saw a coater in GA with these guns online. I was impressed by their ability to overcome serious faraday cage issues even with a metallic. I have to say that I was a bit shocked with the price I heard. Probably a quote similar to what you received.

Nordson and Gema both have made some incredible advances in technology.

Tom,

Hello my friend....been awhile. Maybe we can see you sometime next week!

You know, when it comes to ovens...the only advice I can give is the following.

1. Build it so you are not limited. If aluminum extrusions are in your future, consider a 30 ft oven so that you can easily accomodate 24 ft lenghts with room on all sides. Just do no limit your potential with the size. There is a shop in middle tn that built a 35 ft oven and they continuosly get work that cannot be done by others simply due to size. Large railing contracts etc. This size works well for them for both length and line density.

2. Whatever you buy, double and triple check that the burner size (btu) is the proper size for the oven. There are numerous ovens in the market that cheapen cost of oven from this alone. Not enough btu for size of oven.

Happy Oven Hunting and see you soon ok Tom.

Travis

Jay,

Thank you so much for your comments about the school. We enjoyed having you. For anyone that is interested in upcoming classes in 08... we have the following scheduled across the country....

Mystic, CT - August 5-6
Charleston, SC - September 15-16
San Diego, CA - November 5-6

You can get more info on these by going to www.surfacefinishingacademy.com

Thanks to all of you that have attended so far - we have enjoyed each of you. The class in Chicago was amazing and we had awesome interaction with each of you in the class. Thanks for a great time.

Travis Stirewalt
TIGER Drylac USA
http://www.tigerdrylac.com

TIGER Drylac Powder Coatings has two chrome base coats for powder coating.

1. MIRROR SILVER
2. EXTREME CHROME

These both work very well as base coats to candies.

There is one other that has gained lots of attention in the past few years as a base coat for candies.

3. SPARKLE SILVER

This coating provides a nice reflective base with a subtle sparkle to it. This color looks excellent with a clear or a candy color.

Happy Candying!

Travis

Hello all. I am looking for a used DATAPAQ EASY TRACK LOGGER "PROTECTIVE CASE". This case is used to protect the datapaq logger while it is in the oven. Datapaq wants $1600.00 just for the case:(.

We recently purchased a new Datapaq Easy Track 2 and would like to get an inexpensive replacement for our remaining unit. Please let me know if you have this used model Heat Protective Case that you can sell:D.

Thanks,

Travis

Dave,

Hows is going? Just saw your post and thought I would give you some product information. I am with TIGER Drylac USA [url=http://www.tigerdrylac.com]Best in Powder Coatings - Tiger Drylac USA: startsite[/url]

We have three powder coating finishes that are in the chrome range. One thing that must be clear is that these are 2 coat processes and they are not an exact match for chrome. However, the advances made in metallic powder coatings by TIGER Drylac have provided some amazing results that are being used heavily by custom coaters world-wide in replacement of chrome plating. The following three powders are all Polyester TGIC Finishes.

[b][u]TIGER Drylac MIRROR SILVER 49/91260[/u][/b]
The first product has been around for quite some time. This product has been a standard as a stand alone reflective mirror silver in the industry for a very long time. It is widely used as a base coat for candy colors and transparents. However, it works wonderfully under our standard clear glossy T …

Skelton Skelton Skelton, you had so much Guiness in the back of that truck that you busted the axle. Didn't you know they sell that in NC.:eek:

Ted,

Agree, we got a bit off topic but that is ok - shows that the AESF has members that are responsive and ultimately, are solutions oriented with their fellow finishers.

I also want to make a statement, normally, I would not wait to join the AESF now that I have made my decision to join, I am just really concerned about where and what my money will be used for in all of this chaos. I want to support the AESF that I know and worked hard for for years.

Heck, Ted, you and I, along with a few others in our companies, blazed the Internet technology trail for the entire finishing industry. We hosted the first web sites of hundreds of companies while the technology was still in its infancy. We trained hundreds of individuals on the importance of the Internet and how to use it to their personal and business advantage. That is what the AESF is all about. We worked together on so many levels even as competitors and the AESF was the glue that held us all together.

IN MY OPINION,  …