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**pchotrodder** · 02-03-2009, 05:01 PM

Re: first try at masking

Originally posted by nolatodd

Well this is my first at all successful try at masking something. There is a touch of powder that got under the tape as it shrank (man...what up with that) but I think it looks pretty decent. It is a good enough line for what I want to do, now I just need to get up the guts to do an actual production piece

So I wrapped the bottom of the piece in newspaper and it seemed to stick a bit to the yellow and it discolored a bit...was the yellow undercooked or should I have used a brown paper or something? I am betting it was the damn ink on the newspaper running...live and learn.

Theking was saying most noobs undercook and I am sure I was before I talked to her (way to much peeking) but I have been very good about watching close till flow out and then leaving the oven closed till time is up. I got to heavy on the black lava on the one side of the lined piece and fiddled a bit w my gun (caswell 50kv) and actually got the best flow I have had yet with the solid lava sample piece. Very zen.

suggestions/comments appreciated!

I used to be just like you and start the timer when I saw the powder start to flow. This is not the correct way to do this. Get an IR termometer and check the actual part temp. The powder will start to flow around 200 degrees which is no where near the cure temp. The part needs to be at cure temp before you start your timer. On thin pieces such as these it is not much more time involved, but on thicker pieces the powder might start flowing long before the part reaches cure temp. A rim for example will flow out at approximately 10 min after it is placed in a 400 degree oven, but it can take up to an hour for the part to fully cure because the rim takes so long to reach 400 degrees. For taping off a part I would stay away from paper. Use aluminum foil instead and be sure to tape all the seams. Also once the part is finished you can use to foil to show customers how durable and flexible the powdercoat is. The foil will start breaking before the powder coat does in most cases.

**Guest** · 02-03-2009, 06:17 PM

Re: first try at masking

OK thanks for the tips. I knew I was going to need an IR thermometer, just was trying to get in cheep to begin. I'm pretty much hooked now so I guess it is time to spend on that. Most but not all of the stuff I will be doing is real thin, so the time shouldn't be much off.

I can definitely see I want a good gun too...this thing seems to work in spurts...pushes out to much at once then you get a good coat for a bit and then another spurt then none (shake shake shake)...i have been fiddling some with the settings...kv up and air pressure down on that last piece really seemed to do a nice job and that little knob by the trigger in a bunch...I got a real even looking thin coat, it went on nice.

**Guest** · 02-03-2009, 06:40 PM

Re: first try at masking

Are you pulling your masking off when the powder starts to flow or are you leaving it in till the cure cycle is finshed? You want to pull the mask as the powder just starts to flow this way you will have no sharp edges and the masking will come off easier. As pchotrodder said use aluminum foil it works better than paper. The IR gun is going to be your best way to go being the cure time is part temp/time. The Caswell gun has typical cup gun issues. Heres a link on some gun mods if you are interested. I didn't do all of them to my gun. But still a good read. http://forum.caswellplating.com/powder- ... -mods.html

**Guest** · 02-03-2009, 08:58 PM

Re: first try at masking

No I left the masking on the whole time...man how do you handle it to remove it when its hot and coated youch...I have to make a handle for my little pieces and cut it off at the end or something maybe...good for a ground anyways. I just did a couple pieces with foil and its worked 100% better for sure.

I know I know I need a IR gun...I got to shop around and see what I can do for one. I have also checked out that caswell thread but hadn't had the guts quite yet to do any of them. I will go ahead tonight I think and rip that gun all the way down and check out some of those mods.

So this one, the tape obviously wasn't tight on the sides where it bleed a bit. What up with the black bubbling? that's because the safety yellow wasn't cured all the way isn't it...

**Smashing** · 02-03-2009, 10:28 PM

Re: first try at masking

Originally posted by nolatodd

No I left the masking on the whole time...man how do you handle it to remove it when its hot and coated youch...I have to make a handle for my little pieces and cut it off at the end or something maybe...good for a ground anyways. I just did a couple pieces with foil and its worked 100% better for sure.

Let the part cool down, peel the masking then back in the oven and finish your cure.

**Guest** · 02-03-2009, 11:29 PM

Re: first try at masking

hahaha...oh

my you guys must have fun laughing at the newbs!

Well...I tried it before I read that of course...so I screwed up my part a bit...touched it with the glove that had touched the foil so I got a little smudge on it. But my lines are ON!!!! Of course my damn camera died so I may have to wait till tomorrow to get a pic, but the last 1 I tried I had a little spot where it screwed up (I know why...i cut to close and lost the tape on that little bit) and the rest of the curved freehand line i did came out perfect! Boooya!

Thanks a LOT for your help today guys!!!!

**Guest** · 02-04-2009, 01:22 AM

Re: first try at masking

here is a pic of the last try... i bet i can do it without the smudges if i let it cool

**rbroker** · 02-06-2009, 09:15 AM

Re: first try at masking

Press down your tape seams with a body filler squeegee. Or your fingernail. Thats why your getting powder under them.

I use high temp fine line tape as my edge, then blue tape to cover up the rest. I would get strings of gooey powder when i pulled off the blue tape.

**Guest** · 02-06-2009, 11:22 AM

Re: first try at masking

Originally posted by rbroker

Press down your tape seams with a body filler squeegee. Or your fingernail. Thats why your getting powder under them.

I use high temp fine line tape as my edge, then blue tape to cover up the rest. I would get strings of gooey powder when i pulled off the blue tape.

This is exactly what I do. Use the high temp green tape as your cutoff point, then regular masking tape for the rest. Just make sure to pull it off before going in the oven or during flow-out. If you're doing a complicated piece that requires several pieces and layers of painters masking tape, then make sure to remember how you got them on there, this makes it easier to remove them after you're done coating.

**Guest** · 02-06-2009, 11:55 AM

Re: first try at masking

I was using the butt end of a lighter...its a trick you use to wrap stained glass...and my fingernail, I will have to keep an eye out for a nice little squeegee. The one bad smear there I cut the tape to close and it popped up...total rookie screw up. I masked my Marylin piece yesterday and did a really good job of the taping I thought, then I left her in the oven for a couple minutes to long and the tape had already pulled back when I went to pull it off

Practice practice practice. I think I am going to take a break from coating for a couple of days to work on another project, but masking is obviously something I am going to have to work on a lot. I am way to poor right now, but obviously a better gun with better control is in my future.

**Guest** · 02-12-2009, 08:17 PM

Re: first try at masking

Heres a good deal on a desent IR gun.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/prod ... ctID=14670
Heres body filler spreaders.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/prod ... ctID=12234

As far as removing the masking I let the part cool enough I can work with it but it's still warm. The masking will remove easier.

**wiseguyz** · 02-13-2009, 11:13 AM

Re: first try at masking

The thicker green tape is the only stuff that I've ever gotten to stay on through multiple cure cycles. I always rub the tape down, and the flexible blue tapes pull up during cure every time. I've even had them curl and fall completely off the part during cure. More often than not, I end up remasking for each successive coat.

**BeeBob** · 02-13-2009, 11:35 AM

Re: first try at masking

I try to just lay the tape down on the part and not stretch it, then rub the edges down really good. If you go across big openings it helps to make a little slit in the tape so it can "breathe" during cure. They'll get tighter than a drum and make the tape pull off the edges.

**Guest** · 02-13-2009, 07:00 PM

Re: first try at masking

OK, $80 spent

thanks for the tips guys...good stuff!

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