I failed on first HF Electrosttic gun use!

[prs]

I "think" I know where I made my mistake, but have not seen such probably common error posted. Here is the story. I have had good success with swirl'n shake #5 container with black air soft BBs. Even in pretty high humidity. But, I wanted to try the HF gun method too. So I put sized cast boolits on my two oven trays just like I always do. Put the clip on one of the trays pinching the aluminum foil as well as the tray. I removed the plastic disperser from the gun per a comment on another thread here. Energized and sprayed at 12# air pressure and the powder coat paint powder stuck like glue to the tray, but would not stick to the boolits at all! My guess is the aluminum foil may have foiled my attempt, it is the NON-STICK type. Is that plausible?

prs

[Beagle333]

Nope. It shoulda worked.

You say you energized it, so I'm assuming that you did step on the pedal.
Next question.... when stepping on the pedal and putting the gun close to the boolits..... it should arc to the tip about 1-1/2 inches away. If you can get closer than 3/4 inch to the boolits without an arc.... we can start troubleshooting. Also.... what about just arcing from the gun to the alligator clip? Good fire there?

[Taylor]

I can't offer any help,because I'm pretty sure I gave up on powder coat.

[prs]

Nope. It shoulda worked.

You say you energized it, so I'm assuming that you did step on the pedal.
Next question.... when stepping on the pedal and putting the gun close to the boolits..... it should arc to the tip about 1-1/2 inches away. If you can get closer than 3/4 inch to the boolits without an arc.... we can start troubleshooting. Also.... what about just arcing from the gun to the alligator clip? Good fire there?

I did step on the peddle, but no arc or spark or any such a thing. I have no prior experience with it, so I did not know to expect such. So, I have a defective gun or a broken wire. Will investigate.

prs

[Beagle333]

Did you have the box positioned so that you could see the lights on the front of the box and that they were working when you stepped on it?

[Smoke4320]

deleted

[prs]

It was positioned so I could have seen it, but I did not look while spraying. I did see it when setting up to spray. I now hope is as simple as a poor ground clip or such. I will have to get it back out and go over it.

I was pretty much pre-occupied with watching what I was doing and feathering that dinky little air volume adjustment. Beagle, should I have used one of the diffusers; there was a lot powder on that tray, seems like such a waste.

prs

[el34]

There is a light that shows the power switch is on, and there's another light that comes on when you step on the pedal to turn on the high voltage. Forgetting the pedal and forgetting the ground clip are occasional booboos.

Either side of the foil would have worked, the goal is electrical connection from the ground clip to the boolits. The NS side is the big deal because it helps keep boolits from sticking to it after baking. If you had the ground clip like you said, and the pedal pressed, and both lights on the box lit up, it should make the spark Beagle described. No spark, bad high voltage generator. Or bad ground wire.

Once the boolits get charged they will attract a lot of powder so you'll get less on the foil. Bu the foil will attract it too and be totally covered. Adjusting air pressure and spraying distance is easy to settle on and will help with minimum overspray. That yellow diffuser is not a good thing with a small target.

Several folks add a cheap HF regulator at the air input of the gun for better regulation.

114764 114765

[Blanco]

I think it's the Matter -Anti-Matter modulator

[Beagle333]

You're gonna get powder all over the tray. :coffeecom Powder is cheap. But you should get a better coat on the boolits too. The boolits are an electrically attractive round and mostly vertical surface. The foil/tray is an electrically attractive flat horizontal surface. Of course it is going to get a nice full coat of the powder. 8-)

The tray will get more if you use the diffuser. You want that "jet stream" or as close as you can get to one, while spraying small things in a row. Keep the diffuser around, just in case you want to do a motorcycle gas tank or a bicycle fender or something shaped like that. :D



http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PowderCoating/blue-gr_zps0874d7fb.jpg

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PowderCoating/green_zps76f1defd.jpg

The powder left on the tray is not much powder in the grand scheme of things. You should have a great coat on your boolits though, or just don't bake it... pluck the boolits off and pour the powder back up to spray again. It isn't going to hurt to spray it over and over til you get the gun working right.

If you really wanna go with ES spraying but just can't sleep for thinking about that fine coat of powder spread over that tray[smilie=6:, after spraying - you can pick em off with forceps or whatever and move them to a clean tray for baking, and put the powder back in the jar.;-)

[el34]

I'm watching for the spark test report, that's the big question.

[Beagle333]

I'm watching for the spark test report, that's the big question.
Yup..... she don't work worth a poop if she ain't sparkin'.

[el34]

I think it's the Matter -Anti-Matter modulator

Alien vapors diverting the charge to their turbo-encabulators. Keeps them from solidifying and becoming visible.

[el34]

If you really wanna go with ES spraying but just can't sleep for thinking about that fine coat of powder spread over that tray [smilie=6: after spraying - you can pick em off with forceps or whatever and move them to a clean tray for baking, and put the powder back in the jar.;-)

Reminds me of that concept of false economy!

[Beagle333]

It's not really worth it. I have never reclaimed my powder, and I've sprayed a tray or two in my coating experiences, and I still haven't used but 3± pounds of powder since I started. :D

[prs]

Thanks to all! I think I found the bug a boo. The foot switch was bad or was hanging-up. I plugged the gun back in and watched for the lights. When I used the foot switch, NOTHING, then a flicker of light, then nothing. I figured bad wire or connection and started flexing the wire as I mashed the switch with my hand. In my hand, the switch did not feel right, kinda gritty. I started pressing and releasing and the light started working more and more consistently. Then the switch felt "pretty good" and the light was on and I was getting a good spark in the dimly lit room between gun and ground. Maybe I will get to try again over the long week end. I got a pound of HF red which is cheap enough to not worry about waste, so I can practice with it. I guess I could call the number HF provided in case something does not work right.

prs

[RED333]

Best way to test for spark, hook the ground to your middle finger, see if it sparks on the thumb of the same hand.:twisted:
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

[el34]

Hey man I'm glad you found the problem! I hope it's fixable or at least manageable. Watch the bases, that seems like the last area to get covered but it's the area that matters.

So let's hear how your first batch comes out! With pics!

[Beagle333]

Congrats! Check that switch out good and overhaul if needed, and have a great time with the HF gun!

[Blanco]

Sorry .... I cant help it
I get something in my head and I think it's so funny.
I'm usually the only one laughing

[Moonie]

Best way to test for spark, hook the ground to your middle finger, see if it sparks on the thumb of the same hand.:twisted:
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

You are an evil man lol

[Smoke4320]

"Best way to test for spark, hook the ground to your middle finger, see if it sparks on the thumb of the same hand.:twisted:
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

Then he said I see the light :) But where did all these invisible gnats come from :)

[prs]

Best way to test for spark, hook the ground to your middle finger, see if it sparks on the thumb of the same hand.:twisted:
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Right, that is how I check my electric cattle fence. Just stick my tongue to it and know fer sher she be a'work'n.

I may try later today; after WVa take an **** whoop'n in the football game.

prs

[RED333]

I got tangled up in a electric fence once riding a dirt bike, the bike slid out from under me and into the wire I went.
Everybody said it looked so funny, me flipping and flopping on the ground trying to get free.LOL

[el34]

Hey prs! Any news?

[prs]

No news, I have been busy mowing fields and fixing motorcycles this week and its pouring rain now. I will report here when I get back to it.

prs

[kryogen]

Alien vapors diverting the charge to their turbo-encabulators. Keeps them from solidifying and becoming visible.


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