Has anyone ever made a device to pull a blank through, to coat it, like the factories do? I have a couple of dull graphite blanks i would like to shine up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2009 05:50PM by Walt Lukowski.

I've worked on several such devices where a blank is pulled through a coating and then through a membrane that would wipe any excess off. The membrane was the tough part. I found it difficult to get just the right amount of tension and pressure. The best membrane I found was the particular rubber used in those punch ball balloons. Seriously, that one worked like a charm.

The other good medium I've found is the foam used on those cheap foam "brushes." You can pour a little paint or clear urethane on the foam, push the rod tip through it, and then swipe the foam down the blank (or push the blank through the foam) and it'll do a pretty good job. It's a 2 person job, however.

What I think you're going to find, however, is that different coatings require different application techniques and therefore different devices.

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IF YOU DO USE THE MEMBRANE, YOU BURN THE HOLE IN IT WITH A NEEDLE TYPE OBJECT SO THE HOLE IS NICE AND ROUND.

Walt,
I am sure that you know this already, but if using any type of pull through membrane, one of the key things is a constant speed passage of the blank through the membrane.

If your speed is uneven, the coating will be just as uneven.

Good luck
Roger

But if the hole is a consistent size and the blank is tapered, wouldn't their be more pressure pulling more finish off of the blank the further down it you get?
James