akriverrat Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 i dont know how i got along without clear powder to top off my jigs before. i got a mirror gloss powder coating from ohio custom coatings and the stuff is great. nice mirror finish, gives everything a melting together look plus the protective coating. only problem is it seemed to work in the bed at first but is not doin so well now. i have to shake my bed to keep the air properly distibuted and get any kind of fluidizing. thought about placing a small vibrator to keep things shaken but thought id ask if anyone has a brand of clear that they are using in there fluid beds with good luck. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 I use Pro Tec's clear and have never had any problems with it fluidizing, in fact it is one of the easiest powders to fluidize. From the symptoms you describe, sounds like you have a moisture problem and the powder may have gotten a little damp. Make sure your containers and the cup you are using are sealed well during storage. Also you may try emptying the cup and blow out the membrane on the bottom in case it is clogged and not allowing enough air to pass and fluidize your powder. Good luck and let us know of your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickalo Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 excuse me jumping in on this thread, but being new to powder painting myself, I was wondering when using this clear coat, is this added after you put on your base coat(s), applied similar to multi color powder painting? Do you still need to apply a top coat for harding/protection? Do you cure the clear coat in the same manner as curing other painted jigs .. or is there a special procedure for applying the clear coat? Thx's Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Mike, to clarify for you. The clear is applied immediately after the base coat. In my case I have two fluid beds set up side by side, one with color and the other with clear. The lead is heated and dipped in the color and excess tapped off and immediately dipped in the clear and the excess tapped off, just that quick. I mix glitter in my clear and have several cups of clear with various colors of glitter in them. If you are not using a fluid bed then you will need an extra container for the clear set up next to your color container. Once done, bake to cure at the temp specified for the color (the clear is a much lower temp), and you are done. Hope this was of help to you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickalo Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 thanks reeves, sounds simple enougth do you still need to apply a seal/top coat, IE: Devcon, or similar, when using this clear coat ? thx's Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Mike, No, it is not necessary to apply another top coat. It is a matter of preference to do so. I think the Devcon will give you a deeper and brighter finish as well as be almost indestructible as opposed to just the powder clear coat, but again it is not really necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickalo Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Ok, thanks reeves for the helpful info, appreciate it. Gonna have to give this a try. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akriverrat Posted April 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 well after a few trials i found that if i help the clear get started it will fluidize. im gonna tough it out for now and hope that my next batch is easier to work with. thanks for your replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
