dave
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Post by dave on Jan 29, 2015 6:27:15 GMT -5
hi all! i've read most of your forum and found some great inspirations. trying to do some flocking by myself i've bought a 220v/12kv ion generator but i've a little problem: there's one wire more and i don't know what it should be used for.  as in the picture i have the red and blac that should be the positive and the neutral. the white and bigger one should be the high voltage output, but the other black one?? can someone help me?? |
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Post by Ray (Flock Man) on Feb 3, 2015 20:51:15 GMT -5
As a guess I would think that the red and black are the power in (as you stated). The thick white would be the HV out and my guess would be that the lone black would be a ground, most likely to prevent a HV shock from touching the outside of whatever unit the module goes in (like an A/C or Air filter, etc.)
Just note that this is all guess work. I've seen these units around the net, but never have purchased one because of their lack of a wiring diagram, but actually I can only guess at it, but guessing can put you six feet under. Before I messed with it I would have to do some serious web searching before even testing anything that has 110 to 220 volts going in.
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padawan Step 1
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Post by gsnail on Feb 3, 2015 23:00:41 GMT -5
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padawan Step 1
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Post by gsnail on Feb 17, 2015 9:59:21 GMT -5
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dave
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Post by dave on Feb 23, 2015 4:36:50 GMT -5
i've asked the seller who says that the black and white wires are both the same, both emitting negative ions.
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dave
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Post by dave on Feb 23, 2015 11:45:09 GMT -5
ok, i've tryied to wire it and just fryed everything.
following the instructions i've wired the little black to neutral, the red to positive and both the other wires to the grill in front of the flocking torch..
just got a big POP and some smell of fryed circuits..
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Post by Ray (Flock Man) on Feb 24, 2015 5:05:10 GMT -5
I think the confusing part for many is the word negative. When it comes to High Voltage Statics the HV charge can be negative or positive output. They both mean HV out. A negative out is Negative IONs- like those produced around waterfalls or the ocean, maybe even the shower. Positive Ions on the other hand come from Televisions and computer monitors and the like. So what does all this mean with making a flocker.
The flocker can be 12 volt DC in and be 15,000 (15kV) negative out
OR
The flocker can be 12 volt DC in and be 15,000 (15kV) positive out
Which is best? Well this depends on your use. If the fibers have a negative finish then the negative out works. If the fibers have a positive finish then the positive works. Then of course there are substrates that call for either a negative or positive charge and fibers.
I suspected that by connecting two out leads that is would short out the unit. See, this is why it is better to know for sure what each wire is. It's not a game and in the long run I would suggest to anyone to buy a unit already made. They are cheap now (under $800 USD) That's cheap. They used to be a few thousand and the best were $8000+.
Now many will say that the small units are not powerful. This will depend on what you are trying to flock. Flocking a toy will require much less than say a car dashboard which will require 50 to 70kV out which equals a commercial unit.
BUT.... once you get into DYI units using AC voltage= you are asking for trouble if you do not understand everything about the unit including how the internals are wired (the stuff you don't see inside the little black module).
Then there are those that say, oh a 12 VDC input unit is weaker than a 120 VAC unit, but 15kV out is 15kV out, which incidentally still means 15,000 volts. Just because they shorten the term to 7.5kV- it still means 7500 volts of static.
Frying Circuits is pare for the course when dealing with mystery wiring and guess work. It's better the circuit and not the maker, which can happen easily when dealing with 120 or 240 volts input. See most times information is limited on purpose to prevent the DYI person.
My suggestion to most is to scrape the DYI and go with a battery unit sold around the net. It's safe and already made to do the task of flocking. If you feel that it isn't good enough. Sock the cash away (that you'll most likely spend anyway in failures) and search out a commercial unit.
Even with a commercial unit you will still have a good long learning curve like when is it best to flock (humidity/temperature)- (what types of fibers and how long they should be) Overall it's not a plug in and play system by any means. There are glue up systems to consider, Dry time, flock time.... this all can take many hours of failure to figure out.
Most of what is here on this forum is geared to a hobbyist wishing to flock a small 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch repair patch and maybe work towards a whole GIjOE head here and there. For large scale GIjOE reflocking- a completely different system may be needed.
For example; if I had to flock a glove box. Right off the bat I assume I'll need some kind of air assist added to my system to get into the deep corners. The system (Cabinet/Tray) I use for GIjOE would never work for a glove box or dashboard. The system I use here doesn't work for flocking 1/6th scale animals. I worked out another for that which in truth takes more time an effort that it's worth- not many collectors want to pay $500 for a Johnny West horse to be flocked.
This is why it costs a pretty penny for a pro shop to flock a dashboard. Oh a DYI could do it here and there, but will the results be the same? Most times I doubt it.
I state all this not to discourage anyone, but maybe to let everyone keep their eyes open to the fact that they could die trying to save a few dollars.
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padawan Step 1
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Post by gsnail on Jul 24, 2015 0:31:37 GMT -5
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