Automotive flocking

[enohand]

Hello fellow flockers.

I have been skowering the interwebs for various ways to flock items. I have been flocking automotive interior pieces for some time now using a forced air method, while this yeilds good results (pics below) the fibers dont Stand up persay.

I have been looking into using a elctrostatic method but some of the air powered / & elctro units are spendy.

then i found this site, & see that you guys made your own elctrostatic guns, but they dont seem to be forced air. (i have a link to a unit that i am referring to) anyone have any ideas to accomplish the unit i posted, but a DIY solution? i have a little air compressor i could use, but not sure...



a flocked C pillar


a b pillar close up


& the manual forced air thing i use from Donjer




a elctrostatic forced air unit ( i might be wrong that its forced air, it may just be gravity not sure)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-FJCJ-Q6Tk&feature=related

[Ray (Flock Man)]

You would need a much bigger cup/ hopper than the small handhelds I show examples of. My newest flocking unit had both the Cabinet/tray type and the added handheld with a big hopper (a former cookie dough container).

As with any of this home built stuff it takes much more practice to get it down verse the ease of a commercial electro-static flocking unit. For that ease the commercial models will offer great results, but in the $700 to $10,000 rate.

With a ton of practice and imagination you can do the same for much less. I say imagination because when first results do not succeed you'll need to re-think what you're doing to overcome problems. Issues may come up here and there because of a million factors and you'll need to find work arounds.

Commercial flockers work with this stuff everyday using awesome equipment that for the most part have all the bugs worked out and they work in an area made for that purpose.

So if you are getting those results with a puffer flocker, you should have no problem working with a electro-static unit. Plus you may be able to add the puffer part to the static part and come up with something different. They do have air assisted electro-static flocking units.

[enohand]

im just not 100% sure how the electrostatic ones work. i assume that i would have to cover the backend /behind the dash with soem foil, & hook the ground to it?

[ck]

what type/size of flock fibre and adhesive did you use

[Ray (Flock Man)]

Mar 13, 2012 12:10:02 GMT -5 enohand said:

im just not 100% sure how the electrostatic ones work. i assume that i would have to cover the backend /behind the dash with soem foil, & hook the ground to it?

Yes unless you make a trail of glue to the under side that's touching ground. This should ground out the adhesive.