I have been wanting to do some Hydrodipping but the initial cost is a little high. I think the members of the space could get some use out of it.
Anyone out there interested?
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I am, but I’m spread pretty thin right now with many projects going on.
I suspect this would have many of the same regulatory issues that prevent us from having a paint booth or an annodizing setup.
Ah, I was a member over a year ago and we has a small room in he back of the workshop for painting(spray painting at least) . I wasn’t aware that that had been stopped. Well dang…
If you run into him, I suggest a conversation with Brandon. He can wax quite eloquently on the need for one…
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I dont know if he still is but, are you referring to Brandon that is or was the automotive chair?
Yep that is our primary proponent for a Paint Booth…
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Brandon is well schooled on the practice of suggesting DMS needs a paint booth. Hydro-dipping would need the ability to base coat the items, often in white for best results. So I would agree paint booth first. But as for pollution issues, I’m not sure of any for just the dipping process. I think you need is water, a tank with a heater, and a pump sprayer for the activating solution. I believe all the fluids are sink safe.
The solutions used in anodizing are sold as drain cleaners; however, the minute they are used for anodizing they are deemed a hazardous material by the POWERS and can not be disposed of in that manner (even if it would help with our clogging problem…). I find it very unlikely the regulations would allow the chemicals and paints used in this process to be disposed of in this manner either. In any case, checking the regs would be the first place to start if someone wanted to pursue this…
Just for my edification, what fluids does one use for hydrodipping? Just oil-based? Specially formulated?
the tank is usually just warm water. Here is a MSDS for activator that is:
As suspected there will be at least two regulatory problems. From the MSDS you provided:
I dont see why, they allow spray paint, brake cleaner, wd40, etc don’t they?
Spray paint is not allowed to be used in the building per various regulations.
Brake cleaner, WD40, etc. are kept in fairly small quantities, and the committee chairs who house those chemicals had to create an approved and documented approach to disposing of the chemicals. Presumably, the ‘dipping’ nature of this process involves a large quantity of liquid that contains the above chemical. It can’t be dumped down the drain. Hence, a documented and approved means of handling the waste needs to be developed, and most likely the quantities need to be small enough to not push us into the additional regulations required of heavy users. The latter is the primary reason we are not likely to ever have a paint booth, since we have no means to guarantee we are using less then 50 gallons of paint per year.
Is this anything like Ebru Marbling?
With hydrodipping, you have a tank of water upon which you float a very modest amount of paint (think drops to ounces at most). This paint spreads out into an extremely thin layer on top of the water. This can then be swirled, combed, and otherwise tweaked to make interesting patterns.
When the item to be painted is dipped into the water, the paint adheres to the item. Small amounts of paint not touched by the item when dipped is left behind on the surface of the water: this can be removed with a paper towel.
IMHO, the amount of unused paint left behind is comparable to (or even less than) the amount of paint left in the brush and in the painting tray when painting an object with a paintbrush.
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so that sounds just like Ebru Marbling.