Different substrates used for spraying?
10-24-2008, 06:29 AM,
#1
Different substrates used for spraying?
Hello all,

As a small art fabrication shop, we tend to get into very interesting work from time to time. Attached is a shot of a s.s. fountain we sprayed with bronze and copper for a local parks dept..

(link dead)

I was wanting to find out if others have sprayed out of the norm items.

In our shop we have sprayed high dense foams, glass, wood, etc.. Have any of you ever sprayed into molds (such as high temp silicones) or the like? Have you ever sprayed items like mesh, and or other subs as a free standing item?

Looking past the normal here.

Thanks,

Bill
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10-24-2008, 10:23 AM,
#2
RE: Different subs used for spraying?
Hi Bill,

Nice piece. I like to see thermal spray used for a few out of the ordinary applications rather than the run of the mill anti-corrosion or engineering coatings.

We have quite a few customers doing architectural / artistic applications with both flame and arc spray.

Some are spraying bronzes and copper etc. onto gates, railings, tables, window security screens etc - more run of the mill decorative stuff.

Some are spraying metal master moulds in zinc and using these to cast resin figures (planes, racing cars, still life, sculptures etc.) then spraying onto the resin with tin zinc and polishing so the finished product looks like a solid metal item. The finish is often acid etched to make it look like pewter.

We have one potential we are working with to spray metal onto expanded polystyrene foam shapes. The shapes are cut out then sprayed to give them a metallic finish. Uses are hoped to be robust concrete moulds as an industrial application but artistically the items will be used on movie sets.

Resin items are often sprayed with aluminium or phosphor bronze and acid aged before polishing. Similar finishes are used on stair bannisters etc. It has also been used to spray large, external plastic floodlight boxes that lined a driveway to a large castle.

I've tried to insert some pictures below but not sure if it will work.

   

A copper coated Iris flower - part of a decorative table

   

Resin hand sculpture coated in Al Bronze

   

Resin mould, coating with bronze and aged.
Stuart Milton
Metallisation Ltd
https://www.metallisation.com
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10-24-2008, 07:11 PM,
#3
RE: Different subs used for spraying?
Thank you Bill and Stuart for an interesting and visually pleasing thread Smile I also like the more unusual applications of thermal spray, in fact if it was limited to only anti-corrosion and stereo type engineering applications my interest would have waned years ago Happy0193

Quote:I was wanting to find out if others have sprayed out of the norm items.
Thermal spray does tend to lend itself to many unusual applications, mainly because of the vast range of different materials that can be sprayed to form coatings (and to form free standing objects) with probably the biggest process advantage over most other techniques being that it can be a cold process as far as the substrate materials are concerned. High melting point (or relatively so) materials can be applied to substrates without effecting or damaging them thermally. So it does lend itself to artist applications, but also many unusual technical applications as well. Sounds like the beginning of a new thread Happy0193

Quote:In our shop we have sprayed high dense foams, glass, wood, etc.. Have any of you ever sprayed into molds (such as high temp silicones) or the like? Have you ever sprayed items like mesh, and or other subs as a free standing item?
Spraying into molds or on to objects to replicate surfaces is quite common. The mold or object material (temporary substrate) can be very diverse. Either the temporary substrate can a one-shot type where it is melted or dissolved away leaving a free standing replicated surface, or where the temporary substrate is coated with a release agent. The release agent requires two opposing properties; promote/improve bonding of the coating, but then to enable release of the finished coating without damage and allowing temporary substrate to be reused. PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) makes a good release agent, being water soluble, soaking in water aids releasing of coating.
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10-24-2008, 10:53 PM,
#4
RE: Different substrates used for spraying?
I do have the luxury of having just about anything I build in cultured marble. I have been considering fabricating item in it and spraying them. I have built many molds over theyears for simple sinks to very complex 20 part molds for our cast items we send to the foundries. I would like to see more items if other users care to share. I have found a Semi local company that are spraying such things as mesh forms and spraying. Apparently they have a very vague patent on the process. I do not want to infringe on the patent, but have done the same thing for ten years now. Would there be an issue with me still doing so?

Thanks,

Bill
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11-01-2008, 07:10 PM,
#5
RE: Different substrates used for spraying?
Hi Bill

Sorry, no expert on patent law. If you can show that you have been using the process long before the patent was filed, I'm not sure whether there would be a problem? A bit like someone filing a patent on the wheel Happy0193
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