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3d metalcasting test

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awemawson:
I have a Metco Zinc spraying gun. Compressed air turbine pulls an 1/8" solid zinc wire co-axially through the centre of a special oxy-acetylene nozzle. The zinc obviously melts, and the force of the burning flame and compressed air projects globular zinc towards whatever you want to zinc cover. Steel needs to be grit blasted to give a key, and tiny microscopic platelets of zinc get splatted onto the surface and can be built up as thick as you want. The platelets interlock and the bond is quite good.

The same device can spray virtually any metal that you can source as an 1/8" wire. Molybdenum is used as a pre-coat, then various grades of steel can be used to build up crank pins etc.

I've even zinc sprayed a wooden box to make an RF shield.

All this talk of zinc fumes etc makes me wonder why I've not had a problem, not that I use it that often.

It's just occurred to me it would be a simple repair method for rust holes in my tractor cab if I could get a backing behind the hole. Build up a suitable thickness and dress back to level - would stop the rust galvanically by being a solid zinc plug!

vtsteam:
Andrew those Metco zinc guns are the best method for protecting newly built small steel sailboats after sandblasting prior to painting. A properly prepared boat can be maintained virtually indefinitely in salt water. I imagine you use protective breathing gear for both blasting and spraying. Knowing you, you probably have exotic gear for that, too! You must have the best equipped shop and facilities I can imagine.  :bow:

awemawson:

--- Quote from: vtsteam on August 08, 2014, 12:51:32 PM ---Andrew those Metco zinc guns are the best method for protecting newly built small steel sailboats after sandblasting prior to painting. A properly prepared boat can be maintained virtually indefinitely in salt water. I imagine you use protective breathing gear for both blasting and spraying. Knowing you, you probably have exotic gear for that, too! You must have the best equipped shop and facilities I can imagine.  :bow:

--- End quote ---

I blame it on a life time of avarice and the internet  :lol:

The grit blasting is always either in a Guyson cabinet so sealed and extracted or with the Hodge-Clemco outdoors with the proper Apollo air fed helmet.

For the Metco I don't actually have anything suitable - at a pinch I suppose that I could use the Apollo lid but the visibility leaves a lot to be desired and you really need to see what you are doing when playing with oxy-acetylene

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