Need All your bright Ideas......
 

[B]Ok here is the situation i work for a painting company (mainly industrial) and they have constant orders to paint 'Bollards'.

For those of you who have know idea what these are (like me until today)[/B]

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[URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/1531/dsc00008uj3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[B]The problem is that in order to make the striped parts it is too time consuming masking up every single bollard with the stripes in the right place.

Considering on most days there are approx. 300 of these to do per day.

I was hoping that all you smarties out there might be able to help with a different method of painting two tone bollards with stripes perfect every time, that is obviously less time consuming than masking every single one up!!!

The Bollards are cylindrical and square and of various sizes.

All the material which is to be painted is metal...

The process now basically is:
1) Paint steel column black
2) Mask where the black stripes are to be left
3) Paint column in safety yellow

Precision is very important in this process....

Ideas that have been previously tested and have failed include:

1) Sleeves with prevent painting over the designated areas for the stripes.
2) Magnetic sleeves with the same purpose.

Any ideas greatly appreciated........[/B]


Thanks in advance................


john..............

Do you want to create a machine, or just a quicker way to do it?

If you dont mind building a jig, hows about two clamps on two posts, that are adjustable and mounted on a bearing, enabling you to spin the bollard around.

Above that, a moveable bracket with fixed position and width paint brushes on them.

Lower the brushes, spin the bollard, done.

[QUOTE=BALISTC]Do you want to create a machine, or just a quicker way to do it?

If you dont mind building a jig, hows about two clamps on two posts, that are adjustable and mounted on a bearing, enabling you to spin the bollard around.

Above that, a moveable bracket with fixed position and width paint brushes on them.

Lower the brushes, spin the bollard, done.[/QUOTE]

Most likely just a quicker way to do......but i am looking further into your contraption above.....Thanks Joe........

I didnt think...is it painted with a brush, or sprayed on??

Easier if its sprayed. Instead of a brush jig, use a template in the same position and just spray through it as the bollard spins.

Device wouldnt cost you more than $100 to build and would probably save you HEAPS of time :)

Do they have to be painted in tiger stripes? Why not go a single colour - like fluorescent yellow or orange?

I saw something similar to what Joe is mentioning on dirty jobs, however they were putting striped onto golf balls. They had a jig which rotated automatically and a paint brush that auto engaged. It would work with a cylindrical device perfectly but I am not so sure about a square (would work for a human but not for something automated... as easily)

[QUOTE=BLUES]Do they have to be painted in tiger stripes? Why not go a single colour - like fluorescent yellow or orange?[/QUOTE]

I'd say that the yellow and black is for contrast purposes...easier to see alternating colours than one colour.

[QUOTE=DAN682]I saw something similar to what Joe is mentioning on dirty jobs, however they were putting striped onto golf balls. They had a jig which rotated automatically and a paint brush that auto engaged. It would work with a cylindrical device perfectly but I am not so sure about a square (would work for a human but not for something automated... as easily)[/QUOTE]

Square would be just fine, I'd imagine a paint brush is fairly flexible and could work around the edges of a square shape :)

By the looks of the first pic, the cylinder has the paint sprayed on (can see the overspray on part of the cylinder). A spray gun with a template mounted on top of the rotating jig, would work even easier than paint brushes :)

For the square cylinders, the template could be mounted on pins with springs, so it moves up and down with the contours of the square shape.

A few small rollers mounted in slots cut in the template could keep the template off the work surface by a few mm, preventing the paint from being smudged as it rolls past it.

hire a 15yr old
cheap labour :)

yeh they have to be yellow and black as Joe said...


Currently Not hand painted use of a spray gun and pump, but any quicker and better alternatives will be looked at.

[QUOTE=REXESS]hire a 15yr old
cheap labour :)[/QUOTE]


poor kid, would only last one day after seeing so many stripes would most likely become insane...lol

get one from graylands :)
might turn him the other way hehe

I'll draw up a diagram John, and post it up.

[QUOTE=BALISTC]I'll draw up a diagram John, and post it up.[/QUOTE]


Thanks mate........top stuff....

What about making a flexible stencil with sections cut out. One side could have a light adhesive to stick on the bollard without moving or you could clamp it to the bottom or top. On round bollards just wrap it around spray the yellow and peel it off, on the square ones you would probably have to stick it to the four sides individually. Something similar to the stencils that graf artists and the road markers etc use??

[IMG]http://i7.tinypic.com/2lup4di.jpg[/IMG]

the template could be mounted on an angle too, to make spraying easier...just requires mounting pins that are bent at an angle, rather than straight up and down.

[QUOTE=KouNtS_UtM]What about making a flexible stencil with sections cut out. One side could have a light adhesive to stick on the bollard without moving or you could clamp it to the bottom or top. On round bollards just wrap it around spray the yellow and peel it off, on the square ones you would probably have to stick it to the four sides individually. Something similar to the stencils that graf artists and the road markers etc use??[/QUOTE]


some setups like this have been trialled, even magnetic, but still seem to let the paint run.....although i guess ideas like yours above with the main focus on preventing running paint could be utilised...........

[QUOTE=BALISTC][IMG]http://i7.tinypic.com/2lup4di.jpg[/IMG]

the template could be mounted on an angle too, to make spraying easier...just requires mounting pins that are bent at an angle, rather than straight up and down.[/QUOTE]


Understand pretty much everything except for the template and roller part....clarification please....my young mind is entering spasm!!!!!

[IMG]http://i18.tinypic.com/2qmkors.jpg[/IMG]

See the slots in the template? you mount rollers in there, on a shaft...then you mount the shafts in small bearings (RC car bearings are hard wearing, and cheap), which slot into mounting blocks...you can use the transmission mount out of an RC car for this purpose.

This is so the template sits very very close to the work surface, without touching it...the rollers can touch it without affecting the paint too much.

The spring loaded sliding mechanism is for doing square shapes, so the template "moves" with the edges of the square shape, then comes back down with the flat parts.

[QUOTE=BALISTC][IMG]http://i18.tinypic.com/2qmkors.jpg[/IMG]

See the slots in the template? you mount rollers in there, on a shaft...then you mount the shafts in small bearings (RC car bearings are hard wearing, and cheap), which slot into mounting blocks...you can use the transmission mount out of an RC car for this purpose.

This is so the template sits very very close to the work surface, without touching it...the rollers can touch it without affecting the paint too much.

The spring loaded sliding mechanism is for doing square shapes, so the template "moves" with the edges of the square shape, then comes back down with the flat parts.[/QUOTE]


Would you agree in having a slightly bent template for the cylindrical steel or is the spring loaded pin sufficient....

finally understood the drawing thought rollers = paint rollers :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

thanks

I'd say bent plate would be better, but more complex to make of course....you might find that the flat one would suffice. The spring loaded pins would work either way :)

would this still work if the posts were chopped a bit to allow the spray painters to paint OVER it to allow less chance of paint dripping.

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my understading is the rollers do the painting?

[QUOTE=KouNtS_UtM]my understading is the rollers do the painting?[/QUOTE]


Thats what i thought but the rollers act as tiny wheels close to the steel which separate it from the template which allows for rotation of the steel.

I THINK?????????????

painting done by spray gun

my initial concoction...........


[URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/852/myideatp5.png[/IMG][/URL]

[QUOTE=impreza_GT]my initial concoction...........


[URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/852/myideatp5.png[/IMG][/URL][/QUOTE]

something like this would work if it hinged open. you wouldn't be-able to just whip it off after painting...smudged paint = start again.

what i have seen before is a similar design as above and mentioned but the foam acted as a sponge, dipped in paint, and when hinged/wrapped around the object, applied the paint in required areas or the area that the sponge was cut to suit.

[QUOTE=MRWATO2U]something like this would work if it hinged open. you wouldn't be-able to just whip it off after painting...smudged paint = start again.

what i have seen before is a similar design as above and mentioned but the foam acted as a sponge, dipped in paint, and when hinged/wrapped around the object, applied the paint in required areas or the area that the sponge was cut to suit.[/QUOTE]


yer.....but hoping to keep manual labour in the use of the spray guns as its more efficient.

Might see if that sponge idea can be incorporated into the designs

maybe the PVC pipe could be cut in half the from top to bottom and then strong thin magnets could line the joints so after painting simply remove each half, replace steel join halves and start the next.

Even after removing the pipe the newly painted steel could be vigorously rotated to maximise drying time.

agree with MrWato.

Must be hinged, would need a quick wipe to make sure there were no yellow smudges when fitted to the next bollard. Sure I've seen something similar to that, but it wasn't for bollards...

TCC eh? Recognised the background :)

[QUOTE=AWDmoke]agree with MrWato.

Must be hinged, would need a quick wipe to make sure there were no yellow smudges when fitted to the next bollard. Sure I've seen something similar to that, but it wasn't for bollards...

TCC eh? Recognised the background :)[/QUOTE]


thats the one mate

worked here mate????

Nah, but I used to get some work done there. Work for Monos now ;)

oh yeh....cool, only been here bout a month, dad worked here for ages....might know him????