Fluid Bed

[ifish]

This is a fluid bed I made a while back. Be sure to silicone the threads on the screwin 2" plug. The valves are from a pet store.I tried all kinds of filters and TJ's cups are the best I have tried.

[shorebound1]

What are TJ cups?

[dayooper]

He is referrring to the Fluid Bed Cups that are found at TJ's Tackle here under the fluid bed section -->Welcome to TJ's Tackle

[crappie_jiggin]

ifish, did you drill any holes or anything in your plug or are you just pouring your powder paint right on top of the plug? From what I am seeing is you drilled a hole somewhere around the end plug on the inside of the coupling. Then you insert the tee coupling fitting into that hole and connect it to the air pump right. This will summit the air in under the powder the suspend it to give it that fluid affect. I have been wanting to make one of these for a while but wasn't sure what the best way would be to make one.

[slabbandit]

Just started using a fluid bed and I really like how much better job that you can do. Do the TJ's cups have the hard bottoms in them? My 3" fluid bed does but it's all made together. I definately see an advantage to being able to just swap out color cups inbetween colors. Also, I would like to have 2" cups instead of the 3" I have now. It takes too much powder to get a decent depth of powder in the 3" cup.
Maybe I can modify mine to accept the 2" cups.

[dayooper]

Yes, TJ's Fluid Bed Cups have the hard membrane glued on the bottom. You can store the paint right in the cup. To switch, just twist the cup out and put in the next cup. There is also an adapter you can use for your 3" base to allow you to use the 2" cups. Check out Welcome to TJ's Tackle. There are lots of videos on powder painting.

[Fatman]

Only difference I see between what I built and what you did is I flipped the bottom piece over so that I could use screw in cups - I have one that I won but the top cup just sits in the bottom base and even with the mesh doesn't flow right. I fixed that by wrapping strips of Gorilla brand duct tape around the outside of the cup and then around the outside edge. A buddy on another board sent me a bunch of the mesh to try and I've got to find out where he bought it so I can get some more they're easy to make.

On the top cups that screw into the base make sure you get the flat bottomed ones and not beviled. You need that flat base to glue the mesh on.

Here's mine http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...bed-build.html
And test day: http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...2-results.html

The cup on the left show how the tape was wrapped on (that's the bed I won) the other two are the ones I made. I used a three way air control valve to run all three pots - with a dual output air pump you could run two three way controls for six 2" beds

[Micropterus salmoides]

FM
I'm guessing I'll switch from the 3M adhesive i suggested to you to what you're using for your cups. I've noticed some loose spots on some of the micro mesh on my screw cups.
What was it again?

Adam

[Fatman]

Adam

Checking with the guy that sent it to me - McMaster Carr carries it but there's LOT"S of different ones that have different micron spacing who knows. But I've emailed him with what I found to see if either one is the right one. Short of that I might have to do some serious looking or sucking up to get info on the right stuff.

When you did your cups did they have beviled edges??? If they did you may have the right stuff but the wrong cup. They need to have a flat base bottom with a good area to adhere them to. The beviled just don't work

Slab

Don't know where you got your bed but TJ's has a 2 inch insert for the 3" bed - don't know if it would work for yours or not email him and ask.

If you're planning on doing pony/horse head jigs in a 2" you'll have trouble. I use tin foil around the swivels and with the small amount of powder used in a 2" bed it's hard to coat them. I have to go back and chip a bit around almost every head I did so the swivels spin freely - They'll do better in a 3" Maybe or 4" .

[ifish]

Fatman,
I use ice water for pony heads. Get the head hot then dip the swivel in ice water and that cools it down enough so the paint will not stick! This is what you are looking for porous material. Fluidizing plate & sheet for fluid bed applications - GenPore TJ's cups are way cheaper and easier. Fluid Beds - TJ's Tackle Benjamin is a great feller to do buisness with.