Thursday, February 17, 2011

Flocking a small box.

I know some of you have never used flocking before so I'm going to show you just how easy it is. You will need flocking material, undercoat adhesive, mini flocker, painters tape, paint brush and your project. If you don't have a local source you can find what you weed at Woodcraft online. You are going to pay about $45 for everything but it will complete many projects.

I always mask off the rim of the box just to make sure I have a straight line. You are going to paint the adhesive on so the tape prevents mistakes.

When you buy the flocking kit you can select from a few different colors. Make sure the adhesive and flock material you buy are the same color. I'm using bright red for this project.

Open the can and stir it well.
The next step is to pour the flocking material into the mini flocker. Don't be stingy because its easy to recover the extra material when you are finished. The mini flocker works like an air pump. When you push the two pieces together it sprays a light mist of flocking out the holes in the top. This helps get a nice even coverage.

Assemble the two pieces of the mini flocker and set it aside for a moment.

Now you want to paint the interior of the box with the adhesive. Apply it generously and make sure you cover every spot. When you paint the side wall the tape will give you a nice straight line. This stuff has a long drying time so there is no big hurry. Take your time and be neat.

Once you have the interior of the box completely covered you are ready to start flocking.

Using the mini flocker is a two handed operation. I am holding the tool with one hand here because guess who is taking the picture. Gently use both hands to push and pull the mini flocker together. A fine mist of flocking material will start to cover the area and stick to the adhesive.

Put the stuff on thick. Nothing will be wasted because once the adhesive is dry we will shake the excess off on a piece of paper and recover what falls off.

The flock will make a bit of a mess so lay some paper down to catch the extra. This can all be recovered back into the bag also. No reason to waste any.

Now for the hard part. You have to let the adhesive dry for 15 hours before it is ready to have the excess removed.

The next day pick the box up and shake and gently tap it upside down on a piece of paper until all the loose flocking falls off. You will be left with a nice even covering and the box is ready to use.

Flocking can add that extra touch of quality to your work. It does not add much extra time to the project and the cost is pretty low per use. It is one accessory I always keep in my shop.

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