Metal Finishing

Insta-Blak 333 Gel can be used as a professional spray-on!

Philip Hoffman with Hoffman Steel Fabrication, Inc. out of Palm Springs, CA, has found an easier way to get those big jobs done faster. Our Insta-Blak 333 GEL – which is formulated to be used for swab-on application (typically rubbing with cloth/sponge onto steel to achieve the darker black color), has been diluted with water to thin and then used in a primer gun for an easy and mess-free spray-on application.

Read how Philip was able to achieve this:

 “I use an automotive HVLP primer spray gun with a 2.0 tip from Harbor Freight Tools. The guns are about $25. I turn off the fan adjustment and it sprays out pretty good. I must filter as it has thicker chunks that seem to splat onto the surface and create a blacker spot compared to the rest of the surface. All the steel cabinets and shelves are Hot rolled, Pickled and Oiled. So, no mill scale. We sand them with 100 grit orbital then an orbital red Scotch-Brite. Clean them with the E-Kleen 163, rinse and dry them. Spray with Insta-Blak 333 GEL. Watch it react and spray more where need be. It ends up having a texture of like undercoat on a car. Then rinse dry and repeat as needed.”

 Finishing Tips:

• Clean steal with EPi’s E-Kleen 163, rinse and dry.

• Purchase a spray gun (Phillip used an automotive HVLP primer spray gun with 2.0 tip for around $25.00 from Harbor Freight Tools.)

• Turn off the fan adjustment.

• Filter the gel as it has thicker chunks that seem to spat onto the surface and create a blacker spot compared to the rest of the surface.

• Pressure wash to rinse off.

• Use a large orbital sander with orbital Scotch-Brite to burnish the surface after drying.

Here are a few more photos of this particular job that Philip has completed with the use of Insta-Blak 333 GEL  in the spray gun:

If you have more questions about this process or would like to enlist Philip Hoffman's (Hoffman Steel and Fabrication) help on your next project, he can be reached at 760-322-5505, by email at info@cutnotchweld.com, or by visiting his website at www.cutnotchweld.com.

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