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Flocking adds an elegant and professional look to a
project, whether it’s the interior of a box, selected surfaces or just
the bottom of a project base. It’s such an inexpensive and easy thing
to do that you’ll likely make regular use of it in your scroll saw
projects. |
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| A cardboard box large enough to contain your project and a
plastic trash bag becomes a convenient flocking spray-booth.
The purpose of the spray-booth is to provide a means for collecting
excess flocking fibers, free of contamination, so they can be reused.
Fold over and tape open the flaps of a box. Cut out the bottom
corners a little larger than needed to poke a finger through.
(Image 1)
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Image 1 - Box flaps taped open and corners cut away
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| Put a plastic bag in the box and tuck the mouth of the bag
under the flaps.
Poke the bottom of the bag through the corner holes in the box.
(Image
2)
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Image 2 – Tucked under flaps and poked through corners
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| Pull the excess bag through the corners so it is taught
within the box. (Image 3) |
Image 3 – Bag installed in box
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| Fill the mini-flocker applicator about halfway with the
chosen fiber color so it will be ready to use.
If you’re steady enough to not make a mess you can just pour it in.
Knowing the limits of my coordination, I use a spoon or I’d have more
outside of the applicator than in it! (Image 4)
Slide the two halves of the applicator together and you’re ready
for the next step, applying the color coordinated adhesive undercoat.
DonJer
also has an air-assisted applicator for use with an air compressor,
handy if you do production work.
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Image 4 – Filling the applicator
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| Brush the color coordinated adhesive undercoat on the
surfaces of the jewelry box cavities.
Use upward strokes from the bottom of each cavity toward the top of
the box to avoid getting adhesive on the top face of the box body. (Image
5) |
Image 5 – Applying the color coordinated adhesive undercoat
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| Place the jewelry box in the flocking spray-booth and blow
on the flocking fibers.
Hold the applicator stationary about 8" to 10" away from
the jewelry box by the front half of the tube at a 45° to 90°
angle to the jewelry box.
Slide and rotate the back half of the applicator in and out of the
front half to mix the fibers with air and blow the fibers out of the
applicator onto the jewelry box. (Image 6) |
Image 6 – Blowing on the fibers
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| The concept and design of the applicator couldn’t be any
simpler. Its effectiveness is quite impressive!
Repositioning the jewelry box, rotating and propping it at angles
within the spray-booth and following DonJer’s application instructions
thoroughly covers the adhesive coated surfaces.
(Image 7) |
Image 7 – Thoroughly covered surfaces
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| After the adhesive
undercoat has dried, turn
the box over inside the flocking spray-booth and shake off the excess
fibers. Use a soft clean brush or low-pressure compressed air to remove any
residual fibers and the jewelry box is finished.
Pull the plastic bag out of the flocking spray-booth and
shake it to
collect the excess fibers into a corner. Pour or spoon them back into
the fiber storage bag with the remaining unused fibers in the applicator
for reuse on another project.
That’s all there is to flocking. Follow the tips and suggestions in
the instructions included with the product and you can’t go wrong!
Layered box construction and flocking offer many possibilities for
scrollers. Simple outlines can be surrounded with various external
shapes like the semicircles that were used with this jewelry box. In addition to interior linings and softening the bottoms of bases,
flocking can be used to bring color and texture to selected areas of
scrolling projects.
With over 30 flocking colors to choose from, DonJer offers something
that will be complimentary for any wood species or project design. With
those thoughts in mind, browse through your pattern collection and
exercise your creativity! |
Flocking
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