CNC Spray painting

[ynneb]

Has any one ever tried to make a CNC spray painter.

The sort of set up where instead of a router there is a nozzle that sprays different colors of paint?

I can imagine it could be usefull for sign writers. Especially those sign writers who hate vinyl cut lettering. ( Me too )

I just had an image in my mind of grafitti artists carrying a table to a wall to do a midnight masterpiece.

[wjbzone]

I've been thinking of a paint project that goes something like this:

1. Spray paint a large area of the board
2. Let the paint dry.
3. Coat the paint with a protective coating that can be removed with a light solvent without removing the paint.
4. Cut out an area through the paint/coating to the bare wood.

Repeat steps 1-4 as necessary.

When done, remove all the layers of protected coating down to the finish layer of paint.

It would take some planning to get it looking good, but it seems like a good project for a cnc router.

I don't know what kind of coating would work. Maybe something like a vaseline on a water base paint?

Bill.

[Ken_Shea]

You know it is no wonder that I cannot focus on a single project, there are just too many good ideas floating around on the CNCzone. I always thought I had ADD

[NeoMoses]

http://www.pixation.com/ has 2 really nice looking CNC printers, the BladeJet and the WireJet. However, they're commercially priced, both at over $30,000.

Now that you know it's definately possible, you can get started making one aimed at hobbyists. I'll bet you could sell plans/kits for these and make a bit of money at it.

[High Seas]

The BladeJet is really a cool machine - and I've misplaced my link to the HECKTOR. If you've seen it you'll know your project is VERY hobby-able. HECKTOR is an x-y cable system a couple of (german?) students put together. Very much Grafitti potential. I haven't checked in on it for a bit - so it may have been refined/or dead.
Might try thru the Majosoft site.
Jim

[vacpress]

http://www.hektor.ch/


Amazing!

These guys are those graf artists brinign their table to a wall.. Only the wall is the table, and the rails are wires... and...

and...

brilliant and wonderfuly executed

again.

http://www.hektor.ch/

[ynneb]

Yes the Hecktor is very inventive and looks cheap to make as well.

I thought I would bring a few of the pics to the forum just in case some didnt push your link.

[vacpress]

Putting other tools on it could also be usefull. Such a device actually shows a high-level of potential commercialization.. With just a bit of refinement, and a different overall design, the thing could be used as a real marking tool .cost only $30 to manufacture, and allow huge work areas for simple marking.. like hangers, demolition sites, etc....


Innovation in the name of art projects is awesome.


Any other ideas on what it could do? A similar mechanism?


2 Color Would be easy to acomplish..

Maybe putting 2 more pullys on the floor and making the cables loops would improve overall reliability.. and moving the paint off-printer head and using a lighter more controlable head would also improve the product potential..

As a grafiti bot, its amazing.

[wilfredtak]

looks amazing! must be done to make a multi-color system... as soon as i have finished my own cnc, this might be the next project....

[skippy]

Hey Vacpress, I seem to remember you starting a thread re sidewalk graffiti machine including drawings and pics. Didn't you post pics of a nearly complete machine or was that just a to demonstrate a concept?

[dang]

I just found this thread after watching an "Ultimate Factories" show on The National Geographic Channel. Incredible show!

Regarding the sidewalk spray painters, I found this.

http://www.appliedautonomy.com/gw.html

It's pretty cool.

What about a CNC Router based spray system. Ya know, for small garage type shops?

There could be a water tank underneath it attached to a pump to circulate the H20 and filter out the oversprayed and unused paint.

There could be electrical charging involved to attract a metal based paint to the part.

The body of the router could be built out of plastics to avoid paint buildup from uniform electrical charging and be easily cleaned w/ Simple Green.

All the linear movement accessories would have to be protected from paint exposure or made from plastics, or anchored to avoid electrical charge, or all three.

It's a good idea, maybe a bit of overkill though, as saw horses and human arms can usually be substituted.