# Fluid Bed



## buckdawg

Last weekend I started pouring and painting my own jigheads. Casting wasn't too bad but painting turned out to be more challenging than I expected. I built a fluid bed out of 3" PVC but that just wasn't cutting the mustard. To use a 3" fluid bed you need a pump with some serious arse! Back to the drawing board. Today I came up with the design detailed below.

The purpose of the fluid bed is to suspend the powder paint in a 'cloud' so when you 'swish' the jig through you get a much more even coat of paint and much less chance of clogging the eye. Plus the process saves paint.

I wanted to post pics and a step by step guide to help those that may want to try it. By no means do I have any idea what I'm doing  I'm just a regular schmuck who has too much time on his hands.

Here's a pic of the items used to build the bed:










Items are:

2" PVC male adapter
2" PVC femal adapter
aquarium air pump (the bigger the better)
airline tubing
board (or anything you want to use as a base. i've seen lexan used as well)
tee connector
coffee filters or brown paper bags - lunch bags you used to take to school (bags work best!)

First step is to drill a hole in the female adapter. you'll end up sticking the tee connection in here so drill a hole of appropriate size.

Second step is to glue the female adapter to the base. I used caulk but I'm sure there are better choices. Like I said I really don't know what I'm doing.










Second pic showing the hole:










Next I rig up the air pump. I bought a Top Fin brand pump. The box claimed it could be used in aquariums up to 125 gallons and has two outputs. I think the two outputs part is pretty crucial so try to get one of those if you can. This particular model cost $20.










I also put a control valve in one of the lines to control airflow.

This pic shows the hook up:










Next I cut a circular shape out of the paper bag a few inches larger in diameter than the make adapter. Place this under the male adapter and screw it into the female adapter.



















screw it down and you're set!

fill the cup with powder (not too little, not too much) and turn the pump on. start with the control valve completely closed and adjust as needed to create a nice puffy cloud of powder paint. there may be 'volcanoes', i still have some, you'll have to adjust the air flow to reach a happy medium.










Feel free to add any comments or suggestions.


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## BigDaddy300

That is really slick. I like the part about keeping the paint in the eyes to a minimun since I just spent 2 hours cleaning paint from jig eyes Can't wait to see how the jigs come out.


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## Big Daddy

NICE! Very informative post. BD300 is right. It's SLICK! Interesting to see how a process takes shape!


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## buckdawg

you may still end up with some paint in the eyes but i think you'll see it far less frequently. i've heard the engraving attachment for the dremel does a pretty good job of carving out the paint. so far i've used a hot needle to poke through but leaves behind yucky soot on the eye and that doesn't look to pretty!  

once you get it going it's kinda neat because it really does look and feel like fluid.


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## eyesman_01

I'd bought one off ebay with the filterboard in the bottom of the PVC cup. It works great and doesn't waste so much powder getting it on too heavy. Wish I could find some of that board, I'd make more cups myself to store each color (11 so far) in. Those cups are $7.00 each with lid where I got mine. Could add up pretty fast for us small timers. I've heard the coffee filters work pretty well. Good job buckdawg.


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## buckdawg

eyesman_01 said:


> I'd bought one off ebay with the filterboard in the bottom of the PVC cup. It works great and doesn't waste so much powder getting it on too heavy. Wish I could find some of that board, I'd make more cups myself to store each color (11 so far) in. Those cups are $7.00 each with lid where I got mine. Could add up pretty fast for us small timers. I've heard the coffee filters work pretty well. Good job buckdawg.


Thanks!

Those boards are in the $200 per sheet neighborhood!!!


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## eyesman_01

OUCH!!! But if that is a 4x8 sheet, you could make a whole lot of 3" circles out of it. Where did you find the board? I have been searching all over the internet and couldn't come up with anything.


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## buckdawg

eyesman_01 said:


> OUCH!!! But if that is a 4x8 sheet, you could make a whole lot of 3" circles out of it. Where did you find the board? I have been searching all over the internet and couldn't come up with anything.


that's too rich for my blood! lol that's just what i've heard. the guys that make the professional and custom beds use the stuff. for me the lunch sacks work JUST fine!


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## TIGGER

That is really slick! Thanks for sharing!


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## jimcline

Buckdawg, I'm new to the board and saw your post on building a fluid bed. I too am trying to build one and your pix really helped. The only question I have is how does the air go through the paper bag?Do you have to make small holes or does it just pass right through? I apologize if this is a totally stupid question, but I just don't know the answer. Thanks JIM


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## jimcline

Any idea where to find the filterboard?


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## tommytoo

I was also researching the filter board. I found it is called ( Porous polypropylene) You can google that and find suppliers. I bought a sheet that is 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches for 10 dollars from a site on Amazon. 


You can also go to SCI Laboraties at scicominic.com/porous_sheets.htm

They are more expensive but more variety. I think you can make 36 three inch circles from their sheets. they are 18" by 18".

Hope this helps all of you.

Tom


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## tommytoo

The filter board I belive is porous polypropylene. I bought some on Amazon.. Other suppliers can be found on Google


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## cadman

You can buy the pourous board from www.tjstackle.com. He sells it pre cut. You want to talk to Benjamin, he also sells fluid beds if you are not handy to make your own. Also he has good prices on Pro-Tec powder paint...Tel him Cadman sent you. Benjamin is a good and honest guy. He will do right by you.


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## VTBasser

I think someone on this board also suggested using vacuum cleaner bags instead of coffee filters. Allows air through but not dust.


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## cadman

I have made (6) of my own fluid bed with my own tutorial. Here are some of the fluid bed medias you can use. Computer paper, vacuum cleaner bags, lunch paper bags, paper bags, allergy pillow cases, coffee filters, dust mask media and pourous fiber board. Please note: Not all medias work with all powder paints. Some colors like white have heavier pigments, and will not work with certain medias. I can't tell you which one to use for which color, as that will be trial and error on your part. Humidity is a bigger factor for powder paint. I know it's a pain in the butt, but take your powder out of your fluid bed cup and put it back in a tightly seald container. This will keep your powder dry. Below are some unfinished spinnerbaits, started with a base coat in a fluid bed. These are 100% all powder paint.


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## viper1

I bought a 2 inch cup from tjstackle for4.50 and built my own fluid bed. His cups work on them all can be used over and over. Dont know what media filter he uses but it is good. just wipe out to change colors


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## markfish

this is nice but what do you do with the part you are painting do you dip it in the paint or hold it in the cloud of paint,I'm kinda lost here and if you want to do 2or 3 colors how would you do that,


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## cadman

markfish said:


> this is nice but what do you do with the part you are painting do you dip it in the paint or hold it in the cloud of paint,I'm kinda lost here and if you want to do 2or 3 colors how would you do that,


You take your hot jig and swish it through quickly in the powder. Do not put it in and keep it there. You will end up with too much paint on your jig, and when you go to bake the paint it will all drip.
A fluid bed is mainly used for production work and one color application or as a quick way to apply a base coat. If you want to put your first coat on then that's fine, if you want to put more colors on use the tutorial I posted here. I'm sure there are other ways as well.


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## andydean

Hello All. Im a new member. Live in NY. Fish salt and fresh. Surfcaster predominately on Long Island. Steelhead in Pulaski. Large and smallmouths, pickerel and crappie in reservoir system in Westchester County. Andy


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## andydean

Apparantly, I must submit 2 posts before I can include my email and request CADMAN to send plans for the fluid bed, sorry guys.


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## andydean

Hello Cadman, I am a new member and joined specifically to request a set of plans and tutorial for the fluid bed that you constructed. Thanks in advance and the site looks to be really informative. Im glad that I decided to look into building my own bed!! Again, Id really appreciate it if you'd send this info to: [email protected]
Andy


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## cadman

andydean said:


> Hello Cadman, I am a new member and joined specifically to request a set of plans and tutorial for the fluid bed that you constructed. Thanks in advance and the site looks to be really informative. Im glad that I decided to look into building my own bed!! Again, Id really appreciate it if you'd send this info to: [email protected]
> Andy


Andy,
I sent you the instructions via your e-mail. If you have any questions, let me know and I will try to help answer them.


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## wjb1055

CadMan, any chance you could email the plans to me also. Since I have less than 2 posts I can't add my email address but it is available under my profile.
Thanks in advance,
Bill


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## cadman

wjb1055 said:


> CadMan, any chance you could email the plans to me also. Since I have less than 2 posts I can't add my email address but it is available under my profile.
> Thanks in advance,
> Bill


Bill, You have a PM from me.


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## Ronb

Hello,
I'm sorry to dig up an old thread but, I am having a fluid bed problem. Yesterday I bought an Elite 802 air pump, 8 ft of aquarium tubing, a 2 inch pvc coupler and a couple of 2 inch 2.75 inch tall pvc tubes. the air pump is a double outlet so I also bought a "T" fitting to take it down to one line,and a twist type air flow adjuster.
I epoxied the coupler to an aluminum plate, drilled a 1/4 hole in the bottom half of the coupler, epoxied the air line in the hole. I have tried using a coffee filter and a brown paper lunch sack as a filter.
My problem is I cannot get the air flow adjusted to where the paint "boils". I am either getting little volcanos or the paint literally clouds up out of the cup in a fine mist. If I turn it down to where I am getting no volcanos, the paint doesn't appear to do anything but feels fluffy when I tried stirring it.
I don't think the paint is fluffy enough because I still am clogging the jig eyes with paint. 

Can anyone with a fluid bed offer any advise as to what I am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Ron


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## cadman

Ronb said:


> Hello,
> I'm sorry to dig up an old thread but, I am having a fluid bed problem. Yesterday I bought an Elite 802 air pump, 8 ft of aquarium tubing, a 2 inch pvc coupler and a couple of 2 inch 2.75 inch tall pvc tubes. the air pump is a double outlet so I also bought a "T" fitting to take it down to one line,and a twist type air flow adjuster.
> I epoxied the coupler to an aluminum plate, drilled a 1/4 hole in the bottom half of the coupler, epoxied the air line in the hole. I have tried using a coffee filter and a brown paper lunch sack as a filter.
> My problem is I cannot get the air flow adjusted to where the paint "boils". I am either getting little volcanos or the paint literally clouds up out of the cup in a fine mist. If I turn it down to where I am getting no volcanos, the paint doesn't appear to do anything but feels fluffy when I tried stirring it.
> I don't think the paint is fluffy enough because I still am clogging the jig eyes with paint.
> 
> Can anyone with a fluid bed offer any advise as to what I am doing wrong?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ron


Ron a couple of things to try and note:

#1 All powders are not the same in denseness. For example white is the heaviest and will give you the most trouble. 
#2 You may have to have several different cups for different colors with different filter media on the bottom.
#3 You can also try vacuum cleaner bags or the Tyvek envelopes from the Post office as filter media. 

This is a trial and error project. Sad but true. You will have to experiment to see what media works with what colors. By your description, it looks like you have everything correctly done, other than trying different medias. Try it out and let us know if it helped. Good Luck.


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## hog4can

Don't know if anyone else has tried this but it works for me,get yourself some electrical shrink tubing(different sizes to allow for bigger eye hooks),cut into pieces just long enough to fit over the "eye" of the hook,hold over your heat gun/blow dryer,pinch the now melted shrink wrap closed(to prevent powder paint getting in),you can now preheat your jigs prior to dipping in powder paint,this is by no means a fast method ,but sure beats cleaning out the eyes 

Brian

P.S. can be used over swivels as well


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## Dobroplayer

I know this is an old post (2007) and I hope buckdawg is still around to read this.... B I G thanks for the pictures of the fluid bed! Mine is sitting here with the silicone adhesive drying as we speak! Looks good to me and one way or another I will give it enough air. Anything.... beats a bottle of quick drying laquer and a paint brush! (poly sil paint). Any who..... Thanks from Indiana!

Dobroplayer


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## fathead45

i know im digging up an old thread but has anyone just tried to hook it up to your air compressor and just turn the air way back? thinking about doing this but using my compressor to make sure i get what i need plus it is sitting next to me in the garage.


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## Bent Rod

You could use a regulator to drop the pressure , but I think contamination from moisture and possibly oil would be a problem to the powder. You might get one use out of the powder. I think the aquarium pump would be well worth the money.


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## fathead45

i see what your saying but i do have a air seperator. i might give it a try, an then steal my pump off my aquarium lol


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## ToddLangston

Those are nice blades Cadman. That was all powder paint???


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## ToddLangston

Is it best to use 2" or 3" PVC when making the fluid bed?


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## ToddLangston

Cadman, would it be possible to trouble you to send me a copy of your plans for the homemade fluid bed?? My email is [email protected]. Thanks a bunch


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## cadman

ToddLangston said:


> Those are nice blades Cadman. That was all powder paint???


Yes it was



ToddLangston said:


> Is it best to use 2" or 3" PVC when making the fluid bed?


I personally like the 3". You can get bigger baits in there.



ToddLangston said:


> Cadman, would it be possible to trouble you to send me a copy of your plans for the homemade fluid bed?? My email is [email protected]. Thanks a bunch


E-mail sent.


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## bakgat

tommytoo said:


> I was also researching the filter board. I found it is called ( Porous polypropylene) You can google that and find suppliers. I bought a sheet that is 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches for 10 dollars from a site on Amazon.
> 
> 
> You can also go to SCI Laboraties at scicominic.com/porous_sheets.htm
> 
> They are more expensive but more variety. I think you can make 36 three inch circles from their sheets. they are 18" by 18".
> 
> Hope this helps all of you.
> 
> Tom


I have also recently built myself one of these fluid beds as described. Did some valve work to allow for two fluid beds on the single pump. 

I have also found many different types and aperture sizes of the porous poly, can anyone tell me which is the best aperture size to get? They range from 20-250um and it is just too risky to spend all the money on a sheet of the filter media and then it doesn't work. Any help on this would be appreciated.

Danie


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## pghbandit

hi guys..wow very informative posts..i have just started powder paiting jig heads myself and was looking into getting a fluid bed when i came across this to make one myself


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## pghbandit

cadman, I was wondering if you would mind emailing a copy of plans also, it would be very much [email protected]


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## cadman

pghbandit said:


> cadman, I was wondering if you would mind emailing a copy of plans also, it would be very much [email protected]


Not a problem. E-mail sent


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## sdnomad

Cadman (I'm guessing you're a draftsman?), Would you mind emailing me the plans for a fluid bed. My email is [email protected] 

I also came across a thread where some were using powder water from Columbia Coatings through an airbrush for greater airbrush effects. Sounded interesting.
http://www.columbiacoatings.com/Powder_Water_s/345.htm

Thanks in advance...


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## cadman

sdnomad said:


> Cadman (I'm guessing you're a draftsman?), Would you mind emailing me the plans for a fluid bed. My email is [email protected]
> 
> I also came across a thread where some were using powder water from Columbia Coatings through an airbrush for greater airbrush effects. Sounded interesting.
> http://www.columbiacoatings.com/Powder_Water_s/345.htm
> 
> Thanks in advance...



You are partially correct. I am a design engineer. I have used roughly 6 or 7 different cad systems throughout my career. So I named my self Cadman as I was really good at all of them at one time or another. E-mail sent.
As far as the liquid powder I can't help you there, as I hand powder paint all of my jigs and spinnerbaits


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