INTRODUCTION.

Until recent years, it appears to have been generally supposed that paint used for either the protection or ornamentation of various surfaces must necessarily be applied by means of painters' brushes made of hog's bristles. But it has been clearly demonstrated during the past few years that the application of the paint may be made by means of either total immersion of the article to be painted in a tank or by spraying the paint on to the surface with the aid of compressed air. The rapid increase in the use of both processes is principally due to the immense saving of time which is effected, and this may be approximately estimated at from five to nine-tenths. In other words, one man can do the work of from five to ten men, or even more. To put it another way, if a piece of work costs 20s. for labour in painting by the old process, it may be safely assumed that it can be done by dipping or spraying at a cost of from two to four shillings.

The question will at once suggest itself: "Is paint applied by dipping and spraying as durable as that applied by the brush?" As the paint in the greater part of work of this character is used solely for protective purposes, the question is clearly one of considerable importance. The answer to the question is that when properly prepared paint is used, both methods give an equal, or even better result from the point of view of durability than that which would be obtained if a painter's brush was employed, while, in the case of painting by immersion or by spraying, the paint finds its way into places which a brush could not reach, such as open joints of a waggon, the intricate parts of certain agricultural machinery, the inside of small metal boxes, etc.

Both methods are successfully employed in practically every branch of the engineering, metal and many other trades. Heavy steel sheets may be dipped provided that adequate plant is employed for lowering and raising them into the tank, or they may be sprayed without much difficulty. Children's toys (to take the other extreme), costing less than a penny each, may also be economically painted by dipping. Speaking generally, anything large or small which can be handled or moved by lifting machinery or on a turn table, can be painted by either one process or the other. For example, a hundred or so of very small iron castings, or wrought iron ware, may be placed in a wire basket and dipped together in a few seconds, or the body of a motor car, or parts of a bicycle, can be painted by spraying in a fraction of the time it would take to do the work by means of brushes.

Thus far the processes are not much used in house painting, excepting for the first or priming coat, before the work is fixed in position, but certain types of the simpler form of spraying machines are employed with great advantage in applying lime white or whitewash to rough walls of factories, etc. In this case, a far better job is produced in one-tenth of the time. The whitewash, when sprayed on, enters and covers the open joints and inequalities of surface in a complete manner, which would be impossible were a brush used.

On the next page is a list of some of the principal purposes for which these methods are at present used, and these are being constantly added to. It is not too much to say that in any industry in which paints are used, one or other of the methods, or both in conjunction, may be employed with very great advantage in a saving of time.

An erroneous idea prevails in some quarters that to install a paint dipping or a paint spraying plant will involve a considerable expenditure. As a matter of fact, if the work is of a simple character, and the articles to be dealt with small, an expenditure of something like £25 will be sufficient for the purpose. For example, a small tank, with a draining board attached, would cost less than the sum mentioned, even when the overhanging plant was included. As such work is usually done in engineering shops, the lifting apparatus and the rails, can easily be made on the premises. In some cases the lifting plant even might be dispensed with, and the articles, such as paint cans, could be dipped by hand. A spraying plant need not be expensive, and £25 to £40 will cover the expense of spraying apparatus, compressor for air spray, exhaust and everything else. This, however, refers to a small plant. More extensive installations would, of course, cost very much more, but whatever they may cost, it may be accepted as a fact that, within reasonable limits, the outlay will be fully returned in two or three years' working at most.

In the following pages an attempt has been made to cover the whole subject of painting by mechanical means. Many plants are described and illustrated, and some lengthy explanation is given of the requirements of different trades or goods. In many cases these have really nothing to do with the painting proper, but success depends upon the system adopted for handling and conveying.

Take, for example, celluloid buttons, which are usually sprayed. They are placed in wire trays made specially for the purpose, the bottom side uppermost. These are first sprayed all over with a spirit paint, and when sufficiently dry to handle, say, in a quarter of an hour, they are all turned over and the top sides are sprayed. The wire trays and a handy cabinet to contain them are the important details in this case.

List of the Principal Products to which Paint
Spraying and Paint Dipping are Applied.

• Acetylene Machines.
• Adding Machines.
• Addressing Machines.
• Advertising Novelties.
• Advertising Signs.
• Aeroplane Work.
• "Agate" Hollow Ware.
• Agricultural Implements.
• Air Compressors.
• Aluminium Goods.
• Antiques, Bric-a-brac.
• Architectural Brass Works.
• Architectural Iron Works.
• Art Glasses and Mirrors.
• Artificial Flowers.
• Artificial Jewellery.
• Artificial Marble.
• Artificial Limbs.
• Artistic Statuaries.
• Automatic Vending Machines.
• Automobile Lamps.
• Automobile Licences and Number Plates.
• Automobile Parts.
• Automobile Parts and Motor Bodies.
• Automobile Supplies
• Automobile Tyres.
• Automobile Tops and Canopies.
• Axes.
• Baby Carriages.
• Badges.
• Banners and Flags.
• Bar Fixtures.
• Barber Equipment.
• Barrels.
• Barrows.
• Basket and Rattan Ware.
• Bath Room Sundries.
• Baths.
• Bed Springs.
• Bedsteads (Iron).
• Bedsteads (Sheet Metal).
• Beer Pumps.
• Bells.
• Bicycles.
• Billiard Tables.
• Bird Cages.
• Blocks and Falls.
• Blowers.
• Boats.
• Bobbins and Spools.
• Boiler Work.
• Book Cases.
• Boxes, Cigar.
• Bowling Alleys.
• Boxes, Mail.
• Brass Bedsteads.
• Brass Goods.
• Broom Heads and Handles.
• Brushes.
• Buckles and Snaps.
• Builders' Hardware.
• Burial Caskets.
• Buttons (metal).
• Cabinet Hardware.
• Cabinets.
• Cameras.
• Candies and Confectionery.
• Canners, Vegetables and Fruit.
• Canoes.
• Cans.
• Cars.
• Carpets.
• Carpet Sweepers.
• Carriages.
• Carriage Hardware.
• Casements (metal).
• Cartridges.
• Cash Registers.
• Cash Carriers.
• Celluloid Sheets.
• Chairs (metal).
• Children's Carriages.
• China and Crockery.
• Church and Lodge Goods.
• Church and School Furniture.
• Churns.
• Clocks.
• Colour Specimens.
• Constructional Ironwork.
• Corset Steels.
• Coffins and Caskets.
• Couches.
• Cream Separators.
• Curtain Poles.
• Cutlery.
• Cycles.
• Cycle parts.
• Desks (metal).
• Display Fixtures.
• Dolls.
• Doors.
• Drills.
• Dynamos.
• Edge Tools.
• Electric Fixtures.
• Electrical Apparatus.
• Electrical Supplies.
• Electro Platers.
• Enamelled Metal Goods.
• Enamelled Ware.
• Engines.
• Etching (metal).
• Factory Fittings.
• Fancy Baskets.
• Fans.
• Fenders.
• Filing Cabinets.
• Firearms.
• Fire Extinguishers.
• Fishing Rods.
• Fixtures, Display.
• Foundries.
• Fountains, Soda.
• Furniture (metal).
• Garden Implements.
• Gas Apparatus.
• Gas Cookers.
• Gas Engines.
• Gas Fires.
• Gas Fixtures.
• Gas Meters.
• Gas and Gasolene Stoves
• Golf Clubs.
• Grates and Mantels.
• Gramophones.
• Grille Work.
• Hats, Straw.
• Hair Pins.
• Hames.
• Handles.
• Harness Trim.
• Harrows.
• Hardware.
• Hollow Ware.
• Hooks and Eyes.
• Horns.
• Incandescent Lamps.
• Japanned Goods.
• Jewellery.
• Kegs and Pails.
• Kitchen Cabinets.
• Kitchen Utensils.
• Knitting Machines.
• Lacing Studs.
• Lamps and Lanterns.
• Lasts.
• Lawn Mowers.
• Lead Pencils.
• Leather Work.
• Letter Files.
• Locks.
• Lockers (metal).
• Looms.
• Locomotives.
• Machinery.
• Malleable Castings.
• Mathematical Instruments.
• Meat Safes.
• Metal Spinners.
• Model Makers.
• Motors.
• Motor Cycles.
• Musical Instruments.
• Novelties.
• Office Furniture.
• Optical Instruments.
• Ornamental Ironwork.
• Pattern Makers.
• Pen Holders.
• Phonographs.
• Physical Supplies.
• Piano Plates.
• Pianos and Organs.
• Picture Frames.
• Pins.
• Plated Ware.
• Ploughs.
• Plumbers' Supplies.
• Porcelain Goods.
• Projectiles.
• Pulleys (metal).
• Pumps.
• Radiators (auto).
• Railway Carriages.
• Rakes.
• Refrigerators.
• Regalia.
• Rubber Goods.
• Rules and Levels.
• Saddlery Hardware.
• Safes.
• Safe Deposit Vaults.
• Sashes (metal).
• Scales.
• Screens (metal).
• Sewing Machines.
• Shoe Buttons.
• Show Cases.
• Side Cars.
• Signs, Enamelled.
• Silverware.
• Sleds and Sleighs.
• Soda Fountains.
• Sporting Goods.
• Steel Stampings.
• Stoves (gas).
• Slate, Enamelled.
• Statuary.
• Steam Gauges.
• Steel Castings.
• Street Railway Companies.
• Surgical Supplies.
• Switchboards.
• Tables.
• Tanks.
• Telephones.
• Telephone Supplies.
• Textile Machinery.
• Tinwares.
• Thermometers.
• Tools.
• Toys.
• Trunk Hardware.
• Typewriters.
• Vacuum Cleaners.
• Vending Machines.
• Veneers.
• Ventilators.
• Wagons.
• Wall Papers.
• Washing Machines.
• Watering Cans.
• Weighing Machines.
• Wheels.
• Willow Ware.
• Wire Cloth.
• Wire Mattresses.
• Wire Work.
• Wringers.

In addition to the above, paint is applied by spraying for many artistic purposes, such as for show cards, photographic work, lithography, church decoration, etc. These are referred to in another chapter.