Squirt bottles and Pripps

To anyone using Pripps,

I’m working on a large sterling cup and I’ve been through something
like 5 hardware store spray bottles (for spraying Pripps). They just
quit working-- no spray. Some clog, but most just simply won’t
produce any liquid no matter how many times I squeeze the trigger
(which squeezes freely and smoothly).

I’ve rinsed them in hot water – some work for a few squeezes and
then quit, others simply mock me.

Very frustrating!

Thanks for any help.
Andy Cooperman

 I'm working on a large sterling cup and I've been through
something like 5 hardware store spray bottles (for spraying
Pripps). They just quit working-- no spray.  

I’ve been using the same bottle with Pripps for 4 years and never
get any clogs, nor do I do anything special with it. It’s an
inexpensive spray bottle with a pistol hand grip from Target, in the
section where they have travel products, spray bottles and squeeze
bottles for cosmetics. This one is a short one, probably holds about
8 ounces. If you want, I can scan it and send the scan to you off
list. I may even have another one around here!

Donna in VA

Andy,

I frequently ran into this same problem after I started using
Pripp’s Flux. I have always made my own so I don’t know if store
bought would be any different. I experimented with several types of
bottles and ran into clogging on all of them. The worst were the
small push top sprayers. I have had much better luck with the trigger
style that most cleaning products come in. These are garbage.

The push tops sprayers were for a really fine mist and just what I
had on hand at first. The top (button) was really flimsy and would
unseat at the drop of a hat. However, even with these bad sprayers I
was able to get a pin and poke it in the outlet and spray again until
the push button came loose. The miniscule nozzle gets clogged and as
you said it’s mission becomes only to mock even if it gets soaked in
hot water. I tried soaking and boiling too and there was no joy to
behold until I plucked the offending particle out of the nozzle.

The trigger kind with the “adjustable” nozzle (like what you
describe) have clogged on me too (not nearly as often as I try to
close those off when I am not using) but I have been able to unclog
them with a sewing needle or other similarly scaled pointy object.
One word of warning make sure to point the nozzle away from you and
anything valuable. A sink works good, because there can be a little
or more than a little pressure released when it unclogs. Quite a bit
of pressure too if the trigger gets squeezed a lot in frustration…
Not dangerous in a piercing way, but I got a wall 10 feet away the
first time I got VERY frustrated.

Oh one other thing, that may or may not matter. I brew about a
gallon at a time and store in several canning jars and pour it into
my sprayer as needed. A thin blue silt eventually settles over the
bottom. A couple of shakes and it mixes back up ok, but if this
settles and forms in the bottom of the spray bottle and the feeding
tubes circles around the bottom of the container then it is drawing
straight from all this silt. So I took a scalpel and cut it short so
it about 20mm (just an arbitrary distance) or so from bottom. Now I
have not really investigated to see if this very thin sediment
represents a minor flaw in my Pripp’s Prep, but other that the very
occasional clog, the Pripp’s works as advertised to prevent
firescale. This did seem to alleviate my clogging somewhat, spray
bottle clogging I mean, but I can’t say it was the magic bullet. It
may just mean I am not cooking my flux long enough.

Don’t know if any of this will help or already has been tried. I
just had the same exact problems and thought I would toss out my vast
scientific inquiry to the matter. :wink:

Ashley Webb

I’ve had fairly good success (I throw the nozzle into my pickle pot
when it plugs) using one of those aerosol cans from Harbor Freight
that you can put your Pripp’s flux in and then fill with a
compressor…not perfect, but works better than the pump
sprays…

I'm working on a large sterling cup and I've been through
something like 5 hardware store spray bottles (for spraying
Pripps). They just quit working-- no spray. Some clog, but most
just simply won't produce any liquid no matter how many times I
squeeze the trigger (which squeezes freely and smoothly). I've
rinsed them in hot water -- some work for a few squeezes and then
quit, others simply mock me. 

Hi Andy. Your correct. Trigger sprayers are fine for windex and
things that stay dissolved. No good for flux, including Prips.

Over the years I’ve tried the small cheap external mix air brushes,
such as sold by harbor freight, for around 15 bucks, and several
other types of sprayers, but i always just keep coming back to what
i first learned with. The mouth atomizers i bought back in the late
70s are grungy looking at this point, but still work just fine. Too
simple to clog, and cost a buck and a half each.

You can see what I’m referring to at the link below. About two thirds
of the way down this catalog page you’ll see a couple odd things
listed as mouth syphon spray blower. Spraying glazes is what these
things always were actually marketed for, but they work just
wonderfully for prips, other than the added bother of needing to
blow the thing. Add a rubber or flex plastic tube of some sort for a
mouth piece if you prefer to keep your face farther from the work
than direct blowing would do.

Baileys’ has a 20 dollar minimum order, so getting just one is a bit
pricey. However, I’ve got a plan for a bunch of them , so I just
(tonight, upon being reminded of this by your post) sent them an
order for a bunch of the things. I’ll keep one out for you when they
get here. Not sure how long that will take. I asked for 3 day
shipping on the web site, but rather expect they’ll send it ground.
But anyway, if you don’t find another solution, get in touch with me
in a few days and I’ll let you know the status. If you’re desperate,
you can borrow one of my old grungy ones right now. They work.

Peter Rowe

I did the same, kept trying spray bottles and they would not stay
working. Gave up and just use a small paint brush. It works the best
if you warm up the piece first. Just do not get it too hot to burn
off the bristles.

Warren Townsend

Trenton, MI 48183

Andy,

My solution was to go to an art supply shop and purchase the least
expensive airbrush I could find. That airbrush, attached to a
compressed air canister solved the problem. The spray coming from
the bottle is somewhat flammable, so avoid getting your torch is not
too close to, or pointed in the direction of, the spray. Other than
that, it’s been nothing but a pleasure.

Larry Seiger

Andy C and All regarding Pripps,

We too had trouble for years with spray bottles and Pripps. About a
year or so ago we began brushing it on. Works great and just as
quick! Just use a cheap artist or craft brush and heat the object
then dab or brush on the Pripps while keeping the object hot.

Gary Dirks

        I'm working on a large sterling cup and I've been through
something like 5 hardware store spray bottles (for spraying
Pripps). They just quit working-- no spray. Some clog, but most
just simply won't produce any liquid no matter how many times I
squeeze the trigger (which squeezes freely and smoothly). 

If you find out any answers, let us all know - I have the same
problem! I bought fairly expensive spray bottles from a science
supply source; I tried hair spray bottles, thinking they might not
clog as easily. Nothing has worked!

Roseann

Andy, If you have an air compressor go get yourself an inexpensive
detail spray gun at an automotive paint supply or sometimes at a Auto
parts shop. I picked one up for $30 USD

It will spray Prips, or spray flux for weeks without clogging and it
is easy to clean.

James McMurray
U of Washington Metals Program

Continue from:

Hi Andy,

I’m not sure it will work with Pripps, or be large enough, but when
Chris Hentz taught us to use Frips (Fripps?), he had us buy a gadget
from an art supply store–you put one end in the flux, and the
other in your mouth, and you blow. I can’t for the life of me
remember what it’s called but it may have something to do with
airbrushing.

Good luck!
Lisa Orlando
Aphrodite’s Ornaments

My solder area is outside. In the summer time it gets above 100
degrees during the day. I have had one sprayer that has worked for
several years in both summer and winter. I do not keep the sprayer
capped. It sits on my outside bench all the time. I am wondering if
there is something different about the consistency of pripps flux.

This is not meant to be a sales pitch for Cupronil but that is what
I use without getting a clogged sprayer.

We have had trouble getting the chemicals in Cupronil to completely
dissolve in some tap waters. I am no chemist but I assume the
hardness of the water may have some affect on the ability to
completely dissolve the chemicals. We use distilled water as a
carrying agent. You might want to try using distilled water.

We buy our sprayers from a plastic bottle distributor in Phoenix.

Using a brush to apply anti fire scale flux is the original way it
was applied. Heat the metal until the flux paints on like whitewash.
Too hot and the brush sticks or burns. To cold and the coating
washes away. Painting it on is somewhat time consuming.

It is very late here and I find I can’t sleep. I have to retype
about every third word. I guess that is a measure of how tired I am
getting.

My 2 cents worth.
Lee Epperson

The Preval sprayer is about the size of a slender 1 pint bottle. It
will spray up to 16 oz. of liquid. It costs $4.75 at enameling.com
(Schlaifer’s Enameling Supplies). And a refill of gas is $4.00. I
did a Google on it and found it even a bit cheaper. Why Pump?

To anyone using Pripps, I'm working on a large sterling cup and
I've been through something like 5 hardware store spray bottles
(for spraying Pripps). They just quit working-- no spray. Some
clog, but most just simply won't produce any liquid no matter how
many times I squeeze the trigger (which squeezes freely and
smoothly). 

Hi Andy,

I haven’t used Prip’s for a while in my own work, since discovering
Argentium Sterling. However, I definitely am familiar with the
problem you describe. Try using a “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”
spray bottle (can you tell that we have a cholesterol problem in our
family?!) Also, I like (well, used to like) the spray bottles sold
at CVS, etc. for travel uses. With either one, try keeping a
container of water on hand, and put the sprayer upside down in the
water, so that it cannot dry up in the nozzle.

Another thing you can do when the spraying thing really gets on your
nerves:

  • put the Prip’s in a wide-mouthed jar or container.

  • Get a wide, cheap paint brush.

  • Dip the brush into the jar of flux, and brush it on, much as you
    would spray—That is, brush a bit of flux onto the sterling. Heat
    the metal until the flux turns to white powder. At that point, start
    alternating between heating and brushing the flux on, just as you
    would alternate between heating and spraying, until the metal is
    covered with white powder.

  • (keep the brush very wet, so that you don’t fry any bristles. It
    really does not matter much if you do , though. You used a cheap
    brush, right?)

I hope this helps!
Cindy

Prips as made is a fully saturated solution…Any evaporation or loss
of water from the solution will cause solids to drop out and clog
things up especially pump systems. There are old fashioned very
simple aspirator spray systems which just consist of a tube at
right angles to another. Blowing into one with the other in the
liquid will work in this type situation. There are also some very
simple spray guns that work this way The old flit guns were like
this… An air brush that is “supposed” to work this way without
clogging is an AZTEC . . I can’t personally speak to this. maybe
some one can.

jesse

I am probably a little slow on the uptake, but your idea for applying
flux seemed plausible for applying enamel. I make large eggs with
guilloche patterns and have always dry sifted. I think for the bucks
I might try the mouthpiece. I will let y’all know what happens.

Robert Whiteside
www.robertwhiteside.com

Thank you to all who so promptly responded to my query about applying
Pripps. I had already begun to simply apply it to the warm/hot
surface of the cup w/ a brush as many suggested which works fine but
is quite a bit slower. I found a “mouth driven” blowpipe type
atomizer-- a venturi tube-- at Seattle Pottery and, while it seemed
to work, was not in the end as efficient as simple brush application.

If I were to continue raising or working on larger sterling objects
I would most certainly by a simple airbrush and run it off my
compressor-- as many also suggested. That would definitely solve the
problem. But for now, most of the raising is completed, plannishing
has commenced and I can see the light at the end of the tunnle.

Cynthia-- Argentum would have been a great choice, but I patina the
majority of my work and any de-ox alloy would thwart that approach.
Wouldn’t it? Or can you chemically oxidize this alloy? Also does it
depletion guild?

Take care all and thanks again.
Andy

Peter’s advice on mouth atomizers is spot on…they work great.
However, some people have an aversion to putting anything from the
workshop into their mouth. Who knows where that stuff has been or
what might be on it :-).

The solution I’ve found that has proven itself over the past few
years is to go to a store that sells storage stuff (Storables, Hold
Everything, The Container Store, etc.). There you will find a couple
of different types of small spray bottles with push button pump
nozzles and a plastic cap that covers the push button when not in
use. These are usually found in the travel or bathroom section and
look like small hair spray bottles.

This type of sprayer produces a fine mist which is perfect for
applying Prips. But, they also get clogged easily when the flux
solution in the nozzle dries.

The trick is to fill the cap with water when you are done for the
day, invert the sprayer and put it into the cap. The water will keep
the flux solution in the nozzle from drying out and clogging the
nozzle. You may need to store the sprayer upside down on the bench to
keep the water in the cap, but the one I’ve been using for years now
has a tight enough seal to make this unnecessary.

Regards,
Tom Colson
Renaissance Gecko Designs

Hi Andy,

One more anti-clogging tip: use the commercially made stuff—used
to be Griffith’s but they were bought by Grobet, so any Grobet
supplier can get it for you.

Cindy
Cynthia Eid

P.O. Box 750007
Arlington Heights, MA 02475
Phone and fax: (781)863-0140

 Argentum would have been a great choice, but I patina the majority
of my work and any de-ox alloy would thwart that approach. Wouldn't
it?  Or can you chemically oxidize this alloy? Also doesit
depletion guild? 

Andy, I have been patinaing Argentium Sterling Silver with
Griffith’s/Grobet’s Silver Black, which is an acid. It works
great—the same as for regular sterling. I have not tried liver of
sulfur on Argentium. I am told that it takes longer, but that it
works.

Argentium Sterling Silver does not depletion gild. It gets a
transparent layer of germanium oxide on the surface which stops
firescale. It does not depletion gild, per se, but it is a bit
white-looking when it comes out of the pickle after heating.

I have written an extensive technical article for SNAG News. I just
finished proof-reading it. It will be in your mailboxes at the end
of June.

Cindy
Cynthia Eid