Flocking experiences? I got fleeced, I think.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I am making some small trinket boxes and such and wanted to flock the insides, thinking that would look nice. So I searched around and found a company called "Flocking Unlimited" and I ordered a red and a green little kit to 'get my feet wet". I see that the adhesives made just for flocking run about 20 bucks and I did find some at Lee valley tools, but they were out of both colors I wanted, and remain so. So I tried this other outfit.
Finally today I was going to get into it. I laid out all the stuff and then opened the kit. My heart sank. This outfit sells cheap hobby store acrylic paint as their 'adhesive'.  I was ticked and had the feeling I just got flocked myself. Now I'm still looking for a source that has the red and green I want in stock as well as a better quality flocking material. Lee Valley is still out of stock.
I will try this cheap paint on a test piece and see how it does, but my hopes for something that will hold up over time are not very high and the work in the boxes deserves a proper job.
Just wondering if anyone else has experience with this stuff and various glues and adhesives and if anybody has tried something like hobby paint? Any knowledge would be appreciated.

[21incher]

This is the brand my FIL used to use and I see peach tree has the red Finishing Flocking
I borrowed it once and it did a good job with red on a padauk jewelry box.

[SwampDonkey]

Perhaps here, looks like Donjer Flocking products under another label.

DONJER FLOCKING PRODUCTS

From what I have read on other sites as well as Leevalley, the stuff is hard to get right now. Another solution might be to get some felt the color you want and apply with contact cement. Try a test piece. The most difficult areas will be the 90 corners, I would not bend the fabric on corners, but cut to fit each side.

[chet]

Klingspors is where I get my flocking stuff, usually with a large order of sanding products.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well thanks fellas, but the Green is the one I am really looking for and ALL those suggested suppliers, plus Rockler and one or two more are out of stock.
SD, these are small boxes and working inside with cut sheets will be pretty tricky. I know I have some hunter green adhesive backed felt in a rill somewhere here, but just can't locate it. Not that I would want to do that in a small box anyway.
I will likely do a test with this cheapo stuff today. My concern here is durability and longevity. It may come out looking just fine but how long will it last and hold up? I wanted to go with the right stuff thinking that would be the highest quality stuff. Sending me water based  hobby paint and calling it 'adhesive paint' in the documentation was pretty slimy if you ask me. Don't they think I can read a label?
Anyway, we can all stay away from those guys going forward.

[SwampDonkey]

Did you check the Klingspore Shop link I posted because I just checked with Chris over their in their chat window and they said they have it to fullfill an order. They have it at several of their locations. The Hunter Green, adhesive and the fleece fibre in Hunter Green.

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah I did check that link and on the Green it says "out of stock-pre-order today!" I don't want to 'pre-order' something that they don't give me a ship date on. Guess I'll have to call them later.

[SwampDonkey]

Chris told me they can fill the order from other locations. Quote: 'We are showing one in our main warehouse, but do have stock in other locations. We can fulfill an order.'

That's all I can tell ya. Sorta like LeeValley, none at their stores, but available from other locations. Recently, I asked Leevalley about bit length, they couldn't measure at the store, none there, but it was in their warehouse. I had no delay getting mine. I was only asking for Brad on the measurements as mine were in transit. So, yeah, ask them yourself at Klingspore. But I doubt the answer is different.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well you were right SD! I called them and wound up spending a bit more than I wanted to, but I got the stuff on order, plus a cou0le of other things. The nice gal I talked to and I somehow got on a conversation about abrasives and I asked if they made conveyors belts for drum sanders, she said they used to and she could give me a quote. She said they had a lot of issues with folks complaining they couldn't get them to track right. She said a lot of user are not real savvy on getting the tracking correct, and they get blamed. She also said that they had a very difficult time making those belts accurately, so it was a two way street.  She will send me a quote, but it comes with no performance guarantee. ;D :D I will take it under consideration. ;D
So thanks for the help SD and everybody else too.
BTW, I did try out one of the kits I bought and tested it on a small box. I should not have. The flocking is junk and the 'adhesive paint', (AKA preschoolers paint) is also junk for this application. So in a rare negative endorsement, I will advise folks to stay far away from "Flocking Unlimited" unless you desire the cheapest costing, and looking stuff you could find. Pure Garbage. Now I have to see if I can sand it all out or do something else to save it.

[Old Greenhorn]

Right after I paced my order and made that prior post, their website changed on now has this banner on the adhesive page:
-----------------------------
ATTENTION FLOCK IT CUSTOMERS. WE ARE OUT OF ALL GREEN ADHESIVES, BISQUE TAN ADHESIVES,AND TURQUOISE ADHESIVES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO TIMETABLE FOR A RESTOCK. IF YOU PLACE AN ORDER FOR ANY GREEN ADHESIVES IT WILL BE REFUNDED AND CANCELLED

WE ARE ALSO HAVING ISSUES WITH CONFIRMATION EMAILS GOING OUT. IF YOU PLACED AN ORDER AND DIDNT GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL : LOGAN.MYERS@FLOCKIT.COM FOR CONFIRMATION OR QUESTIONS
-----------------------------------
SO I guess I just dodged a bullet, but the gal told me they had stuff in stock at other stores and shipping would take a couple days longer is all. So I am still confused and hope my stuff shows up.

[SwampDonkey]

I would say they are in the same boat as every other distributor that carries the stuff. Hopefully they can fulfill the order, because they told you and me they could. Good luck.

Busy Bee has rolls of sanding belts. They are from Primex Abrasives out of Glens Falls, NY. I don't see the rolls listed on their page at Primex for some reason. There is a phone number on their page though. Primex Abrasives - Portable sanding belt

Busy Bee Tools is out of Concord, Ontario. Their drum sanders cost a fortune. :D

[Old Greenhorn]

Just following up on this for anybody that comes by in the future. I did order from kilingspore and they were great, shipped what they promised, when they promised. Got the stuff in today and was almost afraid to try it after my first terrible experience with the cheap stuff.
Well, it's a night and day difference! This stuff worked as it was supposed to and left a nice coating. Now it's still sitting and drying, but the difference is already quite clear and the application was 'night and day' better by far. Nothing but smiles on my part. Should ;D have gone for the good stuff in the first place, but that's how I learn sometimes.



 

Impossible to see in the photo but the red on the right is ugly has thin spots and clumpy spots and not very good. The green on the left is smooth and even and fully and evenly (as far as I can tell so far) and looks quite nice. Both still need some cleaning up. The lesson here is 'go with the good stuff that first time out'. Going on cost, cost me a week and a box I will sell at a discount or give away on a whim.
Old as I may get, I am still learning 'stuff'.

[Larry]

Looks good.  Is it hard to do?  How much time does it take to do a box?  Something I have never done.

[Old Greenhorn]

Piece of cake Larry. Just get a plastic tub to put the piece in (to collect the overspray and re-use it), then follow the instructions. Basically, paint the surfaces you want to do with the adhesive/paint fairly thick (I used an acid brush of this, it was small) then set it in the box and spray with the flocking which you need to do a few times going around to get it uniform. Then put the cover on the box and let it sit. After it dries, you shake out any excess flocking and recover it for re-use on the next one. Leave it for a day or two before you hit it with a dry paint brush to remove the loose fibers, and then eventually, hit it with an air gun to clean it up. No masking required if you 'paint' carefully.
I strongly suggest using the applicator that Flock-it sells, the squeeze bottle I got from the cheapo guys was junk as far as doing the job. To do that box took maybe 10 minutes max. If I were doing a bunch (next step) I would say they take about a minute more than the time it takes to paint them with the adhesive. The materials, so far, appear to go a long way. I like it, it has it's place.

[thecfarm]

I tell the wife, We're saving money now!!! 

[Stephen1]

That looks great. I had to follow along to learn what Flocking is...was thinking you made a spelling error. :D

[Old Greenhorn]

...was thinking you made a spelling error. :D

Yes, I had to type very carefully and proof read before posting, plus I was pretty ticked off when I made that first post.
Flocking is kind of a small niche thing that doesn't have a lot of applications, but when it fits, it does add to the end result, I think. Since I hadn't done it since about 1968 I had to re-learn everything. Of course, being me, I had to learn the hard way. ;D

[aigheadish]

I'm another that misunderstood what you were talking about. I was thinking felt sheets but now, looking at one of the sites linked to above, I understand a bit better. Thanks and good luck!