If you are a finisher, you probably already know about all the trade rags. Everyone knows PCI (Paint and Coatings Industry) Another good one is Products Finishing Weekly. Recent articles include “Coping with Staffing Shortages”, “Powder Coating Heavy Castings” and “Exploring the difference between masking caps and plugs”.
But the best website I’ve seen is finishing.com. site looks like it was designed by Betty in Accounting with help from her chihuahua and harkens back to a simpler time – like 1899. It lists finishing books and articles, and it has a “help wanted” section.
But its best feature is a Q&A section. It has answers to questions like “Why is my Very High Bond tape not sticking to my mirror-polished stainless steel”? (Answer: it’s probably the finish – duh – and abrasion or ultra-sonic cleaning followed by plasma cleaning are recommended.) Also, “Can you get rich off seawater”? (Answer: you can do it – theoretically – because seawater contains gold chloride, but the cost would be prohibitive).
This section is like a chat button on other websites, allowing finishing professionals to talk to and learn from other like-minded professionals. I highly recommend it. When we were running our OEM lighting business in Los Angeles, I turned our powder-coater onto the site to help him with faraday cage problems.
I hope you like these hints. We manufacturing folks have to stick together. We are a large, powerful sector and our knowledge is hard to quantify. HeyScottie wants to help manufacturers in the US get more value and recognition for their contributions to the US economy. Sign up to be a HeyScottie Partner today: click here.