"Dipping" parts in paint rather than spraying them?

[toolmanmike]

I have seen paint drips on torsion bars. It would be a waste of paint to spray them. They are just an inch in diameter and most of what comes out of the gun is overspray. The dip product looks like the thinned down undercoating that they spray the radiator supports with. Un-thinned paint wouldn't work for dipping.

 

[Black_Sheep]

My friends dad made jack handles for Chrysler Corp back in the 50’s and 60’s, they were dipped in a vat of lacquer…

 

[dadsbee]

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger clean up

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Our Sacramento based Mopar club has had a variety of members over the years, some brilliant, some not.
One guy stood up at a meeting to tell how he planned to paint several parts in his restoration of a mid 70s truck. He said that the factories would dip some parts in paint and not spray them. He said that all you had to do was have a wide vat with water in it but with about 1 1/2" of enamel paint on the top, effectively making two layers. The part was dipped through the paint and into the water until the whole part passed through the paint, then it was pulled out of the vat and the water stayed below the paint, the pain ted part dripped paint back into the top layer. He said this technique was excellent for maximizing materials since there was no overspray.
It is an interesting concept. Have you heard of this?

Yes, dip coatings are common, but not the water part

 

[sam dupont]

This is my Chia Beaver. It was dipped in water that had paint floating on it, cleared glazed, and fired.

 

[Kern Dog]

You're right about water being cheaper than paint, and from a cost point of view, this might make sense, however, how does one separate paint from water after you've finished your project? This could create disposal issues.

I don't know the full story. Water and paint did not mix together, they stayed apart.