The Gardco Applicator Rod is a round stainless steel bar tightly wound with stainless steel wire. The diameter of the rod and wire vary in size depending on type of application.

The diameter of the wire, in the wound form, regulates the thickness of the coating. During the manufacturing process, tight tolerances are held along with strict quality control. Every item is 100% inspected and individually packaged.

1. Attach (or tape) a sample of the most suitable substrate to the glass surface of the Drawdown Plate.
   
   
2. Using a spatula, place a small pool of coating liquid near the top of the sample sheet.
   
   
3. Immediately grasp the ends of the Drawdown Rod. Using the thumbs of both hands to keep the rod from bowing or bending away from the sample, draw the rod down through the liquid pool spreading and metering the fluid across the sample sheet. As the drawdown is made, note the behavior of the coating and any possible reaction with the substrate. (Note: It may be convenient to construct a small trough of cardboard to catch the excess liquid as it is drawn to the bottom edge of the drawdown board.) Immerse rod in Cleaning Tray after use.
   
   
4. The coated sample is now ready for testing.
   
   
5. If the coating application is too thin, use a rod with a larger diameter wire. Hence, if the coating is too thick, use a rod with a smaller diameter wire (See "Conversion Chart For Wet Film Thickness" & How To Order Rods)

The wet film thickness conversion chart shows the wet film thickness that may be obtained from a given wire size. However it is impossible to chart exact film thickness for all coatings since there are so many variables. The wet film thickness is based on 100% solids, no evaporation, no penetration into the substrate. Rod diameter and rod pressure may also affect film thickness. The chart is intended to serve as a guide only in selecting wire size.

Applicator Rods are priced according to rod diameter, film path width and wire size. However, when ordering, please provide the above information. Unless otherwise indicated, overall length will be film path plus 4”. NOTE: Standard applicators are for 12” film path.

For those applications where heavier coatings are required, use these special drawdown rods with two wires. A standard single-wire rod is over-wound with a second, smaller wire which follows the spiral of the base wire.

The result is a modified groove between the wires that will produce wet coatings up to 19 mils (.019") thick.

TwinCoat Rods: Another advantage is that a two-wire rod, used instead of a conventional single-wire rod, will have more than twice as many "grooves" for a given coating thickness.

This results in taller raised striations which are affected more quickly by surface tension, and flatten out to a glass-like surface in a shorter time span.

TriCoat Rods: Ultra-heavyweight coatings up to 50 mils (.050") thick can be produced using standard wires wound in a unique configuration, on a 1/2" Diameter Rod. Two identical wires are wound tightly together on a core rod, then a third wire (of the same size) follows one spiral of the base wires.

The result is a modified groove which will maximize the area between the wires, providing a coating which can be more than six times the thickness produced by a single-wire rod.

Useful for certain applications in the production of building materials, scientific apparatus, and other heavyweight products which require extra thick coatings in this range.

• Poly-Coat is a fluorocarbon polymer material which is impregnated into the surface of the stainless steel wire used in Gardco wire wound rods. Stainless steel wire and core rods are manufactured to exacting dimensional and surface finish specifications, and are precision wound on custom-built machines.
  
• Poly-Coat rods are a major breakthrough in coating technology.
  
• Poly-Coat adds a hard, high lubricity surface to the wire windings. In addition, it offers excellent protection against corrosion and high temperatures.

Thickness: Poly-Coat is applied .0004 to .0005 inches thick on each surface and is controlled within 25 millionths of an inch.

Bond Strength: Poly-Coat is impregnated directly into the stainless steel wire. Bond strength averages 50,000 lbs. per square inch and never flakes off.

Surface: Poly-Coat duplicates the polished surface of the special wire exactly, and protects the finish without distortion or pitting.