How to Dip Coat a Wire

Build a frame to go around a plastic tub and hold it in place on a tabletop. The frame should extent above the top of the tub in the rear but not in the front. Two spools will be attached to the frame above the tub on the left and right sides. The frame will also hold the battery and DC motor.

Glue two rods in place inside the tub, on the rear wall, one on the left and one on the right. The spools should turn freely on the rods. If the spools come off the rods too easily, put a drop of glue on the unattached end of the rod to hold the spools in place.

Place two more spools directly above the spools in the tub. The right hand spool will be where the wire starts when it goes through the coating bath. Depending on what kind of wire you will be using -- and whether or not this wire comes on a spool -- you might want to put a rod here, saving the spool for special cases.

Position the upper left hand spool directly above the lower left hand spool inside the tub. This is the take-up spool that winds the freshly coated wire. The spool should be glued to the rod, and the rod should protrude far enough into the frame to engage the DC motor.

Substitute a handle for the DC motor if the wire lengths are short or to hold down expenses. If you are using a handle, make sure there is enough room behind the tub to stand while winding the handle.

Mix the coating solution according to the instructions on the package. Some coating solutions are liquid, although they may need to be diluted, and others come in powder form and must be mixed thoroughly.