The basic difference is in the way the machine applies the paste to the wallcovering.
There are many different kinds of roller machines, single and double rollers, most gear driven. Some are even motorized. The common design characteristic is a paste trough with a roller, suspended in it. The roller lies partially in the paste. As the roller spins in the trough, it picks up the thinned paste and applies it to the back of the wallcovering, which is drawn over the top of the paste roller. A scrapper bar, just below the wallcovering, removes excess paste.
Gravity fed “wells” tend to have open paste areas, with angled floors. The wallcovering is loaded into the bottom of the well area, face down, and run under a screed, or gate.
Thickness of the paste is determined by the height of the gate, as its squeegee edge is tightened to meet the wallcovering. The contractor then pours paste into the well, at the deepest end of the machine, along the gate edge. Since the material runs under the paste and the squeegee, gravity sees to it, that the whole width of the material is consistently pasted, smoothly and evenly.
Contractors enjoy the high tech appeal of a roller machine, and an ease of pull. Gravity machines may seem too simple to some; however, their simplicity saves time. Below is a list of pros and cons that contractors have reported, over the past 15 years that I have been President. Of course, most of the people who call us are already sold on the value and benefits of Gravity Pasters; but, different machines suit different contactors.
Pros
GRAVITY FED PASTERS
Movement of the material under the paste, keeps the entire batch of paste mixing.
Clear and clay pastes can be used, even full strength.
Little unused paste left at the end.
Easy loading of paste and wallcovering.
No moving parts to wear or break.
Quick and simple to clean.
Inexpensive.
Can paste two narrow rolls independently.
Low Maintenance.
ROLLER MACHINES
Holds up to 5 gallons of paste (remember that some is unusable).
Easy to pull wallcovering through.
Contractors like Stainless Steel construction.
Can precut lengths of paper prior to pasting.
Cons
ROLLER MACHINES
Usually, the bottom of the trough carries a minimum gallon of unused paste.
Can be difficult to refill paste through the opening between trough and roller.
Scrapper bars are sometimes serrated, leaving grooves in the paste, which can transfer to the wall.
Plastic gears wear and strip. They can be gummed up with paste.
If the paste is too thick, the roller can spin and cause skipping on the pasting surface.
Slight damage to the roller or scrapper bar effect the smoothness of the pasting.
Expensive replacement parts.
Clean up reportedly can take up to 30 minutes, and a trip to the car wash.
Heavy equipment.
GRAVITY FED PASTERS
May require a little more effort to pull.
To maintain quality alignment the contractor should occasionally perform a simple tune-up.
Addressing the Cons of Gravity Pasters:
We’ve been making Gravity Pasters since1966. They were designed to save the contractor time and money. All machines are easily adjustable, by the contractor. We constantly receive feedback from our customers and incorporate those comments and suggestions into our equipment. You’ll find some tricks of the trade, which address the cons of gravity fed pasters, on our Instructions Page.
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at Paste-Well. 1-800-414-9294
