Stop off wrap

Abstract

A method of applying a coating to a tubular by covering a portion of the outer surface of the tubular with a wrapping material, coating the tubular, and removing the wrapping material.

1 . A method of applying coating a tubular having an outer surface and an inner surface, comprising:
 covering a selected portion of the outer surface of the tubular with wrapping material by wrapping the wrapping material around the tubular in a spiral having succeeding flights, with overlapping portions between succeeding flights of the spiral, wherein the wrapping material has a softening point and a melting point;   providing coating material, wherein the coating material has a temperature above the softening point of the wrapping material and below the melting point of the wrapping material;   applying the coating material to the tubular and to the wrapping material and thereby causing the wrapping material to soften and self-adhere at the overlapping portions; and   removing the wrapping material from the tubular.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the coating material is applied to the tubular in a chemical bath. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the wrapping material is substantially non-conductive and the coating material is applied by electroplating. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the wrapping material comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  in which the polymer comprises one or more of LDPE (low density polytheylene), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), PVdC (polyvinylidene chloride), LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinylchloride), metallocene treated LLDPE, and metallocene treated polyethylene. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which, after wrapping the wrapping material on the tubular, the wrapping material has ends, and the method further comprising securing the ends of the wrapping material to the tubular. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which the tubular has threaded ends and the wrapping material does not cover the threaded ends.