Binks History


It all started in the basement of Marshall Field & Company in 1892, when Joseph Binks built the first cold water paint spray machine to whitewash the store's expansive sub-basements. Soon he used his invention to rescue the opening of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Just days before the opening, nine of ten exhibit buildings stood unpainted. Painters for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition could not keep pace with the construction demands of this worldwide event and used the Binks paint spraying machine to whitewash everything on time.

Originally Binks was known as The Star Brass Works. The company officially became Binks in 1911.

Just before the 1920s, Binks introduced it first hand spray gun. The gun was used to spray dye on rugs and carpeting. The original timeline for hand finishing cars on an assembly line in the 1920s was 27-30 days. Binks spray finishing equipment reduced that to just 8 days.

Binks introduced its popular Model 7 spray gun in 1934. The Model 7 has been used in every conceivable application since then.

During WWII, Binks spray painting equipment went to war and was used around the world by the Armed Forces. Binks received the prestigious Army-Navy Production Award (The *E* Pennant) in 1943 for excellence in war production. From 1950 - 1990, Binks expanded its product line to include spray booths, electrostatic equipment, and miscellaneous accessories. Binks introduced its popular Mach I spray gun in 1989. The Mach I spray gun is used to apply coatings to the heat shield tiles on NASA's space shuttle.

Binks was acquired by Illinois Tool Works in 1998.