Gun Build: in progress

[JameyK]

Balsa is a brilliant idea, I just happen to have some small teak scraps on hand, but now I sure wish I had balsa. I just started with thin teak scales last night and I will sculpt Apoxie putty for the details. The handle scales are removable right now so I can cast lightweight replicas if need be. Photos coming soon

I have done salt grip in the past, and it has held up for over 10 years! But it’s not the best for a clear finish in my opinion. I had issues with clouding up after some time. Your solid color makes it look awesome. The carbon layup on your gun is very similar to what I have planned

[Dbrown]

The "glamour" shots of that gun are really cool Mikel. Beautiful gun.

[JameyK]

So here are the pictures to go with my recent journey of handle shaping. I did a mock up with lightweight Hearty clay so that I could make the initial shape out of a clay that would dry, so I could do some test gripping and aiming. I attached the handle frame to a piece of scrap wood so that I had something to point and aim. You can see in the photos that the original metal frame has been modified with the grinder many times and it is now much smaller. When I first got the handle I cut some teak scales to fit it, but you can see in the photos they are now much too big. They are also too thick when I compare them to the scales I made out of Hearty clay

[JameyK]

I have struggled in the past with trying to grind a nice handle shape out of wood, so I knew that I did not want to start with too much wood and shape in. I wanted to start with a solid wood base and shape out with clay to match my hand. I wanted to use the same teak scales I had already cut, but they were 5/8” and I needed them to be about 5/16” and they were much too small to piggyback through the planer. I ended up gluing the teak to a piece of scrap wood with 3M 77 spray and then cutting them to the right thickness on the table saw. It worked perfectly and I even cut off the remaining teak from the 2x4 and it is the same thickness as the metal handle so I can use it as scrap to fill voids between the two scales. Then with a jigsaw, rasps, router, and Dremel, I reshaped the scales to match my handle and chamfered the edges

[JameyK]

Next it was time to build out the handle to fit the shape of my handle. Thank you again to spearq8 for his awesome videos and writeups on the subject. I used Apoxie Sculpt which I love working with, but unfortunately it is just too heavy for the finished product, so I am going the route of Mikel_24 and these will get molded and cast. Im really happy with the feel and alignment of the grip. Since these photos I have done a bit more touch up sanding and void filling. The two scales peeled off the handle frame no problem

[Mikel_24]

Originally Posted by JameyK

... But it’s not the best for a clear finish in my opinion. I had issues with clouding up after some time. Your solid color makes it look awesome. The carbon layup on your gun is very similar to what I have planned

I like solid colors for two reasons. The practical one is that bright yellow, orange or white are easy to spot in a dark bottom if I happen to drop it or get a tangle in the reel and cannot surface with it in my hand. The aesthetical one is that I can match the vinyl stickers color to the handle and to the reel (MVD Soft Touch reels are available in few colors), which is a nice touch.

I have plenty of pigments and I have used white, yellow and orange (a tad dark for my taste). Next one might be pink just for a change.

The yellowing of the epoxy might be related to the lack of UV filters (if you are using laminating epoxy) instead of top coat epoxy... MAYBE!

Originally Posted by Dbrown

The "glamour" shots of that gun are really cool Mikel. Beautiful gun.

Thanks! I made it for a guy in my spearfishing club. The build thread is here in Spearboard. I received in semi-finish state (according to the guy who got me involved in this) but the truth is that I just got a bunch of parts and rectangular stock... go figure.

Mikel

[doyenofcastle]

don't to forget to keep that part in the stock center line .

[JameyK]

Originally Posted by Mikel_24

The yellowing of the epoxy might be related to the lack of UV filters (if you are using laminating epoxy) instead of top coat epoxy... MAYBE!


Mikel

You are 100% correct. I used west systems with a 207 Hardner. It’s got fairly low UV rating. It never yellowed, but the salt made it kind of cloudy.

What epoxy and pigments are you using for your solid colors? They look great. When I do thin brush on layers I have a hard time getting certain colors to be opaque. Especially white. I’m usually using West systems Epoxy and pigment from fiberglass Hawaii

[JameyK]

Originally Posted by doyenofcastle

don't to forget to keep that part in the stock center line .

For sure! Good eye.
I’m not sure why it looks so crooked in the photo. That seam is over the center plate of the handle frame and the handle mounting plate is definitely good and centered. I will definitely go back and triple check my work now

[Mikel_24]

Originally Posted by JameyK

You are 100% correct. I used west systems with a 207 Hardner. It’s got fairly low UV rating. It never yellowed, but the salt made it kind of cloudy.

What epoxy and pigments are you using for your solid colors? They look great. When I do thin brush on layers I have a hard time getting certain colors to be opaque. Especially white. I’m usually using West systems Epoxy and pigment from fiberglass Hawaii

I am currently using this pigments from this store but pretty sure any store that sells resins for crafts will have their own version.
https://www.feroca.com/es/pigmentos-...empastado.html

They have a thick paste-like texture and I usually just pick up a little with the tip of the same stick I will be using for mixing the resin+hardener. A little bit goes a long way, don't put too much because it will slow the curing reaction (in my experience). Manufacturer recommends no more than 3% but if I am mixing only 10gr of resin for the handle... I would be in drug dealing territory to measure 0,3gr of pigment, so I do it by eye.

I always give two coats to insure a nice even coverage because when I skin the mech-handle-loading butt area with CF, the handle gets partially covered with CF and the contrast of black CF over white-ish PU handle is hard to even out in one go. The second coat goes on as soon as the first one is cured to the point of the finger sticking but not runny... so I insure chemical bond between coats. If you let the first coat much longer, you will need to wait until fully cured and sand to provide texture and guarantee mechanical adhesion.

For the final coats I use a Top Coat from a different store:
https://www.castrocompositesshop.com...nsparente.html

I talked to the guys (located here in Galicia, Spain) and this is what they recommended. I have two products from them, the aforementioned one for final coats and a manual lamination resin for gluing the wood pieces and CF skinning. So far so good. goes on thick, it is self-leveling and none of my guns have yellowed at all so far.

I only had one issue with my latest gun. I was getting islands not covered with the product. Seemed like the surface tension was pulling it away in spots. First time it happens. I think that the semifinished gun sat too long in the shop (we do mechanical stuff, welding, etc in there as well) and got contaminated (I cleaned with warm water, soap and even acetone) but didn't eliminate the issue 100%. Not exactly the fisheyes issue you get when spray painting a car due to silicone contamination but close. Will be more carefull the with the next gun and have them well protected between work sesions.

Mikel