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Old 07-16-2011, 03:09 PM   #1
FiftyFathoms
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Sealing holes in a speargun

Built my second gun and i'm on the last stage of finsihing it. I put the first coat of epoxy on to seal it but im afraid of water getting in the pin/screw holes. Is there any of way I can seal the holes to make sure no water gets in them and causes a delam? I used west systems with microfibers to laminate it but on the last gun that I built ended up cracking and I dont know if it was because of this.
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Old 07-16-2011, 07:49 PM   #2
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

Do you mean microbubbles? if so i would suggest using cab-o-sil. Microbubbles are shaped like little spheres which make them easy to sand but also very weak. Cab-0-sil is shaped like little jacks (you know the game with the ball) which make them bond very well but are slightly more difficult to sand. Also when you mix your epoxy putty make sure it is very dense try to get it to the thickness of peanut butter. And for your pin holes the best thing to do is fill them in with a thin epoxy saw dust mixture if you varnish your gun afterward you won't even notice them.
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Old 07-16-2011, 08:51 PM   #3
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

I haven't done this personally, but I know some guys use silicone grease in screw holes as well as trigger pockets. You don't have to screw with oversizing that way, and if you need to remove the screw for some reason, you just put a little dab on the screw when you put it back in.

I think water intrusion is more likely to cause a black ring around the hole than a delam. What kind of wood was the gun you were referring to?
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Old 07-17-2011, 07:24 AM   #4
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Originally Posted by J&JC View Post
Do you mean microbubbles? if so i would suggest using cab-o-sil. Microbubbles are shaped like little spheres which make them easy to sand but also very weak. Cab-0-sil is shaped like little jacks (you know the game with the ball) which make them bond very well but are slightly more difficult to sand. Also when you mix your epoxy putty make sure it is very dense try to get it to the thickness of peanut butter. And for your pin holes the best thing to do is fill them in with a thin epoxy saw dust mixture if you varnish your gun afterward you won't even notice them.
You're talking about a filler for the epoxy, yeah? Nah, not bubbles, I used the microfibers from West Systems to make the epoxy thicker. I dont think I've ever heard of microbubbles
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Old 07-17-2011, 10:25 AM   #5
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Originally Posted by FiftyFathoms View Post
You're talking about a filler for the epoxy, yeah? Nah, not bubbles, I used the microfibers from West Systems to make the epoxy thicker. I dont think I've ever heard of microbubbles
Generally called "microballoons" & are used to lower weight & density of resin/epoxy; esp poured epoxy. In my experience used for poured end plugs in glass kayaks to seal without adding excessive weight. Little if any strength; most fillers are fiberous.
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Old 07-17-2011, 09:00 PM   #6
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Originally Posted by Wood Guy View Post
I haven't done this personally, but I know some guys use silicone grease in screw holes as well as trigger pockets. You don't have to screw with oversizing that way, and if you need to remove the screw for some reason, you just put a little dab on the screw when you put it back in.

I think water intrusion is more likely to cause a black ring around the hole than a delam. What kind of wood was the gun you were referring to?
I've actually heard of this too but I don't know how it keeps water from seaping into the holes. Any info on that? And I've had the "black ring" problem too. Do you think I could just pour some epoxy into the pin/screw holes, or would there be trouble taking them in and out?
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Old 07-17-2011, 10:05 PM   #7
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Originally Posted by FiftyFathoms View Post
I've actually heard of this too but I don't know how it keeps water from seaping into the holes. Any info on that? And I've had the "black ring" problem too. Do you think I could just pour some epoxy into the pin/screw holes, or would there be trouble taking them in and out?
Yes it can make your pins/screws more difficult, but not impossible, to remove. You coat the inside of the holes (endgrain) and insert the pin/screw and wait for it to dry. The epoxy will stick to the screw unless you use a release agent. I have used a light coat of WD40 or vaseline on the pin. The end grain typically soaks up the resin. If the pin/screw is held too tight to remove you just place a soldering iron against it for a few seconds and then tippy tap the pin out.

My experience with this is mainly from boatbuilding and accurizing rifles, but it works. Brownell's makes a kit for glass bedding rifles called 'Acraglas' and it comes with a release agent, but not sure what's in it.
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Old 07-17-2011, 10:32 PM   #8
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Originally Posted by FiftyFathoms View Post
I've actually heard of this too but I don't know how it keeps water from seaping into the holes. Any info on that? And I've had the "black ring" problem too. Do you think I could just pour some epoxy into the pin/screw holes, or would there be trouble taking them in and out?
The grease doesn't keep the water out of the holes- it just keeps it from seeping into the wood. You could pour epoxy into the holes, put the screw in, and let the epoxy set. If you took the screw out, however, you run the risk of cracking the epoxy and having water seep into the wood. I've used epoxy in a hole when I stripped out the wood, but it should be a sawdust/ epoxy mix rather than all epoxy. If the gun is teak, teak oil in the holes is fine. This also works with some other woods, but I would go with oil if it's teak, and grease if it's some other wood.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:25 AM   #9
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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Yes it can make your pins/screws more difficult, but not impossible, to remove. You coat the inside of the holes (endgrain) and insert the pin/screw and wait for it to dry. The epoxy will stick to the screw unless you use a release agent. I have used a light coat of WD40 or vaseline on the pin. The end grain typically soaks up the resin. If the pin/screw is held too tight to remove you just place a soldering iron against it for a few seconds and then tippy tap the pin out.

My experience with this is mainly from boatbuilding and accurizing rifles, but it works. Brownell's makes a kit for glass bedding rifles called 'Acraglas' and it comes with a release agent, but not sure what's in it.
I'll have to try this, sounds like it should work the way you said it.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:29 AM   #10
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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The grease doesn't keep the water out of the holes- it just keeps it from seeping into the wood. You could pour epoxy into the holes, put the screw in, and let the epoxy set. If you took the screw out, however, you run the risk of cracking the epoxy and having water seep into the wood. I've used epoxy in a hole when I stripped out the wood, but it should be a sawdust/ epoxy mix rather than all epoxy. If the gun is teak, teak oil in the holes is fine. This also works with some other woods, but I would go with oil if it's teak, and grease if it's some other wood.
I see, I see. How about those "microballons" dr. Ed was talking about instead of sawdust to mix in the epoxy. And the wood's African Mohoghany, don't think that should work with teak oil, unless I'm wrong
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Old 07-18-2011, 06:19 PM   #11
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

I usually drill the pin holes a size up, fill with epoxy then redrill to the correct size.
And I would recommend keeping any type of grease AWAY from your gun until you have finished the final coat. It doesn't take much for "cats eyes" to start appearing in your finish. And it can be a real pain in the arse to get rid of them. Once you are happy with the finish, then it's ok to put a little grease where you want for some extra protection.
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Old 07-18-2011, 06:25 PM   #12
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Re: Sealing holes in a speargun

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I usually drill the pin holes a size up, fill with epoxy then redrill to the correct size.
And I would recommend keeping any type of grease AWAY from your gun until you have finished the final coat. It doesn't take much for "cats eyes" to start appearing in your finish. And it can be a real pain in the arse to get rid of them. Once you are happy with the finish, then it's ok to put a little grease where you want for some extra protection.
Brilliant!
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