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Non-Gun DIY Projects and Customizations This section is for your DIY spearfishing projects and customization other then spearguns.

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Old 08-30-2016, 08:12 PM   #16
phil herranen
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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Originally Posted by Renejr83 View Post
Ok so here's the compound. This stuff is amazing! Got it from amazon, 15 colors available, got mines in red. Ordered the 1lb tub for $18 or so. Enough for 2 handle mods.



Medical exam gloves recommended but not necessary. Working life about 2hrs, rock hard in 8hrs, full cure 24hrs. Full set of directions and ways to use it come on the tubs. Works just like clay, makes you feel like a toddler lol.

I filled in the spine with some aluminum foil nice and compact, then began adding compound in small amounts.



It cures in a semi gloss finish. I took a dremel with a sanding head to wedge out the ring and pinky grooves a little more.

For the finishing touch I highly recommend adding texture using this polyurethane adhesive sealant. Applying it with a gloved hand just as in the video that was posted. Doing this makes a night/ day difference in grip. Can't wait to put this in the water, most comfortable grip I've handled. My other gun is a carbon railgun with a pathos D'angelo 1 that will be getting the same treatment. Hope this was helpful. This compound does have aome weight to it, be prepared to possibly having to rebalance after mod is finished.



Finished handle




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Why it the world would you but aluminum foil inside that aginst stainless ? The foil will rot out in the first couple times you are in the water and the galvanic corrosion that rotted the aluminum will start the stainless rusting, now you will have a rusty void I the middle of your handle .
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Old 08-30-2016, 08:58 PM   #17
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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Why it the world would you but aluminum foil inside that aginst stainless ? The foil will rot out in the first couple times you are in the water and the galvanic corrosion that rotted the aluminum will start the stainless rusting, now you will have a rusty void I the middle of your handle .
There's no way for the water to ever reach the tightly compacted foil, its completely sealed all the way around. The foil was filler, as this was my first time experimenting with this stuff and I wasn't sure I going to have enough.

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Old 08-30-2016, 09:14 PM   #18
phil herranen
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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There's no way for the water to ever reach the tightly compacted foil, its completely sealed all the way around. The foil was filler, as this was my first time experimenting with this stuff and I wasn't sure I going to have enough.

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There is no such thing as completly sealed , metal expands and contracts and breaks the seal ,then water creeps in under presure at depth . Water will get in
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Old 08-30-2016, 09:18 PM   #19
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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There is no such thing as completly sealed , metal expands and contracts and breaks the seal ,then water creeps in under presure at depth . Water will get in
Ok, thanks. I'll keep an eye on this. Maybe I'll dab some polyurethane sealant around the edges.

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Old 10-04-2016, 10:37 PM   #20
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

Just finished using Apoxie and it is an excellent product. I made a ball out of the extra and was throwing it at the ground trying to make it brake. Ended up having to drop a 40lb dumbbell on it to get it to break. And my first trip in the water with the new grip was 3 shots 3 fish. Custom grips are a game changer!
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Old 10-05-2016, 09:43 AM   #21
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

I have worked with Apoxie, I saw someone mention Sugru also. It is pricey but for this application might be good. When cured Sugru feels like a very hard rubber.

Someone also mentioned Smooth-On... Once you get into that world it is a whole new can of worms and you might as well start casting and molding composite grips.
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Old 11-13-2016, 04:04 AM   #22
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

I agree, pretty much any epoxy putty is better than shapelock unless you really need to save weight.
I've tried both, too and while shapelock is OKish, epoxy let's you make nicer grips because of the longer working time. Also, I find shapelock somewhat slippery and it wont bond well to anything but itself - so, it has to really wrap fully around a handle and then onto itself to adhere properly. You have more luck with epoxy in that regard.

You can sand and paint the epoxy putties, too. Shapelock, not so much.

I agree with Phil that the silver foil was not the best idea - just from a structural point of view you wont have much holding the grip to the steel frame and it could be prone to twisting.

Last edited by Diving Gecko; 11-13-2016 at 04:15 AM.
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Old 11-13-2016, 04:12 AM   #23
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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[...]I have experimented with a few putties, but most have been quite heavy. Weight is really not a big problem if it is added on the handle and if that weight was added on say the muzzle ... the ballasting of the gun would become a problem. But still, I would like to try out a super lightweight putty as strength is not a problem since I carbon fiber wrap the handle after the putty. [...]
Hi Majd,
As far as I recall, you have microballoons and resin already, right?
So, just make your own putty and you will have what with a fancy word is called Syntactic Foam. That is just what is is: epoxy resin with microspheres.

I have done it myself and I got a very dry mix to come out at 0.48g/cm3 and one that I could just pour (I needed it to self-level) at 0.67g/cm3. The dry one was just a little bit too dry for putty for grips, but my point is, somewhere between these two extremes, you will end up with a strong enough putty, with enough adhesion which is still positively buoyant. It will sand pretty easily too and the bonding of the CF skin will be great, too.
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Old 12-03-2016, 08:50 PM   #24
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

I have used Polymorph for years without issue. YES it constantly needs to be reheated. But i like that. Never had an issue with cracking, or melting in the sun or my vehicles. I have tapped it also. One thing I did not like is that it has a small shrink ratio when it cools down. I was experimenting with making a mouthpiece and it shrunk just enough so my teeth fit too tightly in the mould.
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Old 12-04-2016, 09:32 PM   #25
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

x2 for Polymorph [Shapelock] with thin coat of stippled polyurethane sealant [Sika etc] - easy, cheap, and endlessly modifiable perfect grip for my RA bluewater rig - thanks Spearboard ��
P.S. found lightly sanding the finished moulded polymorph with #80 grit helped the polyurethane coating last longer
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Old 12-04-2016, 11:20 PM   #26
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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x2 for Polymorph [Shapelock] with thin coat of stippled polyurethane sealant [Sika etc] - easy, cheap, and endlessly modifiable perfect grip for my RA bluewater rig - thanks Spearboard ��
P.S. found lightly sanding the finished moulded polymorph with #80 grit helped the polyurethane coating last longer
Ah, didn't try Sika on my Shapelock grips. Tell me, how long does it last? Do you have to recoat once in a while?

Another way to add some texture and grip to the handle is to use one of those stainless steel scouring pads used for cleaning pots (pic attached). Just press/dab it against the Shapelock before it sets completely. The scouring pad releases nicely from the plastic and gives a sort of stippled finish and since it is part of the plastic itself it wont wear off.

I still prefer a mould fiber grip or one in a epoxy putty but I might help a friend make an ergo grip on my next spearing trip and for a fast, easy solution Shapelock does have the edge.
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Old 12-04-2016, 11:50 PM   #27
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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Originally Posted by Diving Gecko View Post
Ah, didn't try Sika on my Shapelock grips. Tell me, how long does it last? Do you have to recoat once in a while?

Another way to add some texture and grip to the handle is to use one of those stainless steel scouring pads used for cleaning pots (pic attached). Just press/dab it against the Shapelock before it sets completely. The scouring pad releases nicely from the plastic and gives a sort of stippled finish and since it is part of the plastic itself it wont wear off.

I still prefer a mould fiber grip or one in a epoxy putty but I might help a friend make an ergo grip on my next spearing trip and for a fast, easy solution Shapelock does have the edge.
nice tip - texturing the polymorph or putty with scourer

epoxy putty grip def most durable, but being an endless tinkerer - made a few subtle grip additions/tweaks to improve recoil absorption with 160 and 140 RA Tunas - I pref polymorph.

Was happy with plain polymorph grip til I borrowed a Denton and loved the 'stickiness' of their grip - and promptly borrowed the stippled PU grip coating idea from Spearboard posts! five minute recoat coupla times a year
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Old 12-05-2016, 12:09 AM   #28
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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Originally Posted by kavachi View Post
nice tip - texturing the polymorph or putty with scourer

epoxy putty grip def most durable, but being an endless tinkerer - made a few subtle grip additions/tweaks to improve recoil absorption with 160 and 140 RA Tunas - I pref polymorph.

Was happy with plain polymorph grip til I borrowed a Denton and loved the 'stickiness' of their grip - and promptly borrowed the stippled PU grip coating idea from Spearboard posts! five minute recoat coupla times a year
Cool, good to know, thanks for elaborating;-)

Yeah, in reg. to the PU coat, I think the Med guys have been doing it for ages. There is even an Trygons tutorial video on youtube somewhere on the PU procedure.

3M makes a caulking marine PU, too (3M5200 and 3M4200, I think) that should be good, too. Possibly even just the cheaper stuff from building markets works well?. Just make sure you get PU and not silicone as silicone doesn't have much adhesion nor tear strength and will peel off easily.

BTW, I read here (prolly in one of Majd's posts) that the Abellan grip can be bought as a part - just for any home builder out there coming across this thread. I think I even saw one of the two versions on Scubastore.com. Supposedly, Sigalsub makes it.
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Old 12-05-2016, 05:18 AM   #29
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

5200 is self leveling and too runny. It wont work for this application...ive made about 20 custom handles, some were from lightweight poly body filler, and it worked great, still prefer the shape-lock tho. Can make a custom handle in literally 3 minuets
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Old 12-05-2016, 05:20 AM   #30
Diving Gecko
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Re: Putty or other ways to customize grip shape?

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5200 is self leveling and too runny. It wont work for this application...ive made about 20 custom handles, some were from lightweight poly body filler, and it worked great, still prefer the shape-lock tho. Can make a custom handle in literally 3 minuets
Good info on the 5200! Thanks:-)
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