Possible mod ideas/suggestions

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ohen cepel

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Ordered 4 trailhawks the other day.

Got the idea from Forty Blades to use teflon paint on the heads. He is saying that machetes cut better with it so thought it may be worth a try. Picked up a can of Snow Slip and will give that a try.

Already have the paint stripper ready once they come.

Going to use some Brownells tactical tape on a handle or 2 I think. My brother swears by the stuff so will give it a try. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=23117/Product/TACTICAL_TAPE
I have seen him use it on knife handles and I liked it.

Was pondering using some black Plasti-Dip like this:http://www.amazon.com/Plasti-dip-12213-Performix-Multi-purpose-Coating/dp/B0027J6XR6
on a handle or 2. Has anyone tried this stuff on wood before?
 
ive never used it and never seen anyone use it. however, i think its a very cool idea. handles are pretty cheap so give it a try and let us know how it turns out.
 
I haven't tried the dip version of Plasti-dip but the spray on stuff sucks. It would not hold up to even light use. I did not try it on wood, only metal. If it wouldn't work on metal I wouldn't think it would be better on wood.

If the dip version works better I'd love to hear. I really like the idea, it just didn't work when I tried it.

SDS
 
SDS said:
I haven't tried the dip version of Plasti-dip but the spray on stuff sucks. It would not hold up to even light use. I did not try it on wood, only metal. If it wouldn't work on metal I wouldn't think it would be better on wood.

If the dip version works better I'd love to hear. I really like the idea, it just didn't work when I tried it.

SDS
Click to expand...

Plasti dip is what you'll see on nearly all tool's handles these days, I have a couple pairs of pliers from years and years ago that still have their plasti-dip in perfect condition.

Regarding sticking to wood, in theory it should, I've seen it used on plastic and metal but not wood.
 
I am considering rhino lining a handle. Should keep the handle from warping & provide a really nice grip.
 
Kenny, are you sure that the factory dipped handles are the same material as what is in the plasti-dip that can be purchased over the counter? I don't have any experience with the type that you actually dip. What I used was an aerosol and just was not very durable.

If you could get it to be as thick and durable as what is on tool handles it should work fine. That is what I was hoping to get with the spray on version. It just didn't work out the way I had hoped.

Killstew, that heavy rhino lining ought to be some good stuff. I have seen rifle stocks finished with that.

SDS
 
SDS said:
Kenny, are you sure that the factory dipped handles are the same material as what is in the plasti-dip that can be purchased over the counter? I don't have any experience with the type that you actually dip. What I used was an aerosol and just was not very durable.

If you could get it to be as thick and durable as what is on tool handles it should work fine. That is what I was hoping to get with the spray on version. It just didn't work out the way I had hoped.

Killstew, that heavy rhino lining ought to be some good stuff. I have seen rifle stocks finished with that.

SDS
Click to expand...

I'm sure factories will use their own recipes but it's all essentially the same, I don't know about the spray stuff but the actual cans of plasti-dip work great. You can get it as thick as you want, you just dip it in for a second, pull it out and dip it back in, repeat until desired thickness is reached.
 
Kenny, I'll have to give the dip stuff a try. I was really dissapointed in the spray on stuff so I just kind of gave up on the idea. I was wanting to spray it on the handles of neck knives and was so irritated with the way it turned out I scrapped the whole idea.

You have convinced me to give it another try.

Thanks,
SDS
 
I have used the plasti dip on tool handles and it works good. Actually dipped the ends of some wood pieces as a test and it seams to hold on good.
To dip a handle probably up 6 inchs or so you may have to get a couple cans and transfer them into a larger container for dipping.
Good luck.....
 
Was thinking of cutting some grooves into the handle so that the plasti dip would have something to hold onto.

Have to see. May be an issue though if I can't get it deep enough. Maybe a tennis ball can would be tall enough for it to go as high as I would want it.
 
Are you planning on modding the shape of the head any?? Look forward to seeing what you come up with!!

:)
 
Plasti dip I have seen on tool handles seems more to protect metal, keep hands from getting cold and help appearance, it doesn't seem to give much help with grip. In fact when wet I believe it would get slick. If that tape is the same as a different type I have tried, it sticks to itself and is slightly tacky, I have put it on several blade handles and it works amazingly.
 
Snakedoc- don't see me moding the heads any, would be well outside of my limited skills.

They should be here this week and hopefully I get some time to work on them this month. Intent is that with 4 of them I can play with some variations to see what I prefer in the end.

Lot of fun potentially for $100 or so!
 
Something else you could consider is grip tape for tennis rackets. Some types have light cushioning in them as well as being self-adhering (don't ask me which brand its been too long since I've used the stuff), and doesn't cost a lot. It just occurred to me that it could have some potential, and you have all sorts of color options available. A roll of the stuff should be good for at least 8-10" worth of vertical coverage on a hawk handle.
 
Liam,
I haven't stripped mine yet but will let you know how it goes and the prduct I used when I do. I think most good paint strippers will work on them. The ones I did the the past came clean quick with whatever I had on had. It's not a very impressive paint on them

Did buy a cheap mini paint pan and roller for $1 at the dollar store. Should fit them fine and I can pitch it all when I'm done.
 
Got some time yesterday to work on them.

Stripped them with some Quik Strip. I didn't use enough or didn't wait long enough so it took a bit more work than it should have. Lesson learned.

2 heads are still as they were, just stripped.

1 was sprayed with the Snow Slip teflon paint that I picked up at Lowes. Should help it chop better and not get stuck in stuff as often.

The other head I fileworked a bit and thinned the edge a bit with a bastard file. That REALLY helped it cut/chop. Did a little before/after testing with it and the difference was very noticeable on the green limbs I was working up from our snow storm.

Will improve the edge angle on the others when I get a chance.

Put one coat of ebony stain on one of the handles, looks good so far but needs more coats and some leather on it I think.

Great project for anyone at any skill level.
 
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