Here is a list of great synthetics for gunsmithing:
PC-7.....Very good for both holding stuff together and making bulk out of. If you roughen up the surface of the metal and degrease it really good before using, it's going to be a better bond then JB Weld. I am not sure about heat resistance though, but I have yet to see even very hot stuff melt it. I made a prototype of a working part and used it to make a part that takes a bunch of shock, jerking and pressure, and it has lasted perfectly through probably thousands of uses.
Devcon Epoxy..........Great for making surfaces and small parts out of. I have been very successful in making baseplates and other similar small parts out of it. Testors model paint works as an exceptional coloring agent if you need one. The coloring agent dramatically increases the drying time, but actually strengthens the epoxy when done as it maintains the hardness but adds a tad bit of flexibility.
Plasti-Dip SPRAY rubber........I, like many, tried this stuff and found it sucked, but I was not about to give up on it without a fight, so I did some experimenting and came up with a way to make it work. First, you must either apply it over a checkered surface or one that is extremely roughed up. If you are doing some stock or grip making, then it may also be a good idea to apply synthetics over the edges and smoothen them to appear as the stock or grip.
now, to apply it, you must ONLY USE THE SPRAY. Tape off the area around where you want it and spray a coat. then you must apply a non-slip grit (I use American traditions that I get from Lowes) and you must apply it evenly. The way I do it is put a pinch of it in the palm of my hand and blow it on to the surface. Once you get a good amount in their, then spray on another cote and repeat the process several times. You will eventually have a thick, rough surface that won't wear easy, though it'll still come off if you're abusive to it. Again, once dried, you may want to cote the edges with epoxy or fiber glass and smoothen it in to the make-up of the rest of the stock or grip. This will keep it from pealing at the edges. If you do all of that, you will have a hard time removing it with your bare hands even if you want to.
Smooth-On Flexi Foam-it 25......Definitely the toughest and most wear resistant liquid rubber I have ever seen. It gets professional quality results. It's texture very much reminds me of those little foam rubber boards that they use in Swimming lessons, but it's much heavier and about as flexible as a rubber band, give or take a little. It's also very good at sticking to your hand, even when drenched. This material was designed for the purpose of making grips out of. The negative factor is that the minimum quantity is a half a gallon at the price of around $30 and it has a very limited shelf life. I noticed it getting both weaker bonding, more inflating and more brittle after having it for about a month. For most of you guys, you'd probably be best to get some buddies together, pitch in and get a half a gallon that you can all use.
One word of warning, you have to sand down the surface to get the rough grit. When it first dries, it'll have a very smooth and shiny surface layer that has to be removed.
It works great for making gripping AS WELL AS recoil pads. The recoil pads it makes remind me of those on Choate stocks and Barrett .50BMG rifles.
Testers flat spray model paint..........This is excellent for refinishing guns and gun parts with odd colors that are hard to find in other applications. You must bake it in the oven at 300f for 3 hours. Once finished, you have an extremely tough finish. If you ever see a gun of mine with an aircraft gray or olive drab finish on any of the steel parts, rest assured that the finish was made from Testers spray model paint.
Hopps 9 gun blue paste...........There are plenty of cold blue applications that I have not tried, but of the ones I have, this is the best. Though not perfectly stable, it's the most stable one I have seen yet. Furthermore, it actually has some rust resilient properties and holds up quite well if oven baked like a bake-on finish.
Color Palace flat primer........For it's intended purpose, it's not worth any more then it's price, but as a bake-on finish, it's one of the best I have seen yet. Apply it the same way as the testers.
PC-7.....Very good for both holding stuff together and making bulk out of. If you roughen up the surface of the metal and degrease it really good before using, it's going to be a better bond then JB Weld. I am not sure about heat resistance though, but I have yet to see even very hot stuff melt it. I made a prototype of a working part and used it to make a part that takes a bunch of shock, jerking and pressure, and it has lasted perfectly through probably thousands of uses.
Devcon Epoxy..........Great for making surfaces and small parts out of. I have been very successful in making baseplates and other similar small parts out of it. Testors model paint works as an exceptional coloring agent if you need one. The coloring agent dramatically increases the drying time, but actually strengthens the epoxy when done as it maintains the hardness but adds a tad bit of flexibility.
Plasti-Dip SPRAY rubber........I, like many, tried this stuff and found it sucked, but I was not about to give up on it without a fight, so I did some experimenting and came up with a way to make it work. First, you must either apply it over a checkered surface or one that is extremely roughed up. If you are doing some stock or grip making, then it may also be a good idea to apply synthetics over the edges and smoothen them to appear as the stock or grip.
now, to apply it, you must ONLY USE THE SPRAY. Tape off the area around where you want it and spray a coat. then you must apply a non-slip grit (I use American traditions that I get from Lowes) and you must apply it evenly. The way I do it is put a pinch of it in the palm of my hand and blow it on to the surface. Once you get a good amount in their, then spray on another cote and repeat the process several times. You will eventually have a thick, rough surface that won't wear easy, though it'll still come off if you're abusive to it. Again, once dried, you may want to cote the edges with epoxy or fiber glass and smoothen it in to the make-up of the rest of the stock or grip. This will keep it from pealing at the edges. If you do all of that, you will have a hard time removing it with your bare hands even if you want to.
Smooth-On Flexi Foam-it 25......Definitely the toughest and most wear resistant liquid rubber I have ever seen. It gets professional quality results. It's texture very much reminds me of those little foam rubber boards that they use in Swimming lessons, but it's much heavier and about as flexible as a rubber band, give or take a little. It's also very good at sticking to your hand, even when drenched. This material was designed for the purpose of making grips out of. The negative factor is that the minimum quantity is a half a gallon at the price of around $30 and it has a very limited shelf life. I noticed it getting both weaker bonding, more inflating and more brittle after having it for about a month. For most of you guys, you'd probably be best to get some buddies together, pitch in and get a half a gallon that you can all use.
One word of warning, you have to sand down the surface to get the rough grit. When it first dries, it'll have a very smooth and shiny surface layer that has to be removed.
It works great for making gripping AS WELL AS recoil pads. The recoil pads it makes remind me of those on Choate stocks and Barrett .50BMG rifles.
Testers flat spray model paint..........This is excellent for refinishing guns and gun parts with odd colors that are hard to find in other applications. You must bake it in the oven at 300f for 3 hours. Once finished, you have an extremely tough finish. If you ever see a gun of mine with an aircraft gray or olive drab finish on any of the steel parts, rest assured that the finish was made from Testers spray model paint.
Hopps 9 gun blue paste...........There are plenty of cold blue applications that I have not tried, but of the ones I have, this is the best. Though not perfectly stable, it's the most stable one I have seen yet. Furthermore, it actually has some rust resilient properties and holds up quite well if oven baked like a bake-on finish.
Color Palace flat primer........For it's intended purpose, it's not worth any more then it's price, but as a bake-on finish, it's one of the best I have seen yet. Apply it the same way as the testers.
