I finished gazing at camels and desert and returned home yesterday to find my new flocking equipment and supplies from Donjer. I used the air assist gun for the first time and was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was to use. I did two 10 inch rear grips and two 3 inch foregrips with one fill of the can. I tested the thing and upped the tank pressure to 22 psi for application through 25 feet of air hose. I used a mix of black and white nylon to give a salt and pepper appearance. There were some hard balls of fiber in the white about the size of buck shot that caused some problems in mixing the fiber before application to the cork. These little balls would not break up and I ended up using a long pair of forceps to pick them out before spraying.

If I decide to use a black burl cork ring on the end of the flocked grip will the "adhesive" from Donjer work or is this a paint and not a true adhesive. I am concerned about a glue joint showing. I can use some of the black pigment from Tapp to color the Rod Bond. Is there a contact cement that is water resistant?

I am going to use a rubber butt plug. The female RVB1 butt caps I have been using are listed in the catalogs as rubber/vinyl and I typically use Rod Bond. The butt plugs I have look like butyl or neoprene rubber and I am not sure epoxy will hold the post inside the blank and seal on the joint between the flock and the rubber. Should rubber cement on this or will the Rod Bond hold this male post in place and take a beating.

Tom - thanks for the flocking lesson and also the Rodmaker apron. Thankfully it is the only thing that got flocked unintentionally!

Gon Fishn

The adhesive Donjer supplies is a urethane adhesive. I might work to glue a cork ring on the end, in fact, I suspect it probably will. You can probably just clamp on a ring with TiteBond III and not have to worry about any glue joint showing.

The first nylon flock Donjer supplied for this was not really suitable for rod grips. I spent a lot of time experimenting to get just the right fiber and fiber length. Some of the .10" nylon fiber had the "balls" you mention. You can get rid of them, for the most part, by covering the business end of the mini-flocker or the air assist gun and shaking vigorously. The newer .050" fibers should form into balls, but I don't know what they might have sent you.

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Tom,

In your last sentence above did you mean to write:

{ The newer .50" fibers should NOT form into balls, but I don't know what they might have sent you. }

It seems logical that you were indicating that the .10" fibers balled up but that the .50" fibers would not. The .10" fibers, being twice as long as the others, would be more likely to create this problem.

Dave

That is correct.

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Bill,

Does Donjer have a site you can order the materials and the compressed air gun? I have used the miniflocker from Mud Hole. My problem is now my son loves flocked grips on EVA. The problem is the sponsors don't seem to carry everything. The mini flocker works pretty good but Tom sayes the air gun is better (at a price). 22 psi is not hard to come by. Thanks for the tip and Tom telling the adhesive is urethane. That helps me as a chemist better understand how to use these products. I also want some of the colors Donjer say they produce but are not carried by the sponsors. (orange). I got the blue flock. (War Eagle) Thank goodnes no purple and gold.

It was great to meet you (informally) in Charlotte and laugh when Ken Preston won the spin finder. Of all people who need a spin finder? Thanks for the help in watching my ticket for the Ken Preston DVD I won. (I don't hear very well.) And yes I have used information from the DVD several times.

Can't wait until Charlotte 2006 when Putter marbles another parking meter and now Tom comes along and flockes it. How does flock do on epoxy?

Ed Smith

I got the complete set up: Air Canister Spray Gun, Adhesive, 1 Pound Black, 3 Oz White and instructions for under $ 100. I am using an old Sears air compressor that was used with paint sprayer set at 20 - 25 psig. I am really surprised how easy it is to do the flocking. I am using the cheapo cork that Andy Dear sold. I bought a box full of "water damaged" cork and after sanding to the correct undersize it really looks good. Cork was the highest cost component item for my rods and this will reduce my cost by about $ 10.00 each. I figure 10 rods and my Donjer cost will dissapear.

I am not expecting Ken Preston to be in Charlotte next year. If Ken gets his hands on a pound of the black flock, the adhesive and the spray gun and sprays his dog I am sure he will be in a whale of trouble for a long long time.

Gon Fishn

Gee Bill I was actually wondering if I could use this as a replacement for a "Mr Ray's Hairweave"ou know - cut down on the overhead glare ... wadda ya think?

Bill,

I have no clue about flocking - but want to offer you heartfelt thanks for your service to our country - welcome home!

Jim