i had a question regarding the long term durability of flocking over eva foam. i have read many posts regarding this topic but can't tell for sure if this is a good idea. to further elaborate i would be brushing on color preserver over eva, wait for it to dry, brush on donjer adhesive and flocking it. i had read one post where the eva was crumbling due to the use of mineral spirits to thin donjer flock adhesive. i would not be doing that. i know applying flock over cork is a better idea, but cork is too expensive. i also thought to use rail rod grips but they are too heavy. i also thought to flock over shrink tubing like quick grip maybe this is a better idea (i read a post about this also but it was kind of inconclusive)? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Skip the CP - you don't need it. Use a very heavy coat of the adhesive (do not thin it). The thing you have to watch out for is the lack of rigidity of the EVA. As it compresses and moves during use, it can break the adhesive bond of the flocking adhesive. However, it would be a fairly inexpensive task to give it a try on a grip or two and see how it holds up for you and your intended use.

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Hope this isn't considered hijacking.

Tom, can the adhesive be put on to thick...just short of dripping or running off the intended target? Just last evening I poured and turned a couple of two part foam blanks, same stuff used for carbon composite grips. Seems like I would brush the adhesive on, it would fill in the tiny gaps that comprise the foam and then pop back out resulting in a thick looking layer of adhesive just prior to applying the flock. I used the mini flocker and it seems to have worked okay. I'll know in a few days when I check out how well everything adhered. Have you tried the air assisted spray gun? Does it cover noticibly better to justify the $60 price tag?

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

Yes, if it sags or runs then you're going to have a high or awkward area on the flocked surface. In fact, the only difficult part involved in flocking is in getting a very thick application of the adhesive without actually getting it too thick. I tend to keep my grip moving, turning by hand so that it doesn't set long enough in a single position to allow anything to sag or droop.

With any sort of absorbent surface, it's advisable to apply a thin coat of the adhesive as a sealer coat, and then once that has set go back and apply a thicker coat for the flocking process.

I have not found the air assisted gun to offer any real advantage over the mini-flocker unless you're doing a large quantity of grips. The electrostatic gun, however, ensures that all the fibers migrate to the surface on end, giving a very consistent surface. You can come close to achieving the same result with the mini-flocker provided you keep the device at the same attitude during the entire process so that all the fibers at least come into the adhesive from the same angle.

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Chad, i did it on 8# foam and it went on fine. I also used the mini.

Chuck

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2011 03:45PM by Bill Stevens.

Chuck, I used the 8 lb. also.

Tom, the electrostatic gun must REALLY do a good job but the price is $1330...ouch. I'd have to find a way to sell around fifty grips to make that workable. I was hoping the air gun would give a result somewhere in between the mini flocker and electrostatic gun.

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

The air assist gun just keeps you from having to pump the mini-flocker. It disperses the flock just the same, however.


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Come to think of it, I may have done a primer coat as TK suggested. It was a while ago.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

thanks for the info. i will try flocking the eva with no cp. i will also try flocking the quick grip placed over eva. i can't believe how nice these grips come out using this mini flocker. hope they hold up

I don't think you gain anything by placing quick grip over the EVA before flocking.

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Hi Mike: I have been flocking EVA grips, but use 20 min. fflex coat glue. I suspend the grip in a long bottle from the lid. Put in about a half inch of Donjer's flock, hold the bottle horozontal and just shake the flock on while rotating the bottle. You get very good coverage and it still feels soft. This is not true flocking, your just carpeting the grip but the epoxy holds a lot more fiber and the shaking drives it well into the glue. So far, only about one year, it seems to hold up very well. EVA will hold quite alot of epoxy. Put it on thick, no dry spots. I do not sell rods, just build for myself and these grips don't look as nice as truely flocked grips, but are good enough for me(maybe I should be more picky).They are far cheaper than cork and easy to flock. No seal coat is needed. Just apply epoxy and shake, dry over night and glue onto the rod. No muss no fuss. Ben.

thanks Ben i will try that