Of Note: This article was written after the work on repairing and re-surfacing the stock was done. The photos will show the end results. In the near future I will be doing another article similar with step by step photos showing how to texture and rubberize an aeg grip.

I received a broken CA crane stock to repair a while ago. At the time I had just acquired some new glues I wanted to test out to repair the plastic of the stock (a few cracks and a gaping hole in the back). This ended up resulting in me repairing the stock using a combination of Lightning Bond™ Glue and Filler plus marine epoxy putty. (More in future issue on these glues and epoxies)

After the repairing the stock, it had gray and white areas showing. So I was looking for a method to cover these repaired areas and still allow the stock to look and feel better. I thought about plain black paint but settled on what I thought would be a better surface, a textured rubber coating.

The product I selected, after testing a few brands and styles, was Dupli-Color "Truck Bed Coating". It is a spray coating that you need to practice with to get it right.

My first attempts were on cardboard, which resulted in either too much spray or not enough. I soon realized the way to paint with this stuff was to put down multiple thin layers.

The Truck Bed Coating comes in aerosol can, and is a durable, non-skid coating that protects from impact, scratches, weather, and rust. It is a black vinyl polymer coating that protects, offers a sure grip and looks good. It's formulated to provide spray-on protection, ideal for areas where a non-skid, protective coating is desired.

Results...

Clean and dry the surface, be sure to remove dirt, wax, grease, moisture and dust. In this case, I only sanded the areas to be painted, up to the masking, with 220 sand paper. I tried to keep all my sanding in one direction in case a pattern might come through. I then washed off the stock with hot water, and after drying, went back over it with a tack cloth, which removed any possible left over dust.

Be sure to paint only in good weather with this stuff. 50° to 80° F is about ideal; and 40 to 70% relative humidity is recommended. Of course, avoid direct sunlight. This is almost an impossible task here in Florida. I had to wait just under 7 days to get a sub-60% humidity day, and then, after painting, found out it had gone up to 80 degrees and 70% humidity. It didn't seem to effect the process or results, thank goodness.

Observe the proper re-coat recommendations that the product lists. In this case it stated that one should wait at least 5 minutes between coats. I allowed 10 minutes between the coats. 

Shake the daylights out of the can. The better the mixing of the coating, the smoother the job in my opinion. I shook the can for a good 4 minutes, and the results were significantly better than previous practice attempts.

The directions suggest that you should spray the paint from distances of 4 to 6 inches. I found around 6 to 8" ideal, as spraying too close tended to result in globs.

I practiced painting in a sweeping motion, starting the paint before the object and making a smooth pass all the way over the object, and this helped. Use an even, side-to-side motion with each pass beginning and ending beyond the edge of the object. Take your time.

Use 3 light coats rather than one thick coat. Mask exposed areas with drop cloths. A lesson that I learned quickly came when  I got a few drops on the carport where I was painting and tried to remove the paint. To remove it, you literally had to sand it off after it dried. This reiterates the point that you should practice first because this paint is very permanent.

Ensure adequate ventilation. This stuff is strong, so I ended up painting in a ventilator mask.

The results were very appealing. The thing is, not only was the surface excellent, but tapping on the stock proved it was quieter and going to be able to take more impact without breaking.

NOTES:
Everything is In Our Opinion Only - We lay no claim to any of these ideas, suggestions, tunes, etc. We learned, in person and online, from people who are a lot smarter than us and we merely use and try to improve upon what we consider to be useful.

We are open to any additional ideas. If you have an idea you think we may be able to use then send us an E-mail detailing your thoughts.

If you have a unique idea and would like the full credit for it, please submit an article.

Question or Comment?   Send us an: E-mail

© International Copyright 2008-2009 - Airsoft Digest™ - Robert and Isabel Showe  - All rights reserved