Modifying an ABS handgrip

[Hairy]

Hokay. I have a plastic grip (presumably ABS), and need to modify it.

 

I'm assuming that epoxy putty will stick, and hopefully not depart the first time the grip gets flexed

 

Has anyone got any experience of this, bearing in mind that I'll still need the grip to hold a battery (i.e. I can't replace it with something like a lump of shaped/carved wood)?

[Warhogg]

The putties that seem to work best for me are the ones that are really sticky when you are mixing them. The ones that you can mold with your hands tend to 'snap' off when they become hard.

 

 

One tip I always use is to first clean the ABS with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. This make sure that all the releasing agent is gone from the plastic. Then I 'scratch' the surface with a sharp razor knife. I ususally just try and make a cross-hatch pattern while holding the knife at an angle. The Idea is to lift some of the plastic up so that the epoxy has something to grab a hold of.

 

 

If it still starts to work itself loose after drying, don't be afraid to use an ABS safe glue and glue the molded epoxy putty back to the ABS. This has worked for me in the past.

 

Another option (depending on the situation) is if the ABS starts to come apart from the epoxy - add a couple of screws. Most epoxy putty will hold a good wood screw fine. There are some pretty small wood screws, that should work. The only problem is that now you have a shinny screw head showing (depending on where you are putting the screw).

[Hairy]

Now there's an idea - mould it around a couple of screws!

 

Cheers - much appreciated!

[Hissing_Sid]

As Warhogg says, if I'm ever trying to get any resin to stick to something else, I always really gouge the surface to key it. A dremel is a handy tool for this.