Seeking suggestions for coating my '73 peacemaker "Hombre" grips white.

B

Bill Akins

New member
I'd like to have white grips for my '73 peacemaker "Hombres". But instead of replacing the existing grips, I'd like to coat them white. Several reasons for this. 1. I don't have to buy another set of grips. 2. I won't have my old grips hanging around when I'd probably never use them again if I DID buy new grips. 3. My existing grips are already perfectly fitted to my revolver whereas a new set would undoubtedly require some fitting.

I've thought about several ways to do it and would appreciate any other suggestions from my friends here.

1. You know that tool handle coating stuff that comes in a can in different colors that you dip your naked steel pliers handles in and it adheres to the handles and dries to give you a rubberized grip? Well I've been thinking about using that in white. Perhaps masking my grips where I don't want the coating to attach and then dipping them using a wire hanger to hold them while dipping and to hang them up with the wire hanger while they dry. Then I would remove the masking tape and trim where I don't want the coating with a razor blade.

Another way using the same coating as above would be for me to put the coating in my spray gun and reducing it if necessary and spray it on rather than dipping the grips. My only concern with using this type of coating is that unless I was careful to get the coating where on the wood it would just be barely under the metal so that the metal pressed against the edges of the coating so it wouldn't have a tendency to peel. That's my fear with this coating....that it might easily peel. AND....I'm not sure how well it would work being applied to wood. Also if I DID use this type of coating, do you think I could just apply it right to the grips or should I strip the factory coating off my grips, then wet them to raise the grain....so that the more rough raised grain would give a better surface attachment for the coating to preclude it peeling away?

2. Another thing I was thinking of was using hard epoxy paint. This wouldn't give me as good of a frictional grip as the rubberized coating in #1. above, but is another alternative.

I want something that isn't an expensive coating and can easily be touched up if necessary, can be bought at almost any hardware or Home Depot store, preferably would increase my frictional gripping ability (as in #1 above) and most importantly would adhere to wood without flaking, chipping or peeling off.


Suggestions?




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One problem with changing the original finish is that if it doesn't turn out very good then even after attempting restoration it can end up looking worse than the original.
 
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The name of the rubbery dip stuff that can also spray on is called "Plastidip" and you can learn about it at this website.....
http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

I called and spoke to a representative there and asked them several questions.

I told them I wanted to coat my revolver grips with their white plastidip spray can and was concerned that with it remaining flexible that it might peel off or become loose on the grips and was also concerned that if it didn't work out that it might leave residue on my wooden grips if I wanted to remove it.

They told me that if it didn't work out that I could easily remove it (as long as I didn't use acrylic based primer to make it stick permanently) and that it would not leave any residue whatsoever.

They also told me that in order to make sure the application is permanent and will not peel off that I would have to use their non oil based acrylic primer and then spray the white plastic dip over that and it would not peel off or become loose and would be a permanent installation.

The problem is....they sell the plastidip in spray cans but no longer sell the primer in spray cans and it is only available in quart cans. Which is WAY more than I need. So I asked them if I could use another type of spray can primer and they told me I probably could as long as it was not oil based and was acrylic based.

I told them Home Depot only had the plastic dip in black and they told me that Ace hardware has it in white or can easily get it from their Ace warehouse if that store is out of the white color.

So as soon as I can find some spray on acrylic primer and get to an Ace hardware store and get the white spray can of "plastidip" I'll be experimenting on other pieces of wood BEFORE I use it on my grips....just in case.

Then if it works out I'll post and tell y'all about it and show some pics.


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Thanks Bill, let us know.
Do you know if this product has a sticky feel to it? I've never used it before.

The only other paint product I know of would be an Alkyd paint. I've used it before on doors and frames and like the texture, but not sure if it would work on something like this.
Thanks for trying it out...so none of us have to. :p
 
It doesn't have a "sticky" or "tacky" feel to it. When it dries it's a flexible plastic that is just like the plastic grips on a pair of needlenose pliers. In fact that's what it was originally marketed for. So you could dip your bare metal tool handles into it and when it dried....it made a nice plastic coating for a better grip....which I thought would be a benefit for coating my grips white on a hot sweaty day at the range.

Now they make it in spray cans too so you can spray it on instead of dipping....which would be much better for coating revolver grips. If this works like I hope it will, it should give me a much better gripping surface than if I had painted the grips with a hard epoxy paint. Just need to get some non oil based acrylic primer and the white spray on plastidip and experiment on some wood pieces and if it works, then do my grips.



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They look really good being painted Arcticap. That's exactly what I'm looking to do grips look wise.


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Having a devil of a time trying to find the plastidip spray in white. Tried Home Depot....only had black. Tried "Best" hardware store....only had it in black, blue, red and yellow. Tried several Ace hardware stores....only had it in black but told me that they could order it in white but I'd have to buy a whole case of it to get it in white! That's ridiculous and I don't need that much.

So I'm going to see if I can order it directly from plastidip themselves. I'll let you all know how this turns out.



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