PlastiDip Pick Handles

[xeo]

So far my plan for making home brew picks is to use .018 feeler guage stock. This is fairly straight forward.

As far as the handles go, I really love the peterson dipped handles. They're small, which gives me extreme pick control, feedback and comfort. I'd like to try and reproduce this handle. Has anyone used PlastiDip?

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

I'd like to get some feedback from people who have tried plastic dipping picks. Let me know what you've used and how it worked out for you. I'm open to recommendations. Also... how well does this stuff bond to steel?

Thanks

[dsd5150]

I have used Plastidip on several picking related tools... Just did up the handle of my homebrew bump hammer with it... It adheres to steel quite well and you can build up to the thickness you desire.

I have also gone the route of using heat shrink before applying the plastidip. the works very well and you will not need as many coats...

[chris]

I have also used PlastiDip on a lot of my straight metal picks with no handles. I like how it turned out. Just dip it once, then let it sit for about a half hour to 45 mins, after "shaking" the extra off, i clamped mine horizontally to let them dry, then I dipped them again. Generally, depending on the thickness of the handle you like of course, I found that 2-3 dips works well enough. It does adhere well. Though if you keep your picks in a tight case, such as the Peterson leather cases, if the slots are tight, it might rub the handles a bit. Over all though it is a good product for pick handles. Oh, and use it outside or a bigger area such as a garage if you can...it smells pretty fucking toxic in small places.

[awol70]

playing around,adding different fibers and aggregates can apparently give amazing results in texture.. shredded denim,kevlar,silica sand etc....
this would be great for days when it's hot and your hands get sweaty and slip on the glossier finishes.
It would be neat to mess with the colors as well ...(flat black and olive drab, buah?)

[xeo]

Do you think it would be wise to create serrations on the metal before dipping to create some kind of textured surface allowing the plastic to hold on stronger?

[awol70]

Do you think it would be wise to create serrations on the metal before dipping to create some kind of textured surface allowing the plastic to hold on stronger?

roughing up the surface certainly helps...it can be very difficult to get this stuff to adhere to very smooth,polished surfaces.
so yes serrations/striations would certainly aid the adhesion process,even if on a very minute or microscopic level .
experimentation is the answer in this case...

[sandman]

i used plastidip on all my hpc picks, and i couldnt pick a damn lock after that, i took a wire wheel to my picks a week later to take em off, but on the good note, if you dont like the plastidip, they peel off real easy and leave no trace.

i for one dont like using it, it was a nice learning experience, you have to dip them real slowly, 1 inch at a time, and hold it for 15 seconds each inch of the way, you have to pull it out the same. i experimented with different ways to dip, and guess what, the directions are the only way to do it right lol, then i taped the working end of my picks to my railing on my back porch, and let them hang there for several hours. it feels like a good pick, they look better than cheap picks, but i just felt like i had no feed back, thats just me. i for one hate them. to each his own.

[elbowmacaroni]

Well, all I gotta say is don't get the aerosol plasti-dip for this purpose. It is handy stuff to be sure, but honestly, you'll spend ages building up to a useful thickness, and I swear they made it wimpier than the regular dip-into-the-can kind too, it really peels WAY too easily. I haven't used the regular kind on picks, but have used it on other tools, and have always been pretty pleased with the results, so why not give it a shot and see if you like it...

[chris]

i used plastidip on all my hpc picks, and i couldnt pick a damn lock after that, i took a wire wheel to my picks a week later to take em off, but on the good note, if you dont like the plastidip, they peel off real easy and leave no trace.

i for one dont like using it, it was a nice learning experience, you have to dip them real slowly, 1 inch at a time, and hold it for 15 seconds each inch of the way, you have to pull it out the same. i experimented with different ways to dip, and guess what, the directions are the only way to do it right lol, then i taped the working end of my picks to my railing on my back porch, and let them hang there for several hours. it feels like a good pick, they look better than cheap picks, but i just felt like i had no feed back, thats just me. i for one hate them. to each his own.

Pretty weird, I just dipped the whole handle in and pulled it out the same, didn't do the whole 15 seconds thing, mine turned out just fine.

[nozza36]

Here's a suggestion guys , i've been toying with having a go at a dip type handle , has anyone considered taking a tube of silicon sealant
cutting the back off it and trying that as a cheap dipping formula ?
I have no idea if the result would be any good , and i probably won't try it myself until next summer.

[aka.decoy]

Here's a suggestion guys , i've been toying with having a go at a dip type handle , has anyone considered taking a tube of silicon sealant
cutting the back off it and trying that as a cheap dipping formula ?
I have no idea if the result would be any good , and i probably won't try it myself until next summer.

Good idea, but I think it'd be hard unless you can toy with the consistency. I imagine it'd be like sticking a butter knife into a can of peanut butter...it'll stick, but in a glob. Also, It's not easy to smooth out like water based caulking, near impossible to get a consistent smooth layer unless you're totally ninja. After cured, you won't be able to really 'shape' or smooth it. I mean, who knows? Maybe it'll look like shit but feel Grrreeeaat!

I could be totally wrong about this, not trying to sound negative, just my 2 cents. Although injecting it into a mould with a pick inside might work...? Like making a popsicle? Or like we used to do in elementary school with elmers glue in the pencil holder of the desk...(maybe not Hallis, don't think they had built-in pencil holders back then...or pencils...heck did they even have desks? Or just boulders shaped by their callused hands? Names written in the stone via fingernail?)

[Tarquin]

Hey, Xeo... Did you ever try this out and if so how did it go for you?

[Tarquin]

I have a basic Southord starter set, plus two random picks from another company that are essentially the same thing. Both have no handles and are just smooth metal. I've decided I'm going to try this stuff out and see how it goes. I might video it.

I'll let you know how it goes with or without a video though. I might do it today.