Epoxy heat sealing....

[Sudsy]

I'm a saltwater lure builder and over the years developed a technique for sealing plugs that's pretty much bullet proof.
The fully machined plug is heated until it's pretty warm, but not hot, then it's liberally slathered inside and out with long cure epoxy. All excess is removed inside and out and it's left to cure for 48 hours.
A final sanding with 400 grit and a wipe down with alcohol to remove the haze and it's ready for paint and an epoxy topcoat. In this case it would be ready for a polishing.

Working on a vintage CVA squirrel gun kit right now and wondering if i should try it. I like the idea that it would harden and help protect the carving

Is there any reason I haven't thought of that I shouldn't do this
This would be the largest piece I've ever attempted to seal by far

 

[Sudsy]

Comes out tough enough to handle bluefish and tuna

 

[appalichian hunter]

O.K. for fishing lures, but I would think twice about a rifle stock.

 

[Sudsy]

Why ?

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I'm a saltwater lure builder and over the years developed a technique for sealing plugs that's pretty much bullet proof.
The fully machined plug is heated until it's pretty warm, but not hot, then it's liberally slathered inside and out with long cure epoxy. All excess is removed inside and out and it's left to cure for 48 hours.
A final sanding with 400 grit and a wipe down with alcohol to remove the haze and it's ready for paint and an epoxy topcoat. In this case it would be ready for a polishing.

Working on a vintage CVA squirrel gun kit right now and wondering if i should try it. I like the idea that it would harden and help protect the carving

If you like your idea, for yourself, go for it. If you want to ever sell the rifle, it most likely will not be to a black powder shooter.
No thanks for my taste.
Larry

 

[Valkyrie]

Heresy.

 

[Sudsy]

This is a shooter and I'm looking for actual reasons why it might not work or might cause a functional problem .

Because "I don't like it" or "it's not traditional" is not an answer I care about so please don't bother spending the effort to answer.

 

[bigstick6017555]

I like the idea, just not time or period correct. It is not an original valuable firearm you would be destroying, and if it is going to be shooter,and hunting gun that finish will take a beating. Can not be any worst than a factory finish, in fact probably better. If it was me, and I had the knowledge, I would go for it ,I see no disadvantage

 

[bmtshooter]

I would like you to try it just so we can see how it comes out. Sounds interesting. Nice carving by the way.

 

[user 48679]

If you like your idea, for yourself, go for it.

I don't see any functional downside, so, if you're confident, go to town !

+1, on the carving - I can only wish I had a skill like that.

 

[Sudsy]

It is not an original valuable firearm you would be destroying,

If it was me, and I had the knowledge, I would go for it ,I see no disadvantage

I would NEVER do that, this is a crappy CVA kit with a really boring piece of wood.

Unless someone comes up with a functional reason not to do it, I'm going to finish up the inletting and shove her in the oven.

 

[bigstick6017555]

When it is done, if you do it, please come back and show it.

 

[martin9]

Only input I have is I would use iron nitrate to stain....not a wipe on stain. That's the only problem I can think of is the epoxy might not soak into the wood and bond with some wipe on stains. I'd have to try the stain and epoxy on a scrap piece of wood first.

 

[Jakeytoo]

One downside that comes to mind is, how difficult is it to remove ? I ask that question because if the gun should ever need refinished or for some reason the finish needs stripped, how much trouble would it be.

I don’t like the idea of something really hard that needs aggressive means to remove, that would mean damaging the carvings.

 

[necchi]

and it's ready for paint and an epoxy topcoat.

Paint?

 

[EC121]

You can't hurt a CVA with the birch stock. I would stain it dark with a water or alcohol stain which should be harmless to the epoxy. Then after it cures, sand it down to a smooth finish and wax it. It won't look any worse than most factory muzzleloaders.

 

[SDSmlf]

How does stain take to the epoxy?

 

[bigstick6017555]

There are powdered colors you can get to add to epoxy coatings for color

 

[Sudsy]

Only input I have is I would use iron nitrate to stain....not a wipe on stain. That's the only problem I can think of is the epoxy might not soak into the wood and bond with some wipe on stains. I'd have to try the stain and epoxy on a scrap piece of wood first.

Oh manure, thanks for that !!
I hadn't thought of this (the exact reason I started this thread !!)
I've already stained it to bring out any detail work that needs to be done.

I'll do a test run on a scrap of maple I have that's similar in density

 

[Sudsy]

There are powdered colors you can get to add to epoxy coatings for color

Been down that road
Very difficult to work with many of them, the powders can have a tendency to clump