I want to give a total of four ManuMortars to Cold Steel on Saturday. I
already have the Osage Orange one. Next, I tried something very
different: Rubber as material for scales.
I bought a huge rubber
mat, 1 cm thickness, on amazon. Not expensive. That isn't foam rubber,
it is the massive type. Think car tyres. Butyl, of course, so useless
for slingshot bands.
But it offers more friction than anything else. Like a competition grade motocross bike handle.
It
was easy to shape (you can cut it, saw it out, file it, sand it - no
problem). What you can't do is polishing it - it will always stay rough,
like suede leather. And - like the motocross handle - it will always
rub off a bit. So dirty hands are to be expected.
You can glue
it onto wood with epoxy, no problem. The only issue arises when you
finish the frame. No matter what you do, it is impossible to NOT darken
the wood with the rubber particles that rubbed off. Since the effect is
uneven (kind of blotchy), I decided to go ahead and use black ink on the
wood. I put on the ink, then sanded with 1200 grit, then inked again -
and afterwards, I applied linseed oil. The oil takes the ink deep into
the wood, and seals it there.
The effect is stunning (I think).
With Thera Band Black, this will look so cool. And the purchase you get
from the rubber is out of this world.
Enlarge this image Click to see fullsize
Enlarge this image Click to see fullsize
I enjoy following your interesting designs.
ReplyDeleteYour videos are awesome. I could spend hours watching.
ReplyDeleteLets see the monster cannon!
ReplyDeleteYou inspire me. Thank you for sharing your creations with us.
ReplyDeleteI love it
ReplyDelete