Adding Grip to a Composite

[bunnyman666]

18 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

I got both of these at the Home Depot. I believe this is Rustoleum Plasti-Dip and Flex Seal. Rustoleaum is like 3 miles from my house, so I had to rep the local! 

I am going to try Plasti-Dip first because it can be removed. I am not sure about the Flex Seal. 

I want to avoid sanding the stick first. Is that a requirement? 

I used Flex Seal on my goalie helmets (not my Protechsport). I don’t know about grip, but it is plenty durable.

[TheGoalNet]

@bunnyman666 Name of the product? 

@Chenner29 - I’m concerned the tape ball with cause pre mature wear to my blocker palms 

Here’s the test victim...

Flexi-Seal seems to coat better after 1 coat. However, it comes out hot and you need to be very very conservative with the spray. Some areas where I sprayed it without much caution bubbled up or dripped off. With minimal effort I got it to scrape off 

The Plasti-Dip seems easier to apply, but it does not cost as well, and seems to peel off easier 

Both textures feel very similar 

I think I’m rolling with the Flex Seal

[bunnyman666]

14 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

@bunnyman666 Name of the product? 

@Chenner29 - I’m concerned the tape ball with cause pre mature wear to my blocker palms 

Here’s the test victim...

Flexi-Seal seems to coat better after 1 coat. However, it comes out hot and you need to be very very conservative with the spray. Some areas where I sprayed it without much caution bubbled up or dripped off. With minimal effort I got it to scrape off 

The Plasti-Dip seems easier to apply, but it does not cost as well, and seems to peel off easier 

Both textures feel very similar 

I think I’m rolling with the Flex Seal

Flexseal.

[TheGoalNet]

2 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

Flexseal.

No, the product mentioned in a previous post that you used for bike frames 

[KootenayKeeper]

2 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

The Plasti-Dip seems easier to apply, but it does not cost as well, and seems to peel off easier 

Plast-dip also comes in a paint can that you can dip the stick directly into, hence the product name. 

And just to be picky, Rustoleum Flexi-dip is a competitor brand to Plast-dip. But once a product becomes well known the tendency is to use its name in a generic fashion. I bought Flexi-dip to do my goalie mask because it was cheaper than the Plasti-dip sitting next to it on the store shelf.

[bunnyman666]

47 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

No, the product mentioned in a previous post that you used for bike frames 

I can’t remember. This company acted like they invented the finish, so they weren’t giving out names ?

We’re talking pre-bunnyman institute that finish, circa 2000-01. I was an epoxy guy or sent my stuff to a bloke who used Imron. 

[TheGoalNet]

In progress 

[TheGoalNet]

Coat 1 dry front 

Coat 1 wet back

[Chenner29]

7 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

@Chenner29 - I’m concerned the tape ball with cause pre mature wear to my blocker palms

I'm curious why you think this would be the case.  All you're doing is applying the adhesive from the tape ball to your stick.

[bunnyman666]

18 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

Have you tried the messy tape bun that players use?

Cut the shaft off a broken stick, apply some tape around it in a ball so the adhesive side sticks out.  Rub it on the shaft.

Works the best on my player sticks. If you have a good palm material, then you’re golden. But I am a goat hide or horse hide palm guy. Yes- my upcoming Factory blocker has horse hide...

Friction tape works nearly the same.

[IPv6Freely]

1 hour ago, Chenner29 said:

I'm curious why you think this would be the case.  All you're doing is applying the adhesive from the tape ball to your stick.

I wouldn’t be worried about premature wear so much as just making my blocker palms sticky.

[TheGoalNet]

@Chenner29 - It's my opinion that when you are adding a tacky substance like tape adhesive that to your stick, it's going to pull fibers off your palm every time they come in contact. That could thin out the palm in certain areas and lead to the wear. I didn't have experienced hockey parents as a kid. My dad used friction tape on knobs and it used to eat through glove palms. This may not be as aggressive, but it's the same concept.  @IPv6Freely - Brings up another point I hadn't considered. I don't want a bunch of fibers from my bag or trunk getting stuck to my stick or palm 

The spray on rubber paint seems like the perfect solution. It is the feel I am looking for, light weight,  and is pretty painless to apply. My disappointment with this route is that I don't think it will be durable enough. It will get me through testing on my Sher-Wood, but I wouldn't call it a long term 

For the life of me, I cannot understand how someone makes a composite stick without a grip section where the shaft meets in the paddle. For guys who like the modern texture, you are covered. For guys who like a traditional tape grip, they can just tape over it and you are covered. There's minimal downside. 

Sher-Wood has done the complete opposite and it's literally slippery. With the True, I got through testing with no grip and it was fine. It was not my ideal surface texture, but it was fine. The Sher-Wood is difficult to use it's so slick. With the said, the Sher-Wood is very light and inexpensive. This could be a great stick for a lot of people! 

I know someone is going to response poke checking... Poke checking is a minimal in today's game. If players can rip 1 times with a grip coating, I can certainly poke check twice a year without needing a slick surface. 

[IPv6Freely]

28 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

@Chenner29 - It's my opinion that when you are adding a tacky substance like tape adhesive that to your stick, it's going to pull fibers off your palm every time they come in contact. That could thin out the palm in certain areas and lead to the wear. I didn't have experienced hockey parents as a kid. My dad used friction tape on knobs and it used to eat through glove palms. This may not be as aggressive, but it's the same concept.  @IPv6Freely - Brings up another point I hadn't considered. I don't want a bunch of fibers from my bag or trunk getting stuck to my stick or palm 

The spray on rubber paint seems like the perfect solution. It is the feel I am looking for, light weight,  and is pretty painless to apply. My disappointment with this route is that I don't think it will be durable enough. It will get me through testing on my Sher-Wood, but I wouldn't call it a long term 

For the life of me, I cannot understand how someone makes a composite stick without a grip section where the shaft meets in the paddle. For guys who like the modern texture, you are covered. For guys who like a traditional tape grip, they can just tape over it and you are covered. There's minimal downside. 

Sher-Wood has done the complete opposite and it's literally slippery. With the True, I got through testing with no grip and it was fine. It was not my ideal surface texture, but it was fine. The Sher-Wood is difficult to use it's so slick. With the said, the Sher-Wood is very light and inexpensive. This could be a great stick for a lot of people! 

I know someone is going to response poke checking... Poke checking is a minimal in today's game. If players can rip 1 times with a grip coating, I can certainly poke check twice a year without needing a slick surface. 

Regular cloth tape rips up player palms also, which is why I lean towards either tacki-mac or stretch wrap on my player stick grips. My glove palms stay nice and clean!

My goalie sticks are stretch wrap over the paddle grip area, and tacki-mac goalie knobs. I also have a weird index finger roll I make with tape. No idea where I picked THAT up from but I definitely notice when it isn’t there.

As for the poke check, it’s not so much that I’m thinking about (I agree the poke check is dead) but it’s the quickly sliding down to play the puck. I want way more grip than a players stick on the paddle grip area, and no grip at all on the shaft. 

[TheGoalNet]

@IPv6Freely - I can see the puck playing aspect. Better than the poke check. 

Personally though, I want some sort of of tactile feel on the shaft. Bauer and True both a mild texture / grip on the shaft and it’s perfect. Doesn’t hinder movement of your hand, gives you some feel, and gives your glove some control. The Sher-Wood has a glossy coating and it’s slippery. 

Here’s the update: When I went to remove the tape, it caused havoc to my grip and peeled off a lot. The main issue is that I tried to save a Sher-Wood marketing logo and I should have just let it go. 

I’m trying to salvage what I started. If this doesn’t work, I’ll peel it off and start from scratch. When I remove the tape this time, I’m going to use an exacto knife and make sure there is a clean break. 

[KootenayKeeper]

34 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

I’m trying to salvage what I started. If this doesn’t work, I’ll peel it off and start from scratch. When I remove the tape this time, I’m going to use an exacto knife and make sure there is a clean break. 

With the Plasti-dip type products you're supposed to remove the tape while it's wet to prevent that issue.

[TheGoalNet]

Thanks @KootenayKeeper - if end up ripping this off and starting over, I’ll definitely give that a try 

[BadAngle41]

@TheGoalNet I used the clear Plasti-Dip brand and simply used a good sharp razor to score the coating along the tape line prior to removal. It did leave a ridge where the coating started/stopped so I went ahead and did a couple blending coats to reduce the opportunity for peeling. In the end however I just peeled it all off after just a few uses. 

Tonight I'm going to try out what I mentioned on this topic a couple weeks ago... stretch grip tape. Just finished one of my Passau twigs and used some stick tape to hold down each end. 

[IPv6Freely]

22 minutes ago, BadAngle41 said:

@TheGoalNet I used the clear Plasti-Dip brand and simply used a good sharp razor to score the coating along the tape line prior to removal. It did leave a ridge where the coating started/stopped so I went ahead and did a couple blending coats to reduce the opportunity for peeling. In the end however I just peeled it all off after just a few uses. 

Tonight I'm going to try out what I mentioned on this topic a couple weeks ago... stretch grip tape. Just finished one of my Passau twigs and used some stick tape to hold down each end. 

Exactly what I've been using for quite some time. 

[BadAngle41]

Just now, IPv6Freely said:

Exactly what I've been using for quite some time. 

Palm wear pretty minimal?

[IPv6Freely]

5 minutes ago, BadAngle41 said:

Palm wear pretty minimal?

Zero. 

[TheGoalNet]

@BadAngle41 - That is what I did for the last 10 years until I switched to composite sticks. 

[BadAngle41]

10 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

@BadAngle41 - That is what I did for the last 10 years until I switched to composite sticks. 

Ah. Well I guess you can call me both late to the grip trend as well as old for sticking with foam cores. I was tempted to go the composite route but I as wrote up my brief review on Passau sticks I realized I just like them. 

[bunnyman666]

@TheGoalNet Try this: https://alsacorp.com/soft-touch-paint-urethane-paint/

[TheGoalNet]

Sanded it before the final coat 

[TheGoalNet]

Here is this finished product

Generally speaking it accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. I also learned a lot a lot about using the product. 

- I will definitely need to go around the top of the grip with a wrap of cloth tape. Just moving my hand around with it in the house,  it has peeled 

- I put way too much effort into this. Putting a couple pieces of masking tape over the logo and just doing 1-2 quick coats would have achieved the same or better results 

- The surface finish got worse coat after coat. It would look smooth after sanding and then the next layer made it worse 

- I do prefer this feel over a tape grip though