finishing nylon stick grips

[Jake14]

I bought a couple of Van's nylon stick grips but they needed quite a bit of sanding along the mold joint lines and general reshaping for best fit. Now I'm having trouble getting back to any sort of smooth surface in the sanded areas. I've tried 800 grit sandpaper, rubbing compound, scotch brite, etc but the 'hairy' look is still there, especially noticeable next to the un-sanded areas. I've heard of flame treating, but I'm reluctant to do this. Does anyone know of any good techniques to smooth nylon? Would painting make sense if all else fails?

[tgmillso]

I was reading an article in the latest EAA magazine on 3D printing, and they apparently use a solvent to smooth out the surface of the 3D printed part after fabrication. You would have to find a solvent that worked for your particular plastic type, however this may be an option worth investigating (I would recommend trying it on a sample first, and I have not attempted it myself). Good luck. Tom.

[flyboy1963]

nylon...hmmmm...funny stuff.
but if the binder/resin is anything like fibreglass, you might be on the right track with compound and a buffing wheel.
by that, I mean put a cotton dense wheel on your bench grinder, and get a few kinds of stick compound, red, green etc.
it's amazing what the heat and light pressure will do...might just result in a nice slick gloss.
about a $20 experiment if memory serves. I'd guess harbor freight has the stuff!

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...uffing%20wheel

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece...kit-67259.html