Stoopid Noob Overlay Question

[Et Kin Evenstar]

I know the MHS parts are designed to work with 1.5" sink tube overlays. I've done a couple simple overlays on past builds, but those all are "open" on one side so they have alot of flex.

On my new build I'm trying to add an overlay that is not "open" (I'm describing this terribly!). I've seen others do this a million times. but for the life of me I see now way to get my overlay onto my hilt w/out forcing it and really scratching up the paint on the MHS parts, some of which will be exposed.

What am I doing wrong?

[Nomos]

I would think you can just sand the inside of the overlay before you do your cutting (that way you don't have to wiggle sandpaper around your intricate cuts) by wrapping sandpaper around a dowel rod of appropriate diameter. Just be careful to keep the sanding even so it doesn't fit funny. As long as the inside is smooth and burr-free you shouldn't have problems sliding it on.

[FenderBender]

For one, make sure you have the correct gauge tubing. I believe 22ga is what you want. Any thicker than that and you'd have to turn down the MHS. The other thing is to make sure that you don't have paint or a trans color powdercoat on the hilt. This increases the thickness significantly enough to cause this. The other thing is that overlays fit tight most of the time, so if the cuts are not neat, or neatly sanded and deburred, you'll get the gouging.

[Et Kin Evenstar]

OK, thanks guys. I've no idea what gauge the tubing I used is. I did buy a new tube yesterday to try again, as the overlay I attempted first time around was a bit too ambitious for my limited skills, not to mention the tools I have at my disposal. I'll check to see what gauge the new sink tube is. Also, the parts I am putting the overlay over have been painted. I may have to change the design of the overlay to be more "open" to pull this off, but then I'm not sure I have any place to add a covertec or something to keep it attached.

Sigh. My skills/knowledge just cannot keep up with my imagination at this point.

[Crystal Chambers]

Also make sure you clean your pieces well aside from the edges. Loose bits can get caught in between and cause scatches

One option to consider is to remove the paint and sand the MHS enough to leave some room to repaint. I've had finished overlays that were snug end up loose just from rubbing out the scratches on the MHS with steel wool and polish. If by some chance the sleeve is still loose after you paint you can always add a coat or two of clear enamel which is a good idea anyways. It'll protect your paint and you can also change the finish for instance from gloss to satin. I also recommend baking your enamels as they are actually quit durable. But that's a whole other topic.

[Et Kin Evenstar]

Just an update, mainly to educate other noobs so they can avoid this problem.

Turns out the trouble was I'd put too many coats of paint on the part the overlay was going over. It looked great and killed me to do it, but I had to sand all the paint off, put the overlay on, then mask off everything but the exposed sections to be re-painted.

Yes, just one or two extra coats of paint can make your job impossible!

Just waiting for one last minute custom order from Tim and this one will be done.

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Just an update, mainly to educate other noobs so they can avoid this problem.

Turns out the trouble was I'd put too many coats of paint on the part the overlay was going over. It looked great and killed me to do it, but I had to sand all the paint off, put the overlay on, then mask off everything but the exposed sections to be re-painted.

Yes, just one or two extra coats of paint can make your job impossible!

Just waiting for one last minute custom order from Tim and this one will be done.

OR...if you know you are going to paint or PC, you can order a custom work fee and have strydur turn a few 100ths off of the OD of your parts.