I have some items I want to add rustic handles to by wrapping them in rope. Imagine a frying pan or feather duster. The items are slippery enough that the rope may loosen or even come off. I would like to coat everything in an adhesive gunk that causes the rope to grip better, without actually gluing it. (Typical glue may not adhere, plus I'd like the chance to remove the handle.)
Sap would be ideal, but I don't have time to go to the forest and hunt for it. 3M 72 spray is supposed to be permanently tacky but its not available in my local stores. I noticed cooking oil forms a sticky mess, so my current thought is to carefully boil some oil and paint that on with the help of rubbing alcohol. Will this work? Should I use a partially drying oil like canola or a more stable oil like olive oil?
Possible solutions:
- Wrap the item with 3M 300 LSE double sided adhesive. This works, even on exotic plastics like Delrin.
- Dip the item in spoiled shellac. For example, blonde (bleached) shellac which has been left in the sun/heat for a long time. However, I'm not sure shellac will grip plastics.
- Sap, dissolved in a solvent like rubbing alcohol, mineral spirits, or orange oil.
- Chewing gum, boiled to make it soft and sanitary.
- Latex exercise band, wrapped around then glued to itself with a dab of super glue.
Wrap the item with a tack cloth before adding rope.Even tack cloth adds no grip.
How it should look:
