Diy Laminated Cardboard Targets

[iainmcphersn]

I had originally tacked this onto an old post on bagging targets. Since I had not received any feedback, I thought I'd add a new post.

--

I got some clear plastic carpet protector on a roll and laminated a cardboard target. Preliminary testing reveals that some of the left over pasters I have will stick to this material. I splashed some water on it and rubbed a spot with my thumb and popped a paster on it.

Voila! It stuck!

I trimmed the plastic back to the edges of the target, exposing them. I think that the targets would hold up better if the plastic was not trimmed all the way to the edge though. I figure this would be better than a bagged target. I looked at the USPSA rule book but did not see anything specifically addressing this.

Anybody try this idea before?

John

[Keith]

I seem to remember someone trying something similar and writing an article for Front Site a few years ago.

[Chris Keen]

I believe that was some sort of SPRAY varnish or something similar, but clear.

[John Heiter]

We've done it using clear automotive laquer paint. We actually keep a set of "laquered" targets in our range building now just in case we have a storm come through during a major match. Keeps us from having to worry about bagging targets.

[lynn jones]

We've done it using clear automotive laquer paint. We actually keep a set of "laquered" targets in our range building now just in case we have a storm come through during a major match. Keeps us from having to worry about bagging targets.

i took john's idea, and for our 2006 tn sec champ i use polyurathane to coat 100 targets in case of rain. i have them set aside for this year if needed.

lynn

[dirtypool40]

in addition to the sagging head phenomina, the biggest problem I see is pasters not working when it's wet.

[JFD]

I agree about the pasters not sticking.

If I remember the article correctly, DRY pasters will stick just fine. However, WET pasters won't stick too well, and it's going to be difficult to keep pasters dry in the rain. I'm guessing it's no worse than trying to get them to stick with bagged targets after they've been shot a few times, but there was never any follow-up to the article that I've seen.

I wonder if the rolls of paster tape would do any better. I bought 10 rolls back when I was a MD, but they were not popular at all. What I've noticed is that the tape sticks much better than regular pasters.

[ima45dv8]

I think the tape sticks better, too. But it's a PIA.

Maybe save it for a rainy day?

[Jim Norman]

We use tape, not pasters. Why??

Because sadly it seems too many people can not figure out the complexity of the paster box. We get strips of pasters pulled out, there are always a couple left on teh backer, then the backers get loose on the range and we have bits of paper flying all over.

Pasters for practice are a great thing. If you can figure out hte box, equally a great thing, but as I said, ALMOST anyone can tear off a piece of tape.

Jim

[dirtypool40]

we used masking tape exclusively down South, worked fine, just looked like crap.

[JFD]

My shooters positively HATED the tape. I actually received donations to buy regular pasters

I like the boxes when my thumb can get a grip on the backer (some magic combo of pro-grip and sweat), otherwise the box seems slow the few times we have an intact box. I can't recall seeing anyone using a box in a long time, as they just get ripped open to get at the roll. Just using the roll at matches wastes a lot of pasters, but that's definitely the preference of our local shooters.

One of these days I might get a paster dispenser for practice. Back in ancient times I was pretty handy with a pricing gun working at a grocery store. Right now I just buy pasters without boxes.

[dajarrel]

We've done it using clear automotive laquer paint. We actually keep a set of "laquered" targets in our range building now just in case we have a storm come through during a major match. Keeps us from having to worry about bagging targets.

A couple of years ago, during the year of the rains, John had these targets set up because the weather was terrible. He put small caps above them made with plywood. I was real impressed because the pasters stuck to them very well even in a steady rain.

dj

[shred]

My shooters positively HATED the tape. I actually received donations to buy regular pasters

I like the boxes when my thumb can get a grip on the backer (some magic combo of pro-grip and sweat), otherwise the box seems slow the few times we have an intact box. I can't recall seeing anyone using a box in a long time, as they just get ripped open to get at the roll. Just using the roll at matches wastes a lot of pasters, but that's definitely the preference of our local shooters.

I prefer to use the box as-designed, but after everybody rips them apart because they can't figure it out, or there aren't enough to go around, it's hardly worth even trying. But for matches, pasters beat tape by a mile. For practice, it's the other way around.

[sleepercaprice1]

I've painted cardboard targets with Thompson's Water Seal and had them hold up very well in the rain. The finish feels kinda waxy when it dries, but pasters and tape stick fine.

I just laid them out on the ground and used a paint roller to coat them with the Thompson's. When one side dried, I flipped them over and hit the back side. Cheap and easy.

[IronEqualizer]

I just laid them out on the ground and used a paint roller to coat them with the Thompson's. When one side dried, I flipped them over and hit the back side. Cheap and easy.

Now that's my kind of target. What are the directions to your range.

[kimel]

I believe the proscribed method was to use Minwax matte polyurethane. I did the targets for a match one Saturday night knowing it was going to be raining on Sunday and we found that even if the target face got wet a quick wipe with a towel cured that and the tape/pasters stuck just fine. It was just kind of expensive as I think it took two cans for a 4 stage match @ $8/can.

I also discovered that if you take target paster tape and tape the top portion of each target to keep water from running down the corrugations it really helps with head sag.

Damn near ANYTHING is better than bags though.

I'll have to try the Thompson's. I have been threatening to take a box of targets and treat them all for rain before the rainy season....hmmmm....

[HSMITH]

3 Glock Mike has some really cool paster guns, I taped a couple thousand holes at a recent GSSF match and the paster gun took 95% of the work out of it. you could easily run one in a plastic bag with only the business end exposed and the pasters would stay dry. His guns run standard pasters too. Great product!!