After extensive testing of liquids ranging from denatured alcohol to water-based personal lubricants, including shampoo, hair gel and more, we have found what appears to be the best suitable solution: Hairspray! We have tested an all-natural hand-pump hairspray, as well as old-school "Aquanet" aerosol "ultrahold" hairspray and they both work well when used sufficiently.


Materials:

  • Grip for your flowtoys - we offer 3 different sizes of elastomer grip (1", 12mm and 15mm diameter) , and you can find them on our website here: https://flowtoys.com/parts-1/tubes--tubing-parts
  • Your Flowtoys: to grip!
  • Scissors: to cut the grip
  • Center-mark or decorations: if you would like to add them under your grip
  • Damp rag: for cleaning excess hairspray off your flowtoy, some dish-soap may help
  • Dry rag: for drying stuff
  • Hairspray: to lubricate grip during application. For liability reasons we do not endorse specific products that we do not sell, but we can tell you that any brand or style of standard handpump or aerosol hairspray should work. We have tested an all-natural brand and "aquanet". It is possible that a hairspray containing moisturizers of some kind could remain slick and never dry to a sticky finish - do not use if this is the case.


TEST YOUR HAIRSPRAY FIRST!

Spray a small amount on any hard surface and let dry. It should feel smooth and dry, not slick or oily!


Instructions:

You will be using hairspray as a lubricant for sliding the grip onto your tube. It will dry and work like an adhesive to firmly secure the grip. The tube and grip will try to wipe the hairspray off each other as you slide them together, so it is important to apply the spray to the tube AND to the inside of the grip. If you find the grip sticking during application, back it off and add more hairspray! Also the excess liquid will drip inside your tube, so be sure to always keep the tube pointing down, sliding the grip up from underneath!





  1. If you ordered the grip by the foot, you will need to determine the amount of grip you'd like on your prop. For a staff we recommend about 50% of the staff-length or whatever you think looks good. We like the grip to end at the end of the woodcore, or at the end of the next flowlight, on each side, if the woodcore is short.
  2. Cut the grip to the length you choose. Use sharp scissors and try to cut perfectly 90 degrees to the tube, you can trim off any uneven parts before applying the grip to the tube. DO NOT cut the grip with a knife ON the tube as this will make a weak point in the tube, which can cause breakage.
  3. Mark one end of the grip position on the tube, so you know where to stop when applying the grip.
  4. If applying a center-mark: Find the center of your staff by balancing it on a finger, roll your finger side to side to adjust. Make a mark.
  5. Remove all caps and lights from the tube – the tube will be getting wet!
  6. Clean any dust/grit off your staff tube and grip-tube.
  7. Apply center-mark or any decoration you would like under your clear grip :)
  8. Spray hairspray inside both ends of grip tube. It does not need to be dripping, but as much of the inside of the grip-tube as possible should be wet. DO NOT DO THIS OUTSIDE IN THE SUN OR WIND. This will cause the hairspray to dry too quickly.
  9. Spray hairspray on the outside of the flowtoy tube from the grip-mark all the way to the end. The spray may dry quickly so be prepared to move fast after this, especially in a hot/dry environment.
  10. Hold your flowtoy tube with the grip-mark on top, the tube pointing down, and insert it into the grip. You may need to twist, push and pull the grip-tube on and it will likely catch as it stretches over the end. Simply coax it along, and DO NOT STOP until your grip is in place! IF IT EVER FEELS STUCK, TWIST AND REMOVE IT AND ADD MORE HAIRSPRAY TO THE STICKY AREA.
  11. Squeeze out any major air bubbles, and be sure the grip is settled and not stretched unevenly along the tube.
  12. Wipe off any excess hairspray from your flowtoy and the surrounding area with a damp rag and dish-soap if necessary.
  13. Let dry until completely stuck! This may take a day or more. If you can shift/slide the grip at all, it is NOT dry. DO NOT LEAVE IN THE SUN! The sun degrades plastics and could cause an adverse reaction with the hairspray. Of course the warmer and dryer the location, the faster it will dry.


A tip and a good idea: Grip can wear out with use and is affected by oils from our skin. To prolong the life of your grip, clean it after heavy use and before long periods of storage. This will also make sure that it's grippy, not slippy, when you are ready to flow. 


If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!