Today I took in a sweet little Glock 19 on trade that had been hydrodipped. I could see in the picture that it was either an OD or FDE frame so I immediately started looking into removing it.
I came across lots of information saying that acetone works, acetone doesn't work, brake fluid, bug repellent, etc. It seemed nobody had a definitive answer regarding what would remove it without damaging the gun underneath besides media blasting. The one absolute I found was if the hydro imaging was done wrong, or by an older method than bug spray containing DEET would remove it.
I got the gun home and went to work. Bug spray, Acetone, brake fluid, paint stripper, etc. you name it. Nothing would remove the stuff. I gotta say, this **** is the bomb. Had it never met me the camo would have probably stayed in place forever. Hydro imaging is some tough crap.
Anyway, enough about how tough it is, I wanted it off. After a couple of hours I made a discovery. Water. That's right, hot water and a toothbrush takes it right off like it was nothing. I took the Glock apart and threw it in a pot of boiling water and went to work.
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What I found was so long as the area you were working on was wet, the finish was soft and easy to remove. The second it dries (which it does quickly because the water is so hot) it is hard as a rock again. I did half the frame and half the slide at a time, leaving half in the water and the other half was what I held on to. I held a toothbrush in my other hand and basically wiped the film right off. It comes off the polymer MUCH easier than it comes off the steel.
After only about 20 minutes in the water with a toothbrush.
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Sadly, the people who dipped the gun did a very good job and did the gun right. As soon as the imaging began coming off the slide I noticed they had media blasted the slide before dipping it. The slide took about 30 minutes to get completely stripped.
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Back together
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I will probably just leave it like it is for now. It would appear that the tennifer treatment on the slide is still in place as the slide showed no signs of rust with all I put it through. I kinda like it's dull gray appearance. Perhaps I will take it down to Dobbs and have Frank work his magic on the slide, or perhaps I will just trade off the whole gun as it is.
Anyway, thought I would share.
I came across lots of information saying that acetone works, acetone doesn't work, brake fluid, bug repellent, etc. It seemed nobody had a definitive answer regarding what would remove it without damaging the gun underneath besides media blasting. The one absolute I found was if the hydro imaging was done wrong, or by an older method than bug spray containing DEET would remove it.
I got the gun home and went to work. Bug spray, Acetone, brake fluid, paint stripper, etc. you name it. Nothing would remove the stuff. I gotta say, this **** is the bomb. Had it never met me the camo would have probably stayed in place forever. Hydro imaging is some tough crap.
Anyway, enough about how tough it is, I wanted it off. After a couple of hours I made a discovery. Water. That's right, hot water and a toothbrush takes it right off like it was nothing. I took the Glock apart and threw it in a pot of boiling water and went to work.
[Broken External Image]:
What I found was so long as the area you were working on was wet, the finish was soft and easy to remove. The second it dries (which it does quickly because the water is so hot) it is hard as a rock again. I did half the frame and half the slide at a time, leaving half in the water and the other half was what I held on to. I held a toothbrush in my other hand and basically wiped the film right off. It comes off the polymer MUCH easier than it comes off the steel.
After only about 20 minutes in the water with a toothbrush.
[Broken External Image]:
Sadly, the people who dipped the gun did a very good job and did the gun right. As soon as the imaging began coming off the slide I noticed they had media blasted the slide before dipping it. The slide took about 30 minutes to get completely stripped.
[Broken External Image]:
Back together
[Broken External Image]:
I will probably just leave it like it is for now. It would appear that the tennifer treatment on the slide is still in place as the slide showed no signs of rust with all I put it through. I kinda like it's dull gray appearance. Perhaps I will take it down to Dobbs and have Frank work his magic on the slide, or perhaps I will just trade off the whole gun as it is.
Anyway, thought I would share.
