Black to Black

[Mhuot]

So getting a black frame back to its true black we need to use the Glade multi surface correct. Do you just need to soak it or wok it and polish it. I don’t want a mirror finish but I want it a deep black again. Also what can I do to get the “break” marks out all the way from the tabs. I don’t want to take more off due to not wanting the frame to have any bigger gap in it. They don’t bother me but not quite FTQ.
THANKS

 

[CECannonJr]

Following for learning.

 

[Michele]

All the videos are here at the resource center
Video #7 blemish removal shows how to polish black frame. It’s the hardest color to get that grey off. The reason it’s grey is due to scratches in the polymer, sorta like headlights that are dull, remove the scratches via fine sanding 1k, 2k & plastic polish / buff. Green polishers work pretty good. Soak them in water and keep the polymer wet while using. Same with sanding. Use water.
Adding oil of some type and soak over night seems to help some. I think Pledge is what MGB recommended. Dont remember.

As a side note your channel is very nice. That is for sure FTQ !
Try using Corys method , also in the resource center, to brighten up the frame. The meguiars and cerakote wipes worked well for him.

I myself wet sand / polish to 3k grit, soak over night in mineral oil then then meguiars plastic polish. If I do another black frame I’m going to try out the cerakote wipes.

Enjoy the rest of your build journey !

 

[CECannonJr]

All the videos are here at the resource center
Video #7 blemish removal shows how to polish black frame. It’s the hardest color to get that grey off. The reason it’s grey is due to scratches in the polymer, sorta like headlights that are dull, remove the scratches via fine sanding 1k, 2k & plastic polish / buff. Green polishers work pretty good. Soak them in water and keep the polymer wet while using. Same with sanding. Use water.
Adding oil of some type and soak over night seems to help some. I think Pledge is what MGB recommended. Dont remember.

As a side note your channel is very nice. That is for sure FTQ !
Try using Corys method , also in the resource center, to brighten up the frame. The meguiars and cerakote wipes worked well for him.

I myself wet sand / polish to 3k grit, soak over night in mineral oil then then meguiars plastic polish. If I do another black frame I’m going to try out the cerakote wipes.

Enjoy the rest of your build journey !

Great information. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mhuot]

Thanks I will watch again. I did soak mineral oil in my rails and channel prior to sanding but have only got 1000 grit so far on them. I will try 1500 then 2000 also. If I put mineral oil back on it it gets black again but it’s not soaking in to deep and still has a slight gray haze. Like I said I want to get it worked out before I start on the frame it’s self. Did my gray frame and now going to have to them all. The feel is just so much nicer.

 

[Mooner]

If I put mineral oil back on it it gets black again but it’s not soaking in to deep and still has a slight gray haze

Try WD-40 next time, apply it and wait a few minutes and go to work.
Does two things, soften polymer = smoother finish and eliminated gray haze look.

 

[Firearms101]

Very nice work! After trying the cerakote wipes, I definitively prefer them over the multi-surface Pledge. Maybe I had the wrong Pledge, but it never really soaked in or shined them up as shown in video. Big thumbs up on the cerakote wipes. Tried them on some P80 Ar lowers and also worked great!

Going to try the WD-40 next….

 

[Mhuot]

Thanks. I just tried some of the pledge and also maybe I didn’t get the right multisurface one but not impressed. I will get the wipes and try them

 

[Nanotec-USA]

Very nice work! After trying the cerakote wipes, I definitively prefer them over the multi-surface Pledge. Maybe I had the wrong Pledge, but it never really soaked in or shined them up as shown in video.

Use regular Pledge, it has wax in it.

 

[Hawkeye]

This will bring that deep black finish back and will hold up for a long time.

There are other brands that work as well so look for a plastic restore polish. I just use a soft brush on a low speed to work the polish into the plastic. Use enough so you can soak for a few minutes then wipe off excess with a clean rag. Cotten works best, paper towels or tissue leave lent. This lastes for a long time.

 

[One Ping Only]

So so glad this was posted! I've been wanting to get our frames a richer, deeper BLACK color (including our Hogue grips which might not work), and while we have the Meguire's Ultimate Black and I've used it before, I was less than impressed with the results.

Hmm, maybe some Cerakote wipes, or that brushed-in technique Hawkeye has posted above. I've been, uhh "geeking out" on some leather care with a product that's awesome, and our polymer frames' restoration have been my next chore. Hmm. Hmmmmmmm. Going to monitor this thread closely. Great post, Mhuot!!!!

 

[One Ping Only]

This?

 

[One Ping Only]

TIP FOR RUBBER GRIPS: You do NOT want to use the CERAKOTE wipes on rubber, as CERAKOTE doesn't recommend it...what I just found in doing some digging online, is you don't want to use anything silicone based, or petroleum based. The best two conditioners for these Hogue Rubber grips, or any other rubber grip, are water based (which is what you want for rubber) and I should have known...(DOH!)

1. 303 Rubber Seal Protectant
or
2. Gummi Pflege Stift. (the original germanic formulation for BMW, MB, and other German auto rubber door seals, etc)

I'm jazzed, as I have Gummy Pflege out in our shop. Yippee!!

You can find both on Amazon, FWIW.

 

[Nanotec-USA]

When wet sanding don't have so much water that it pools on the surface. In doing so the sandpaper will slide across the surface without sanding. Soaked paper with WD40, peanut oil or plane water is best. You will feel the grit grab slightly. Lesson learned from restoration of hundreds of headlights for clients.

 

[Hawkeye]

I stopped using water for a wet sanding, I use K1, WD40 or some kind of mineral sprit. Basically, you need to use some kind of oil-based liquid. Polymer will soak it up, sandpaper will not load up.
This helps in the long run for bring back the original color of the frame.

 

[One Ping Only]

Seems like as per your descriptions, water displacement is. problem with wet-sanding, whereas some sort of oil will remain due to it's more "clingy" or more viscous nature. Great tips!!

Oh, I went out to the garage to get my bottle of Gummy Pflege, and this is made by Sonar in Germany. It too, is water-based, and what you want for rubber. I've come to learn that using non-water based products on rubber lead to the rubber being "adidicted" to the treatment, and you need more and more over time.... and it breaks down the rubber, Rubber in its natural state is a grey-white color, so when you see old neglected rubber that's whitish, it's reverting to its natural state before the other additives are impregnated in it.

I'll do a before and after of the Hogue grips after treatment. They don't look bad now, just more graphite-grayish, than rich black.

Hawkeye what rotary brush are you using on the Dremel? You said soft bristles, so I can't imagine them being any kind of metal.

We do have a genuine horsehair brush by Colourlock (it's small so that may work for this type of work) that I used on a CONVERTIBLE M3's BMW's ragtop for a restoration job I did a few years ago.... while it's not a motorized jobbie, but a small 5" bristle brush, it may be perfect for polymer frames.

 

[Michele]

know ya asked Hawkeye but I use these type nylon brushes on my Dremel to polish plastics & frames.

Walmart pix of their $10 set

 

[One Ping Only]

AH! Perfect. Thanks, Michele!

Here's a pic of a SC without the Gummy Pflege treated Hogue grip on the left, and a GST-9 WITH Gummi Pflege on the Hogue grip...

 

[One Ping Only]

 

[One Ping Only]

What I have found using the Gummi Pfege...use it exactly as you would for rubber door seals and weather stripping. Clean the rubber, apply the product, let it sit for about 7-10 minutes, then wipe off with a soft cloth. (I like microfiber for this)...make sure you clean off all trace of product and just leave the conditioned rubber. BTW, this has also been applied to my talon grip (original texture) material and it works GREAT.

Make sure you remove any added "lubricity" left in excess by the product. You may find something better for this application, but here's what I found, and what seems to be perfect for the Hogue grips. I have NOT applied it to the polymer AT ALL.

The pictures may not be good enough to demonstrate, but there is a noticeable difference in before and after..not over the top but the overall tone is a darker, richer charcoal that really subdues the grey-ing tendency of the rubber. I just did another GST-9/TalonGrip frame treatment, and will try it next on my .40 S&W with Talon Grips. I like the difference. Looks more cared-for, fresh, and something on the "professional" LE level of care and feeding. It's all in the details and little things. Hope somebody else can benefit from this, or find another alternative that works for them for this application. Cheers!