Was annoyed how the frame on my Desert Eagle Id recently gotten ahold of seemed to try and pick up rust just from holding it ( dont you dare forget to touch it with an oil rag!), while the rest of it doesnt seem as persnickety....
So I hit on an idea, coat the frame!
I always liked the look of a two tone black slide, stainless/chrome/nickel frame, so why not try something that replicates that?
Well I dont have alot of stuff for it, or experience using them, so the aerosol Aluma Hyde appealed to me. And they listed a "Stainless steel grey".... so fast forward a bit, and I have the stuff in hand.
Stripped the frame down to bare ( surprisingly easy with the Desert Eagle!)
Scrubbed it down a bit with a green scrubby pad ( no sand blaster, so had to improvise), found out the frames "Black oxide" finish is INCREDIBLY weak ( no suprise there).
It was also, surprisingly easy due to the large flat surfaces and large curved areas that are open.
Once that was done, I used pure acetone to degrease it as best as I could.... messy but nothing to bad. Then hit it with a hairdryer to both flash off the acetone, and heat the metal up.....also gently heated the can of Aluma Hyde ( recommended that the spray be about 90 degree, along with the metal)....
After making sure it was all shaken up well, and the metal was thoroughly warm, it was time to spray.
Light coats, with a quick heat cycle between them. I did three since some had noted it was a bit much to do 4, and 2 may not be enough.
Now, it can be left to "air cure" which can take a week, or possibly two. Or you can bake it. So..... yeah. Who wants to wait 2 weeks and hope the stuff cures correctly.
So, I let it sit for a bit, and got an old, out of use smoker up to 200-250 degrees ( it didnt like to stay right at any temp, part of why it was out of use.... but thats ok, found another use for it), and once I had it cycling at a reasonable level, I retrieved the frame, and hung it up to bake. Left it in for alllllmost 4 hours.
Pulled it out, let it cool, and once cooled surveyed my work. Hard and cured, but a couple spots deep in the frame didnt get completely scrubbed free from oil, and hadnt been scuffed up, so it didnt quite take.... so good thing that area was incidental and wasnt what I was looking to worry about anyway. Literally an area that was going to be wore clean in time anyway.....
So yeah. Assembled it, after giving it a through look over, which was arguably a bigger pain in the butt then disassembly ( pro tips, use a grocery store rewards card to slide the slide catch spring into postion, dont try and drag everything into postion... saves alot of pain. Also a metal drinking straw or similar works great for holding the trigger spring exactly where is needed), and voila. It is done. Oiled it up and then admired my work.
I am pleased. Not bad for a first try... I think anyway.
So I hit on an idea, coat the frame!
I always liked the look of a two tone black slide, stainless/chrome/nickel frame, so why not try something that replicates that?
Well I dont have alot of stuff for it, or experience using them, so the aerosol Aluma Hyde appealed to me. And they listed a "Stainless steel grey".... so fast forward a bit, and I have the stuff in hand.
Stripped the frame down to bare ( surprisingly easy with the Desert Eagle!)
Scrubbed it down a bit with a green scrubby pad ( no sand blaster, so had to improvise), found out the frames "Black oxide" finish is INCREDIBLY weak ( no suprise there).
It was also, surprisingly easy due to the large flat surfaces and large curved areas that are open.
Once that was done, I used pure acetone to degrease it as best as I could.... messy but nothing to bad. Then hit it with a hairdryer to both flash off the acetone, and heat the metal up.....also gently heated the can of Aluma Hyde ( recommended that the spray be about 90 degree, along with the metal)....
After making sure it was all shaken up well, and the metal was thoroughly warm, it was time to spray.
Light coats, with a quick heat cycle between them. I did three since some had noted it was a bit much to do 4, and 2 may not be enough.
Now, it can be left to "air cure" which can take a week, or possibly two. Or you can bake it. So..... yeah. Who wants to wait 2 weeks and hope the stuff cures correctly.
So, I let it sit for a bit, and got an old, out of use smoker up to 200-250 degrees ( it didnt like to stay right at any temp, part of why it was out of use.... but thats ok, found another use for it), and once I had it cycling at a reasonable level, I retrieved the frame, and hung it up to bake. Left it in for alllllmost 4 hours.
Pulled it out, let it cool, and once cooled surveyed my work. Hard and cured, but a couple spots deep in the frame didnt get completely scrubbed free from oil, and hadnt been scuffed up, so it didnt quite take.... so good thing that area was incidental and wasnt what I was looking to worry about anyway. Literally an area that was going to be wore clean in time anyway.....
So yeah. Assembled it, after giving it a through look over, which was arguably a bigger pain in the butt then disassembly ( pro tips, use a grocery store rewards card to slide the slide catch spring into postion, dont try and drag everything into postion... saves alot of pain. Also a metal drinking straw or similar works great for holding the trigger spring exactly where is needed), and voila. It is done. Oiled it up and then admired my work.
I am pleased. Not bad for a first try... I think anyway.
