View Full Version : Glock stippling questions
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 11:49
I recently traded for a ' rescue ' Glock 34 Gen 4 with an FDE frame. The gun itself has only been fired a few times and is super clean and, however the frame is a complete at home do it yourself abortion. I have never stippled a firearm or anything else before, but I was curious as to what my options are in fixing this. I obviously don't want to go deeper and effect the rigidity of the frame. Here's my dilemma, can I fix this, or do I need to buy a new frame? Thanks in advance guys.
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Pictures would help.
Yes pictures would help.
But as a wild guess, maybe you can sand it down a bit ?
I know I completely trashed the frame the first time I did it I made the holes too big, it looked ugly and was so rough it eat my hand.
I got a smaller tip, went slower and it came out much better and since then it has had thousands of rounds through it.35431
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 16:22
I know pictures would help and I apologize I have not uploaded them yet. New update caused tapatalk to stop working on this site. I will upload them as soon as I get home.
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 16:36
Pictures uploaded
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 17:13
Yes pictures would help.
But as a wild guess, maybe you can sand it down a bit ?
I'm just honestly not sure how far I can go down. Especially on the back. The holes are quite large.
Brasilnuts
10-14-15, 17:17
Here's my slightly educated idea, I've done a few of these.
Hard to tell how deep that stipple goes so I'm not sure if it'll will work or not but you don't have much to lose at this point.
Get a Dremel and use the sanding drum with a fine grit to remove (start with slow RPM) some material. I'd take it down close to the bottom of the dimples he made, but not quite all the way.
Remove the finger grooves, they're shot.
Go to Home Depot and find a 1" flat head screw that will fit in your wood burner. Buy extra.
Take your Dremel with a cutting disc on it and cut random slots in the screw head to make your own burning tip. Try several screws until you get one you think will work well.
Make sure the tip is good and hot before you use it, I press it on a 2x4 and if it smokes it pokes.
As you stipple rotate a different direction each time you go. This will give a seemless appearance.
This method shouldn't go any deeper and will just spread the material that is left there.
I'm just honestly not sure how far I can go down. Especially on the back. The holes are quite large.
Since it is a gen 4 you should be able to replace the backstrap.
While you are at it replace the mag release.
IMO you could sand it down a bit by hand, but it looks like it will be usable, but ugly.
Hope you got a good price on it.
You could try "smearing," the stippled area with heat to try and level it out and then stipple it to your liking. Personally, I would send it to a professional and see what they can do.
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 23:06
You could try "smearing," the stippled area with heat to try and level it out and then stipple it to your liking. Personally, I would send it to a professional and see what they can do.
That might be what I decide. If it's going to cost me more than a new frame though it might not he worth it. Thanks for the info so far.
It can be fixed. Sanding it all down is not the way in which I fix stippling issues. If the stippling isn't excessively deep I re-heat and re-texture the existing. Sometimes you can just go over it, however from those pics you may need to "knock down" the texture with heat and then go over it. On really bad jobs, I may slightly "knock down" any really high spots and opt to do an epoxy fill and various texture methods depending. If a frame is so bad that the integrity is shot or where a "grip fill and sand" method failed well then it may just be time for a new frame. But I have done restorations that were worse than that.
WickedWillis
10-14-15, 23:22
It can be fixed. Sanding it all down is not the way in which I fix stippling issues. If the stippling isn't excessively deep I re-heat and re-texture the existing. Sometimes you can just go over it, however from those pics you may need to "knock down" the texture with heat and then go over it. On really bad jobs, I may slightly "knock down" any really high spots and opt to do an epoxy fill and various texture methods depending. If a frame is so bad that the integrity is shot or where a "grip fill and sand" method failed well then it may just be time for a new frame. But I have done restorations that were worse than that.
I'm looking at buying a heat gun and a dremel tool, depending on prices. This is good stuff, thank you.
If you don't care about matching serial #'s Glock will replace a frame for 100$ no matter what's been done to it.
WickedWillis
10-15-15, 00:14
If you don't care about matching serial #'s Glock will replace a frame for 100$ no matter what's been done to it.
That doesn't bother me. I had no clue Glock does that though.
I concur with Surf on this one. It is salvageable and if done correctly, you will never be able to tell what was done prior.
TXPO
You don't need a heat gun, just a flat tip for your soldering iron or whatever you used to texture it the firs time. Smear the polymer down, very much like spreading butter on toast. Once you have filled in everything, then work over the grip to even out the high spots. DO NOT REMOVE MUCH MATERIAL when sanding over it though. You want to retain as much of the polymer as you can. Once the grip is smooth, apply your new texturing technique, and you should be GTG.
FWIW I have restored frames much worse than yours.
TXPO
WickedWillis
10-15-15, 11:50
You don't need a heat gun, just a flat tip for your soldering iron or whatever you used to texture it the firs time. Smear the polymer down, very much like spreading butter on toast. Once you have filled in everything, then work over the grip to even out the high spots. DO NOT REMOVE MUCH MATERIAL when sanding over it though. You want to retain as much of the polymer as you can. Once the grip is smooth, apply your new texturing technique, and you should be GTG.
FWIW I have restored frames much worse than yours.
TXPO
Alright I will watch that. I did not do the original stipple job, and I have never stippled anything before, which is why I was leary and asking for advice on where to start. I borrowed a friend's soldering iron for corrections.
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