HansTheHobbit
02-10-16, 00:44
My dog died the other day, and I needed a project to keep my mind occupied, so this is what happened. I have been putting it off until I get more practice with Pmags and such, but luckily it turned out okay, or at least I'm happy with it.
37666
I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, along with a grip reduction, which may come later if I work up the courage to go through with it after doing a little more research. For now, this has fixed about 70% of my complaints regarding the Glock frame, and I expect that toning down the hump a little will fix another 15-20%. Since I got a lot of my information on the forums, I thought I would tell everyone what I learned in the process.
Here goes...
1. It was worth it. The only downside was voiding my warranty, and I finally have a Glock I actually enjoy.
2. None of the structural integrity has been lost, save for the trigger guard, which I feel is acceptable. My reasoning is that most other polymer pistol frames have much, much thinner trigger guards, and I've never heard of them failing. I actually measured the thickness of other trigger guards with a caliper and used that as a baseline for how much material I could remove. While it looks pretty thin, it still will not flex, so it's still very strong. Another thing I realized is that other parts of the Glock frame that are much more structural and vital to function are very thin compared to the trigger guard.
As for the effect of the stippling, what I did was very superficial. All the stippling was done with a needle point bit, and the total loss of material is thinner than a sheet of printer paper. I experimented with various textures on Pmags, and this was one of two textures I found that had no effect on the structural integrity. I wanted to mention that in case anyone is planning on doing a more aggressive texture.
3. A wood burner with variable heat (this is the one I used http://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Versa-Temp-Temperature-Woodburning/dp/B005P1TRAS) is the key to getting good results, both in terms of aesthetics and function. If the heat is too high, then the texture will be sharp and brittle. If it's too low, then it will be soft and "fuzzy", and not very durable. I also found that to get clean borders, it's necessary to outline them on low heat, making only the lightest possible marks. This creates a fade-out effect that makes the borders look much sharper. If you stipple all the way to the borders on high heat, then they won't look nearly as sharp. Interchangeable tips are also necessary. A spade shaped tip is the only one I found that worked to melt the existing texture and smooth it out over the frame. This, as opposed to sanding it down, preserves the integrity of the frame since you're simply reshaping the existing material instead of sanding it away.
Long story short, outline the borders on low heat, smooth the frame on medium heat, and stipple on medium-high heat. I know that's subjective. Low heat just barely leaves a mark, no smoke will be emitted. Medium heat melts the polymer, a little smoke is created, but the polymer won't bubble or sizzle. High heat, the polymer will sizzle and bubble up, but it won't burn or leave a bunch of stringy bits all over. When doing the actual stippling, you should only have to touch it for a fraction of a second, and with very little pressure. The tool should be doing all the work. The bubbling/sizzling effect is necessary to getting the most texture out of the least material, as it causes the polymer to rise.
4. Don't stay in one area too long, or the heat will build up very quickly. Even if it feels cool on the surface, the heat transfers to the inside of the magazine well. It would be very easy to heat the frame up enough to warp it. I feel this is especially important when you're stippling the trigger finger index area since it's very close to where the slide rails are molded into the frame.
5. Clean your tip often. Carbon builds up on them, reducing the effectiveness. If you feel the material has suddenly gotten tougher, or feel like your burner is losing heat, then you've got carbon buildup. It can be pretty tenacious, so it may take some scraping to get it all off.
6. Never use sand paper on the stippling; it will ruin it. Only use steel wool. It will be necessary to knock off the sharp bits. Start with 2 or 3 gauge steel wool and very lightly brush it across the surfaces in different directions. It doesn't take much, and it's very easy to forget how superficial the texture really is. It's not hard to remove it completely, so be very conservative. After a few brushes, move down to 0. Spend a little more time with the 0, then move down to 000. This will leave something on the order of fine grip tape. It's perfectly comfortable with bare hands, and fairly effective with gloves. Most importantly, it retains a lot of its grip when wet or dusty. I would advise spending extra time around the beaver tail, as the web of your hand is pretty sensitive, and I would advise not using any texture around the trigger guard area, unless you plan on shooting exclusively with gloves. Alternately, spend less time around the palm and finger areas to retain a more aggressive texture there.
7. It can't be done in a day. Depending on your schedule, this may take you several weeks. I had two full days (I don't have kids) this weekend to devote to it, and I spent about 45 minutes yesterday and today buffing and polishing everything. So if you're doing your carry piece, then you really need to have a backup to carry during the process.
8. After you're done, make sure you fully detail strip everything and get all the steel wool and polymer dust out of it before shooting it or cycling it too much. I like to leave the slide on during the whole process, as its something to grab. It's also necessary to clamp the slide in a vice while doing the trigger guard undercut, so you have both hands to make sure and get everything nice and even.
Well, hope this helps someone out. I would suggest getting lots and lots of practice before doing a Glock. I practiced first on about five A2 grips, then about six magazines and three Magpul grips. Had I not practiced and gotten the right tools I hate to think how badly it would have turned out. Pmags are definitely the ticket, as the polymer is very similar. A2 grips were nothing like the polymer on Glocks and behaved very differently. Also do a lot of planning, and mark off the areas you want to stipple very carefully. It's easy to get lost in the stippling when you're doing it and stipple something you didn't mean to. Taking frequent breaks will also help keep you from zoning out.
37666
I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, along with a grip reduction, which may come later if I work up the courage to go through with it after doing a little more research. For now, this has fixed about 70% of my complaints regarding the Glock frame, and I expect that toning down the hump a little will fix another 15-20%. Since I got a lot of my information on the forums, I thought I would tell everyone what I learned in the process.
Here goes...
1. It was worth it. The only downside was voiding my warranty, and I finally have a Glock I actually enjoy.
2. None of the structural integrity has been lost, save for the trigger guard, which I feel is acceptable. My reasoning is that most other polymer pistol frames have much, much thinner trigger guards, and I've never heard of them failing. I actually measured the thickness of other trigger guards with a caliper and used that as a baseline for how much material I could remove. While it looks pretty thin, it still will not flex, so it's still very strong. Another thing I realized is that other parts of the Glock frame that are much more structural and vital to function are very thin compared to the trigger guard.
As for the effect of the stippling, what I did was very superficial. All the stippling was done with a needle point bit, and the total loss of material is thinner than a sheet of printer paper. I experimented with various textures on Pmags, and this was one of two textures I found that had no effect on the structural integrity. I wanted to mention that in case anyone is planning on doing a more aggressive texture.
3. A wood burner with variable heat (this is the one I used http://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Versa-Temp-Temperature-Woodburning/dp/B005P1TRAS) is the key to getting good results, both in terms of aesthetics and function. If the heat is too high, then the texture will be sharp and brittle. If it's too low, then it will be soft and "fuzzy", and not very durable. I also found that to get clean borders, it's necessary to outline them on low heat, making only the lightest possible marks. This creates a fade-out effect that makes the borders look much sharper. If you stipple all the way to the borders on high heat, then they won't look nearly as sharp. Interchangeable tips are also necessary. A spade shaped tip is the only one I found that worked to melt the existing texture and smooth it out over the frame. This, as opposed to sanding it down, preserves the integrity of the frame since you're simply reshaping the existing material instead of sanding it away.
Long story short, outline the borders on low heat, smooth the frame on medium heat, and stipple on medium-high heat. I know that's subjective. Low heat just barely leaves a mark, no smoke will be emitted. Medium heat melts the polymer, a little smoke is created, but the polymer won't bubble or sizzle. High heat, the polymer will sizzle and bubble up, but it won't burn or leave a bunch of stringy bits all over. When doing the actual stippling, you should only have to touch it for a fraction of a second, and with very little pressure. The tool should be doing all the work. The bubbling/sizzling effect is necessary to getting the most texture out of the least material, as it causes the polymer to rise.
4. Don't stay in one area too long, or the heat will build up very quickly. Even if it feels cool on the surface, the heat transfers to the inside of the magazine well. It would be very easy to heat the frame up enough to warp it. I feel this is especially important when you're stippling the trigger finger index area since it's very close to where the slide rails are molded into the frame.
5. Clean your tip often. Carbon builds up on them, reducing the effectiveness. If you feel the material has suddenly gotten tougher, or feel like your burner is losing heat, then you've got carbon buildup. It can be pretty tenacious, so it may take some scraping to get it all off.
6. Never use sand paper on the stippling; it will ruin it. Only use steel wool. It will be necessary to knock off the sharp bits. Start with 2 or 3 gauge steel wool and very lightly brush it across the surfaces in different directions. It doesn't take much, and it's very easy to forget how superficial the texture really is. It's not hard to remove it completely, so be very conservative. After a few brushes, move down to 0. Spend a little more time with the 0, then move down to 000. This will leave something on the order of fine grip tape. It's perfectly comfortable with bare hands, and fairly effective with gloves. Most importantly, it retains a lot of its grip when wet or dusty. I would advise spending extra time around the beaver tail, as the web of your hand is pretty sensitive, and I would advise not using any texture around the trigger guard area, unless you plan on shooting exclusively with gloves. Alternately, spend less time around the palm and finger areas to retain a more aggressive texture there.
7. It can't be done in a day. Depending on your schedule, this may take you several weeks. I had two full days (I don't have kids) this weekend to devote to it, and I spent about 45 minutes yesterday and today buffing and polishing everything. So if you're doing your carry piece, then you really need to have a backup to carry during the process.
8. After you're done, make sure you fully detail strip everything and get all the steel wool and polymer dust out of it before shooting it or cycling it too much. I like to leave the slide on during the whole process, as its something to grab. It's also necessary to clamp the slide in a vice while doing the trigger guard undercut, so you have both hands to make sure and get everything nice and even.
Well, hope this helps someone out. I would suggest getting lots and lots of practice before doing a Glock. I practiced first on about five A2 grips, then about six magazines and three Magpul grips. Had I not practiced and gotten the right tools I hate to think how badly it would have turned out. Pmags are definitely the ticket, as the polymer is very similar. A2 grips were nothing like the polymer on Glocks and behaved very differently. Also do a lot of planning, and mark off the areas you want to stipple very carefully. It's easy to get lost in the stippling when you're doing it and stipple something you didn't mean to. Taking frequent breaks will also help keep you from zoning out.