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Posted: 6/13/2025 4:27:43 PM EDT
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Hey all, I'm new here so please excuse me if this is the wrong sub-forum. I have about 3 lowers (2 non standard) that I registered as SBRs. As part of this process I had them engraved. I was originally going to engrave the barrel but the engraver convinced me to engrave the lowers instead since I don't ever plan to sell the guns and I *may* switch out the barrels at some point. I regret this now but what's done is done so no chastising necessary :D The engraving itself was done with a laser and came out very nicely in all the cases. Small text, not too intrusive. However, afterwards, he simply used some sort of big sharpie and what looked like some oil to blacken the spots that were engraved. It looks...OK at best. Fine from afar if you're not looking carefully. But up close you can see the sharpie marks don't 100% line up with the engraving, nor do they match the color of the lower exactly either. I'm also worried that the sharpie won't protect that portion of the lower from oxidation like the original black paint (anodizing?) did. I'm not sure if this fear is warranted or if I am being too obsessive since the actual engraving is pretty tiny. So, is there a good way to remove the sharpie cleanly and fill in the engraved text more precisely? Or would you guys recommend something more drastic like sand-blasting the entire lower and cerakoting it? Or am I just being obsessive and should I just leave well enough alone and not worry about it so much? Thanks! |
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Originally Posted By dan_k: Hey all, I'm new here so please excuse me if this is the wrong sub-forum. I have about 3 lowers (2 non standard) that I registered as SBRs. As part of this process I had them engraved. I was originally going to engrave the barrel but the engraver convinced me to engrave the lowers instead since I don't ever plan to sell the guns and I *may* switch out the barrels at some point. I regret this now but what's done is done so no chastising necessary :D The engraving itself was done with a laser and came out very nicely in all the cases. Small text, not too intrusive. However, afterwards, he simply used some sort of big sharpie and what looked like some oil to blacken the spots that were engraved. It looks...OK at best. Fine from afar if you're not looking carefully. But up close you can see the sharpie marks don't 100% line up with the engraving, nor do they match the color of the lower exactly either. I'm also worried that the sharpie won't protect that portion of the lower from oxidation like the original black paint (anodizing?) did. I'm not sure if this fear is warranted or if I am being too obsessive since the actual engraving is pretty tiny. So, is there a good way to remove the sharpie cleanly and fill in the engraved text more precisely? Or would you guys recommend something more drastic like sand-blasting the entire lower and cerakoting it? Or am I just being obsessive and should I just leave well enough alone and not worry about it so much? Thanks! The exposed aluminum is not going to corrode, unless to expose it to salt. It you are worried about appearance, try Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black. |
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If you want to fill, use a Fil Stik. They are waxy type sticks that you rub in and wipe off excess. It eventually hardens. If you want to get rid of the sharpie, use WD-40, then clean with alcohol and dab with Aluminum Black. |
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Originally Posted By lysanderxiii: Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black. This with Q tip to apply, and just use acetone/finger nail polish remover on Q tips to wick out the sharpie ink first from the surface of the aluminam. Hence anodizing is a clear hard coat grown on the surface of the aluminum via electrolytic and surfic acid in cold solution, the anodized surface pores are still open, so soak in dying solution to soak the color in the open pores of anodized layer next, then part submerged in hot water color bath of same color to close the pores and seal in the color. The acetone is not going to leach the color out of the anodized sealed layer, only the ink from from the marker on the raw aluminum that the layer etching burnt through, and the aluminuam black is going to acid burn/color in the surface of the raw aluminuam to about the same color as the surrounding anodized black layer area. Note, apply, use water to stop the reaction once you have the surface blackened to dark black color, then lets the new black surface dry a bit to allow the surface treatment to set and harden, then you can apply CLP to the receiver and other area and should blend in pretty well. |
Posted By PlaymoreMinds:
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
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Ruckus, I just want it to match and not be susceptible to damage from corrosion. The sharpie isn't a great match and looks a bit unprofessional. Dano, I'm confused. In your first sentence you said to to use Q-tips w/acetone to remove the old sharpie and another set of Q-tips to apply the Aluminum Black. That makes sense but then you're saying after that I have to do a soak in a dying solution then another soak in a hot water color bath? Is that second part all necessary just to apply the Aluminum Black? |
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Originally Posted By dan_k: Ruckus, I just want it to match and not be susceptible to damage from corrosion. The sharpie isn't a great match and looks a bit unprofessional. Dano, I'm confused. In your first sentence you said to to use Q-tips w/acetone to remove the old sharpie and another set of Q-tips to apply the Aluminum Black. That makes sense but then you're saying after that I have to do a soak in a dying solution then another soak in a hot water color bath? Is that second part all necessary just to apply the Aluminum Black? The second paragraph is a short description of how hard anodizing works to make the color in the first place. 1. Clean the area with acetone. 2. Apply Aluminum Black, per instructions on the bottle. 3. Rinse the area to stop the blackening chemical reaction. |
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Until you get the aluminum surface removed of all oils and ink, the aluminum black is not going to surface etch the raw aluminum. If you want to use WD-40 first to help leach out some on the ink over the engraving, go for it, but will need to use acetone/finger nail polish remove to remove all surface oils, before the aluminum black can surface etch the engraving raw aluminum. |
Posted By PlaymoreMinds:
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
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Originally Posted By dan_k: I just worry about staining with acetone but will proceed with caution. The anodized pores have been sealed, so your not going to leach out any of the coloring from them with the acetone, more harm the anodizingg coating itself. Yes, the anodizing where the acetone touches it, will look dry, since it going to pull the oil from the surface, but once done with the blackening of the engraved raw aluminum area, giving it some time to set, and then reapplying CLP to the surfaces again, all will be like you where never three. Don't believe me, remove the pistol grip, then use acetone on any part that the grip will cover up, give a min of two for the acetone to evaporate off, re- apply CLP to the area, and will never know that acetone where every used on the the receiver. https://youtu.be/XvbqW9vZnNA |
Posted By PlaymoreMinds:
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
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