Sanding frame of 5.1

[turok_t]

Hey guys i got a full black TM 5.1 Do people usually sand the frame of the gun so that it looks nice and silver? Are people successful though given that there are hard to reach corners and crevices of the frame? Im hoping that I can sand it down (1000grid-2000grid) so that it looks smooth and appears like CNC. Does anyone have any pics of their sanded down frame? Thanks

[yuhaoyang]

it turns a dull silver-gray unless you clearcoat immediately after sanding btw.
To get the whole thing silver is a bit of a pain; there are right angle corners that are hard to sand, and you pretty much need to separate the frame from everything, sand stuff like the safety separately, ect ect.
I sanded half of mine, it looked pretty badass, and I left it as is.

[turok_t]

Originally Posted by yuhaoyang

it turns a dull silver-gray unless you clearcoat immediately after sanding btw.
To get the whole thing silver is a bit of a pain; there are right angle corners that are hard to sand, and you pretty much need to separate the frame from everything, sand stuff like the safety separately, ect ect.
I sanded half of mine, it looked pretty badass, and I left it as is.

do u have any pics i can look at? right now im debating whether to get the OPS MRP or LIMCAT/PHANTERA slide

[yuhaoyang]

[theguy]

http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=91034

Worth a read, not all of it is relevant to you, but theres some good info in there.

[turok_t]

Originally Posted by yuhaoyang

Oh actually you posted this pic somewhere else on the forum that I was browsing through before. Is it hard to disassembly everything from the frame?

[ILLusion]

I'd recommend NOT doing it, unless you plan on disassembling the entire gun to reapply a fresh coat of acrylic coating every several thousand rounds to keep the finish from oxidizing.

Even though I can strip a Hi-Capa to individual pieces and reassemble it in less than 10 minutes, I wouldn't want to deal with the headache of doing this frequently.

Acrylic clearcoats do wear off... if you use the pistol as a skirmish weapon, it can see some pretty heavy wear, depending on your holster as well. This is why you'd need to reapply the coat. And after several coats, I don't think your gun would be too pretty anymore.

Or you could just not bother with the clearcoat at all, but ask anybody what happens to their polished and unprotected frame after not even touching it for 3 months...

I'm sure some guys can tell you stories about what happens to sanded Tokyo Marui die-cast metal...

It would basically look worse than if you'd just got the 5.1 Stainless model to begin with.

[turok_t]

I trust the God of hi-capa

Originally Posted by ILLusion

I'd recommend NOT doing it, unless you plan on disassembling the entire gun to reapply a fresh coat of acrylic coating every several thousand rounds to keep the finish from oxidizing.

Even though I can strip a Hi-Capa to individual pieces and reassemble it in less than 10 minutes, I wouldn't want to deal with the headache of doing this frequently.

Acrylic clearcoats do wear off... if you use the pistol as a skirmish weapon, it can see some pretty heavy wear, depending on your holster as well. This is why you'd need to reapply the coat. And after several coats, I don't think your gun would be too pretty anymore.

Or you could just not bother with the clearcoat at all, but ask anybody what happens to their polished and unprotected frame after not even touching it for 3 months...

I'm sure some guys can tell you stories about what happens to sanded Tokyo Marui die-cast metal...

It would basically look worse than if you'd just got the 5.1 Stainless model to begin with.

[pusangani]

yeh, don't do it, if you want a silver gun, buy a silver gun

[Whodini]

If you do this, I'd recommend coating it with future floor polish. It's acrylic, and will make your gun exceptionally shiny. I'm sure it would last far longer than any spray can clear coat would due to the slightly thicker application using a brush, and the fact it's for floors. Don't forget to polish it with silvo before you coat it for an extra high shine.

[turok_t]

Actually, besides sanding, is there any other way I can make my frame look silver besides painting it?

EDIT: I also heard something called sandblasting? Will that work?

[pusangani]

take it to get chromed i guess, although I don't know how the metal will take the process

[Shirley]

Ask a retailer to import you a silver frame, or buy yourself a stainless hi-capa 5.1. Simple.

[turok_t]

Frames are too expensive man... and the stainless model looks like shit.. the frame looks plastic and doesnt even look silver.. ask illusion

[yuhaoyang]

think of sandblasting as uber sandpapering.
like strip 2 layers of good quality car paint in fractions of a second uber... (for a psi set to it anyways).
If you want it to last long... maybe electroplating? Chroming is electroplating with chromium
Want that extra bling-bling factor? Try silver electroplating =p (I kid I kid)