Best way to protect finish on a scandium frame

Kursac · #1 04-29-2012, 11:33 AM

Just wondering what might be the best way to protect the black anodized finish on my 1911 E series scandium frame. I have it out a S&W right now and hoping that the finish gets repaired. It there any kind of lube or wax that is recommended to use around the thumb safety that would help minimize the damage in that area. I know it's a ware location on this gun but I do like to take care of my stuff.

Notary · #2 07-28-2018, 09:13 PM

I have read in several post that the "Black" finish is not anodizing, but just a finish over the alloy. If it was anodizing, it wears off fairly easily.....and that would not be good.

mike campbell · #3 07-28-2018, 11:34 PM

Why not ask S&W?

BMCM · #4 07-29-2018, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kursac

Just wondering what might be the best way to protect the black anodized finish on my 1911 E series scandium frame. I have it out a S&W right now and hoping that the finish gets repaired. It there any kind of lube or wax that is recommended to use around the thumb safety that would help minimize the damage in that area. I know it's a ware location on this gun but I do like to take care of my stuff.

Your frame is really just aluminum with a minuscule amount of scandium added as an alloying element typically much less than 1% then anodized same as any other aluminum frame. If your thumb safety is chewing up the frame I'd suspect defects in the finish on the underside of the thumb safety. Any defects or roughness found can be dressed & polished away by hand through careful stoning with some small stone files. Fine india stone followed by hard Arkansas or ceramic for final polish. You'll want to use stones by hand taking care to ensure the part stays perfectly flat and especially stay clear the sear engagement lug, you can quickly disable the safety and ruin the part by hitting that lug.

This is a Colt part but nevertheless you can see some of these are pretty crusty on the underside...The tail of that file is pointing to the lug you want to not mess with.

As to minimizing further wear... once you have addressed any defects on your safety lever/s, I would suggest a tiny dab of extreme pressure grease under the lever to isolate the steel part from the aluminum frame. Dupont Krytox GPL-217 or GPL-215... this stuff is a very thick EP moly synthetic grease with teflon thickeners ideal for applications such as this. It's not particularly cheap but its by far the best stuff I know of for protecting aluminum from getting chewed up where it interfaces with a steel part. A little goes a very long way... a dab no larger than a sesame seed ought to suffice.

Cheers
Bill

Merc6 · #5 08-01-2018, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMCM

Your frame is really just aluminum with a minuscule amount of scandium added as an alloying element typically much less than 1% then anodized same as any other aluminum frame. If your thumb safety is chewing up the frame I'd suspect defects in the finish on the underside of the thumb safety. Any defects or roughness found can be dressed & polished away by hand through careful stoning with some small stone files. Fine india stone followed by hard Arkansas or ceramic for final polish. You'll want to use stones by hand taking care to ensure the part stays perfectly flat and especially stay clear the sear engagement lug, you can quickly disable the safety and ruin the part by hitting that lug.

This is a Colt part but nevertheless you can see some of these are pretty crusty on the underside...The tail of that file is pointing to the lug you want to not mess with.

As to minimizing further wear... once you have addressed any defects on your safety lever/s, I would suggest a tiny dab of extreme pressure grease under the lever to isolate the steel part from the aluminum frame. Dupont Krytox GPL-217 or GPL-215... this stuff is a very thick EP moly synthetic grease with teflon thickeners ideal for applications such as this. It's not particularly cheap but its by far the best stuff I know of for protecting aluminum from getting chewed up where it interfaces with a steel part. A little goes a very long way... a dab no larger than a sesame seed ought to suffice.

Cheers
Bill

Will have to try that, thumb safety and slide lock is where my marks are.