Airweight Frame is corroded

[bigtubby]

This belongs to my SIL I am trying to determine the best option for this gun. Friend of mine and long time member on here suggested bead blasting, guy on a local forum will Cerakote the frame and side plate for a $100.00 now sure how that will turn out. A certified coater wants $180.00 which is more than she wants to spend. Or sell it as a truck gun and buy something new or used. I like the bead blast idea has anybody done this? any other options that don't cost more then the gun is worth?

 

[zipty6]

If you have it bead blasted it would be wise to have some sort of finish applied afterward. Bead blasting will remove the protective finish that is applied to the alloy. (It is most likely that this finish is the only thing "corroded" at present.)

 

[Tired Gunsmith]

Do not waste money on it.
Function as a"truck" gun as is.

 

[Rule3]

hand sand it and spray with Brownells Aluma Hyde.

Gun is not worth spending $200 on.


BROWNELLS ALUMA-HYDE(R) II | Brownells

 

[Old_Cop]

If it functions, leave it alone, pocket carry will knock off the loose finish. As for selling or trading, what could it be worth? A $100?

 

[armorer951]

You don't say in your post, but if it's under a year old, S&W will re-finish it under warranty.

 

[bigtubby]

Got it all cleaned up with a dremel and like scotch brite pad. Will this corrode if not coated?

 

[bigtubby]

You don't say in your post, but if it's under a year old, S&W will re-finish it under warranty.

I forgot to mention that I had sent it to S&W and they would not do anything either warranty or paid work.

 

[armorer951]

The finish is under warranty for a year. (according to S&W Customer Service)

 

[4011]

One has to be careful bead blasting. I've done lots of car parts and sometimes you loose.

 

[Green Frog]

Got it all cleaned up with a dremel and like scotch brite pad. Will this corrode if not coated?

So you've already cleaned it? I would suggest Renaissance Wax or Johnson's Paste Wax (floor wax) to protect the now bare and very vulnerable surface.

Froggie

 

[Rule3]

Got it all cleaned up with a dremel and like scotch brite pad. Will this corrode if not coated?

Yes, it will corrode or oxidize. It is AL Oh Min E UM,
Waxing is a waste of time.


If you don't want to spend the money on Brownells paint, get some caliper paint at the auto store, it has to be heated in a oven so you need a old toaster oven (not in you kitchen)!


Alima Hyde is great and doesn't need to be baked. No it is not gonna be like a CeraCoat but it works very well if you can follow directions.

 

[bigtubby]

I guess I will get the Aluma-Hyde coating and get that a shot.

 

[texmex]

That is not corrosion. It won't corrode if you leave it unfinished. It had a factory clear coat finish and that is damaged. It could have gotten something sprayed on it by accident. Maybe hairspray or something.

 

[Jimboecv]

Anode/cathode/path, that is required for corrosion.
Basic Theory of Metallic Corrosion - Allied Corrosion Industries, Inc.

Metals will corrode, ferrous (red) or non-ferrous (white).
Curious what the grips were and how/what attached them to the gun.
Somewhere in your piece is a part made of the least noble metal. Have you opened it up and looked inside?

 

[BC38]

Anode/cathode/path, that is required for corrosion.
Basic Theory of Metallic Corrosion - Allied Corrosion Industries, Inc.

Metals will corrode, ferrous (red) or non-ferrous (white)...

Yes they will. But absent significant exposure to a corrosive agent, aluminum will form a slightly dull layer of aluminum oxide that is just a few molecules thick, and then stop corroding. The aluminum oxide itself forms a barrier to further corrosion. Look at the aluminum casing on a dirt bike motor, or at the clutch/brake levers. They usually start with a clearcoat on them to keep them shiny - for a little while. But it quickly wears off and the aluminum parts get that slightly dull gray, almost bead-blasted look - especially the engine which goes through extreme heating/cooling cycles and repeated exposure to water.

If you strip the rest of the clearcoat off that gun and then do absolutely nothing it will do the same thing. It won't look shiny like it did when new, but it won't corrode away into a pile of dust either. It will form a thin layer of duller aluminum oxide and then stop corroding - unless you go exposing it to harsh corrosive chemicals that strip away the protective layer of aluminum oxide and expose the bare aluminum again. That is the way I would go and none of this is conjecture or opinion on my part, this info is straight out of the Materials Science class I took in order to get my engineering degree.

BTW, aluminum oxide is HARD stuff. Way harder than the original aluminum alloy. One of the biggest uses for aluminum oxide is as an abrasive/coating to make things like sandpaper and grinding wheels - that's how hard it is.

 

[bigggbbruce]

She needs to stop looking at the gun as jewelry.

As said on "Forged in Fire".. "It will kill"...

 

[Geronimo Jim]

I vote use as it and don't worry about cosmetics!

 

[Steve912]

Anode/cathode/path, that is required for corrosion.

The galvanic series, good for anticipating *galvanic*
corrosion--not likely for the revolver, unless it was
immersed in an electrolyte, in presence of a metal
lower in the series, as that table's layed out.

The caliper paint is a good suggestion, or other
rattle-can epoxy paints. Shower frame generously
with brake cleaner, let it dry (including the condensing
humidity, after the solvent evaporates). Hang it
over a 60 watt bulb for a week and it will cure up
tough! Makes a durable, sweat resistant finish for
a belly gun.

 

[Pisgah]

As someone stated, I don't believe that's corrosion; rather, it looks like damaged clearcoat. S&W clearcoat can easily be damaged by using the wrong cleaning solvent on the gun -- something they warn specifically about.

Bare aluminum will not just corrode -- it will corrode literally within seconds. Takes a while for it to become noticeable, but it does happen just that quick. This is why it is always either anodized, clearcoated or otherwise protected for such use. If it's already been stripped, I would recommend some form of paint, whether something like Guncote, Alumahyde or plain ol' Rustoleum.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm just curious, how did the finish get like that?

I think the suggestion Rule3 gave you in Post #4 is a good idea. Easy to do, not expensive and will stand up to cleaning.

 

[BC38]

FWIW, if you feel you must paint it with something, and want to do something cheap and spray-on, I would pick up a can of POR-15 Topcoat. It is one of the toughest paints I've ever seen and it sticks to metal like nothing else.

 

[Rule3]

Now don't tell me aluminum (alloy) will not corrode!There are dissimilar metals in a gun (inside, the barrel and the cylinder) They top coat the alloy to prevent "oxidization" Once it is Oxidized it will leave a coating on it but looks ugly

This picture is of course a joke and example of galvanic oxidation corrosion. Dissimilar metals in a salt bath! Which is why outboard (drives) have sacrificial zinc anodes on them. Of course be submerged didn't help.

This boat just "appeared" one day in the bay!

 

[snowman.45]

I once had a 340Sc that I bought new and traded away to one of my officers. He could never qualify with it, but seemed to have carried it anyway and absolutely destroyed the finish. He traded it back to me and I went to work on it. I lightly bead blasted it after a complete disassembly (excluding the titanium cylinder. I then applied KG Guncoat and allowed it to dry to the touch, then baked it at 300 degrees for the prescribed time. I applied a titanium-colored finish to match the cylinder. It came out great and was as durable as any of the other coatings that were available at the time, definitely tougher than the DuraCoat available then.

 

[BC38]

Now don't tell me aluminum (alloy) will not corrode! There are dissimilar metals in a gun (inside, the barrel and the cylinder) They top coat the alloy to prevent "oxidization" Once it is Oxidized it will leave a coating on it but looks ugly

This picture is of course a joke and example of galvanic oxidation corrosion. Dissimilar metals in a salt bath! Which is why outboard (drives) have sacrificial zinc anodes on them. Of course be submerged didn't help.

This boat just "appeared" one day in the bay!

Nice "joke" photo that shows exactly what I referred to - a corrosive agent (salt water) that continually attacks the natural anti-corrosion coating of aluminum oxide to expose fresh new aluminum underneath to be further corroded.

You are right, there are dissimilar metals in contact inside the gun - where the lockworks touch the frame. However, that by itself is not enough to cause galvanic oxidization corrosion. From the link supplied by Jimboecy

Corrosion is an electrochemical process in which four (4) conditions must be present or corrosion will not take place:
1) There must be a positive or anodic area, referred to as the "anode".
2) There must be a negative or cathodic area, referred to as the "cathode".
3) There must be a moisture-bearing electrolyte for ionic current flow between the anode and cathode. It is important to note that the anode and cathode must be immersed in the same electrolyte. The atmosphere is not an electrolyte. Two pieces of metal touching each other in a humid environment develop excellent conditions where current flow will occur.
4) There must be a return path for electronic current flow, which is referred to as a "metallic path" between the anode and cathode.

While the internals of the gun may meet conditions 1, 2, & 4, condition 3 will not be met - unless the gun is left soaking in salt water like the motor in your photo. In fact the opposite is true inside the gun. The dissimilar metal parts are (or at least should be) coated with a thin layer of OIL, which is NOT an electrolyte that will support the necessary flow of current, it is in fact a barrier film that isolates the two metals from one another and reduces current flow between them.

Back to the motorcycle engine example I gave earlier. Not only are the case and all the cooling fins around the cylinder made of aluminum alloy, they are in direct contact with other metals - namely steel for the bolts and fasteners. This contact between dissimilar metals (the same two metals as what are in the gun by the way) is further exposed to repeated temperature swings of up to 300 degrees and at the same time repeatedly exposed to water. Do dirt bike engines look like the boat motor in your picture? NOPE. I can show you examples that are 30, 40, 50 years old that show no significant corrosion - nothing beyond the dullness of a naturally occurring aluminum oxide layer. The parts aren't corroded together and can be disassembled as easily today as they could when they were a year old.

The darker dull gray color of a natural aluminum oxide layer may not be as pretty as the shininess of the polished and clear-coated aluminum, but it really doesn't look much different than the coating on a titanium cylinder.

 

[armorer951]

After cleaning and glass beading, POR Topcoat applied with an airbrush would do the trick, at least for awhile.

 

[BC38]

After cleaning and glass beading, POR Topcoat applied with an airbrush would do the trick, at least for awhile.

You can even do it without the airbrush - they sell it in aerosol cans.

 

[mscampbell2734]

#3 is often met by plain old pocket sweat. I've seen many a pocket carried guns with really bad rust or corrosion. Steel frames would have overall rust and alloy frames would have visible corrosion where steel pins/inserts were.

 

[BC38]

#3 is often met by plain old pocket sweat. I've seen many a pocket carried guns with really bad rust or corrosion. Steel frames would have overall rust and alloy frames would have visible corrosion where steel pins/inserts were.

Yeah, good point I guess, if you sweat that hard and neglect them badly enough. That didn't affect the insides though, did it? Just the interface at the outer surface?

 

[hkcavalier]

There are pretty guns, and there are carry guns.

Over time, there are no pretty carry guns.