OD frame turned black

[hoytinak]

Well, decided I couldn't get used the the OD frame on the G19 (I couldn't find a black one in stock so I just went with the OD) so I decided I was going to sent it off to get duracoated or dyed. After doing a little reading online, I realized I could do it myself with some RIT universal dye. Went to Walmart picked up a bottle and went to work. Took about 45 mins total with degreasing, stripping, simmering and putting it back together. I think it turned out pretty good...what do yall think?

Before


During


After

 

[HKFan9]

Looks Great, looks like a professional job, or an original I'd say. I like it better than the OD too. I don't hate OD but there's only certain firearms I like it on, and none of them are the plastic frame. Good job tho, it always feels great to do something yourself!

 

[powwowell]

RIT in a bottle?

The dye job looks good. From personal experience I can tell you that you can dye darker, but you can't dye lighter. The RIT that I've used, came in a flat pouch, on a rack, not a bottle. I get mine from Food Lion. Is the bottled dye in the grocery section, at Walmart?

 

[IZinterrogator]

So did you do a detail strip of the frame beforehand or just throw the whole frame in the pot, metal and all? Can't tell due to the angle it was lying in the pot.

 

[Sam06]

Thats a good job! Now the test will be to see how well it holds up. I kind of liked the OD but then again I can see why some don't. I don't have any OD glocks but I looked around for a G26 in OD. I thought it might conceal a little better in that color could not find one for what I wanted to pay and went with Black.

Who reduced the frame? I ground off the finger grooves on my G26 myself. It does not look that nice but I don't care as its my CCW. I was thinking about a little reshaping of the grips in my Gen2 G21. Just the backstrap area. It looks like they did a good job.

Nice photos too.......................Sam

 

[spoolup]

Great results man. And good thinking. I cant tell it is even OD, looks more DET to me? But I am not a glock fan so I really do not follow their product line. But on my XDs, the OD is more green. I like the colors so Ill keep mine the way they are, but good job you did on that one.

 

[hoytinak]

Is the bottled dye in the grocery section, at Walmart?

It was a liquid dye in the laundry soap section at Walmart.

So did you do a detail strip of the frame beforehand or just throw the whole frame in the pot

Yeah, I completely stripped it.

Who reduced the frame?

Bowie Tactical Concepts, I was real impressed with his work but it did take longer than expected (7 months when I was told 4 months).

I cant tell it is even OD, looks more DET to me?

Yeah it was OD, just the lighting made it look more tan.

 

[spoolup]

Still looks like a super job. Wonder how the long term will fair on it. Maybe report after a few range sessions?

 

[jon_in_wv]

I am amazed how well that came out. Could you please post some more details of the procedure you used?

 

[hoytinak]

Could you please post some more details of the procedure you used?

I detailed stripped the frame, mixed a bottle of the dye in with about a gallon of water (didn't measure exact), heated on stove to just below boiling temp., added frame, slowly stirring constantly for about 30 mins, pulled frame, rinsed with cold water, dried with air compressor, added light coat of CLP to darken it back up, re-assembled then took out back to test fire.

BTW: The instuctions are on the back of the bottle too. It's says one bottle to three gallons water though, but I just used about one gallon, I figured it couldn't hurt anything and I didn't need that much water for the little frame.

 

[vox rationis]

awesome job! good to know that one can do this, but holy smokes, you put your frame in near boiling water? I'd be afraid the sucker melts!

 

[chris in va]

Let's see a picture of your hands after an extended range session.

Looks really good though, like it came from the factory that way.

 

[Alleykat]

Mayb o.d. is o.k., but I never could figure out the doo-doo brown attaction!

 

[Playboypenguin]

Looks good. I would have liked to see what a dark forrest green would have looked like on it.

 

[spoolup]

My doo doo brown XD45 tact is my favorite handgun. At first I was like, ***? Then it grew on me. Wish my XD 45 compact was also brown. Playboy, these are my Xds, hope hoytinak does not mind me adding to his post, but the shot captures the OD pretty well on the XDs.
XD45 tact DET
XDm40 OD
XD45comp
XD40 sub comp

 

[ScaryWoody]

I use the same method on my RC helicopters and the dye will last without problem. But, once you dye Black you never go back.

 

[hoytinak]

I use the same method on my RC helicopters and the dye will last without problem.

That's where I got the idea was from an RC car forum.

hope hoytinak does not mind me adding to his post

Don't mind at all, looks like you got a nice XD collection going on there....I didn't know they had the OD XDms out yet....cool.

 

[Playboypenguin]

Playboy, these are my Xds

Yeah, I have one of the xD's with the green frame. It resides in my truck safe. I bet a dark green would look good on the Glock. Mine has a stainless slide. Yours with the black slide gives a better idea what it would look like on the Glock.

 

[ElectricHellfire]

Nice job. I just wonder how well it will wear.