Gun coating process that maintains Tenifer undercoat? (Glock)

[maroonandwhite]

I was contemplating having my Gen 2 Cerakoted but found out that the finish is sand blasted down to bare metal for adhesion purposes. From my understanding the top coat of the finish is what normally wears out so I am hoping there is some type of semi durable coating I can bake onto the top of what I have and still keep the Tenifer underneath.

 

Also it's possible I am totally wrong about all of this so feel free to school me on it.

[LawEnforcementSalesTN]

I think the entire NFA is unconstitutional and should be abolished.

 

That is what we need to work on instead of trying to find a technicality or loophole in their bureaucratic rule making on our rights. 

 

If your goal of the Tenifer it's merely to "protect" the finish underneath the cerakote, some like myself, will parkerize the metal parts before refinishing.  I park all metal parts before I coat them for just this purpose. Gives a good undercoat for protection and the maganese phosphate crystalizes and provides a good adhesion surface as well.

 

I can tell you though cerakote is tough as freaking nails... yes you can chip it but it wears very well. 

 

If you're doing this yourself, I'd think you could blast the slide with a much lower air pressure - 25-30 PSI.  I do this for polymer materials (stocks, forearms, skins, etc..) before I cerakote ... but I'd think you could dust the tenifer with a low bead blast that would not remove it but still rough it up enough to allow the top coat to adhere adequately....

 

I have always blasted Glock slides completely therefore I do NOT know though if the tenifer has some lubricant properties that might interact negatively with the top coat.

Edited September 15, 2014 by LawEnforcementSalesTN

[maroonandwhite]

I wouldn't be doing it myself. I am mainly after corrosion resistance. I kind of like the worn in finish but fde would look cool too. Am i correct in thinking the corrosion resistant will never wear out under normal conditions?

[LawEnforcementSalesTN]

I'd think you'd be ok with the latest cerakoting. Just keep in mind all finishes wear eventually... seen some Glocks I thought were hard chromed and realized they were just worn ;o).

[maroonandwhite]

Ok cool. This particular one is a carry piece that I won't baby. I just want to have a good protective finish. Probably over thinking it.

[pops572]

It is my understanding that the Tenifer is not the coating on a Glock. It is a clear, metal impregnation process that hardens the steel. Kinda like a teflon coating that marries with the steel on a molecular level, and to remove it you would actually have to remove some metal.

I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG AND MISINFORMED, but I believe that is the way the Tenifer process works. So you should be able to have it blasted and coated in whatever finish you would like and still have the Tenifer intact.

Maroon if you are looking for a refinisher, there is a guy I have sent some to from another forum and he does a excellent job for $50 and about a week turnaround time.

[Smith]

Pops us right. The black finish us not the Tennifer. Tennifer is a salt nitride bath that impregnated the steel down below the surface. Even if you took all the black finish off the Tennifer world remain. Unless you actually remove metal down to an unsafe level you wouldn't effect the Tennifer. Cerakoting a Glock our any other Tennifer/Melonited gun simply adds an improved finish (over factory finish) to the treated components. BTW -Tennifer/Melonite has no color.

[maroonandwhite]

Pops us right. The black finish us not the Tennifer. Tennifer is a salt nitride bath that impregnated the steel down below the surface. Even if you took all the black finish off the Tennifer world remain. Unless you actually remove metal down to an unsafe level you wouldn't effect the Tennifer. Cerakoting a Glock our any other Tennifer/Melonited gun simply adds an improved finish (over factory finish) to the treated components. BTW -Tennifer/Melonite has no color.

That's my basic understanding I just didn't know how deep you go with bead blasting or how deep the Tenifer goes. That makes me feel better about it then.

 

 

It is my understanding that the Tenifer is not the coating on a Glock. It is a clear, metal impregnation process that hardens the steel. Kinda like a teflon coating that marries with the steel on a molecular level, and to remove it you would actually have to remove some metal.

I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG AND MISINFORMED, but I believe that is the way the Tenifer process works. So you should be able to have it blasted and coated in whatever finish you would like and still have the Tenifer intact.

Maroon if you are looking for a refinisher, there is a guy I have sent some to from another forum and he does a excellent job for $50 and about a week turnaround time.

Thanks for the offer but I believe I am going to let Amendment 2 on here do it.

[peejman]

Pops us right. The black finish us not the Tennifer. Tennifer is a salt nitride bath that impregnated the steel down below the surface. Even if you took all the black finish off the Tennifer world remain. Unless you actually remove metal down to an unsafe level you wouldn't effect the Tennifer. Cerakoting a Glock our any other Tennifer/Melonited gun simply adds an improved finish (over factory finish) to the treated components. BTW -Tennifer/Melonite has no color.

 

 

Not necessarily...  the hardened surface that's created during the tennifer process is very thin...  typically 0.001" or less.  Depending on the method of removing the top coating, the hardened surface underneath could easily be compromised or removed completely. 

[maroonandwhite]

Not necessarily...  the hardened surface that's created during the tennifer process is very thin...  typically 0.001" or less.  Depending on the method of removing the top coating, the hardened surface underneath could easily be compromised or removed completely. 

:surrender: Now I don't know what to do haha.

[peejman]

:surrender: Now I don't know what to do haha.

 

 

 It's a Glock, carry it and don't worry about it.

[maroonandwhite]

 It's a Glock, carry it and don't worry about it.

Deep down inside I know you are right. :pleased:

[Guest kingarmory]

Leave it alone, you'll find that the Tenifer/nitride finish is tougher than most other options.  I've been carrying my G21 for 15 years and the Tenifer finish got some moderate holster wear spots so I had it parkerized and coated......started getting holster wear much quicker.  Gun will be going in to be re-nitrided instead

[Dane]

It's a glock stop worrying and get it coated whatever color makes you happy.  If it wears it's cheap enough to have it redone.  A2 is charging what 30-35 to coat it?  Even if I had to do it every year that would be worth it.  At that price you could change colors each time for the fun of it.