Removing epoxy from an ergonomic grip

[tkinva]

I just bought a Feinwerkbau C25. The good news is that the gun appears to be in beautiful condition, and it has a Morini grip.

The bad news is that the previous owner added a lot of epoxy that fills in the grip and makes it hard to hold the pistol. It actually runs across the back of the grip and onto the palm shelf, locking it in place.

I suspect that the original grip itself may not have been carved and if the epoxy were removed, the original grip would be restored.

I originally planned to remove the epoxy with file and sandpaper, but I feel it would be better if there were some other way to just strip the epoxy off.

Any suggestions?

[aalbert]

Based on experience with boat parts, you are going to have to grind/sand it off....

That said, Epoxy doesn't like heat - so you might be able to weaken it by taking it up to 350-450 degrees - only question is will the wood like that. Before heating it up, I would also apply acetone to the Epoxy (soak it), to try to chemically get it to break down / soften.

[Rover]

Giving a good rap with a small hammer may work, but you might want to put it in the freezer for a while. If not, I would go to the hardware store and get a rasp to fit your cordless drill.

Have fun!

[pfiori]

I have had success removing putty type epoxy from wood grips with alternately freezing it and then letting it heat soak in the sun for a few cycles then getting something under an edge and prying on it.
Some just popped off in one piece, some in chunks, others required a rasp or file.
It really depends on how good the surface prep was.

Pete

[tkinva]

Giving a good rap with a small hammer may work, but you might want to put it in the freezer for a while. If not, I would go to the hardware store and get a rasp to fit your cordless drill.

You're right about this. I dug around the epoxy that was covering the palm shelf, then loosened the screws, then hit it with a small hammer, and it broke the epoxy and freed the shelf. After I remove the shelf, I can attack the epoxy from a better angle.

I used the flat face of a ball-pein hammer with a 4 ounce head. The light weight lets you deliver a blow that's outside the bandwidth of the system. A heavier hammer would not have worked.

Now I'm going to slowly disassemble the grip and try to break off the rest of the epoxy.

[fc60]

Greetings,

You might try packing the grips in Dry Ice.

Be sure to oil the grips afterward.

Cheers,

Dave

[tkinva]

Mission accomplished.

Williams HBP-5-0 4 Ounce Ball Pein Hammer

Stanley 58-911 1/32 Inch Tip Yellow Cushion Grip Nail Set -- tip filed to chisel point

Goof Off solvent

I used the hammer and nail set to chisel off the epoxy where it met the grip.

I used the Goof off, with toothbrush, to remove thin sections of epoxy and any other residual material. This gets you down to the original stippling. Make sure you have adequate ventilation.

The grip is pretty much in new condition, but with some discoloration.

[sparky]

This thread might make a good sticky so that others can refer to it.

[rfwhatley]

Well, the good news for those suffering from epoxy is that it can be cured !