Removing Rollmarks...
 

Here is a bit of an exclusive for COTEP and one of my other local sites... before I post this little how-to on some of the other sites...

A fairly common question... how do you take the roll marks off a slide.

The answer... lots of time...

Start with a granite surface block with good, quality sand paper (3M) of different grits.

Here is the beginning of the slide, brand new Carbon Govt from Caspian...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_G...2011.22.39.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_G...2011.22.52.jpg

Then, after a lot of time, and several sheets of 150 grit sand paper, progress begins to show... movement is forward and backward in a straight line...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_G...2013.09.36.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_G...2012.48.41.jpg

Finally, almost all traces of the roll marks are removed with the 150...
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.19.15.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.07.59.jpg

After the 150, progress to the higher grits as high as you feel like going...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.53.28.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.53.47.jpg

I progressed up to a well worn sheet of 1200 grit...
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.25.44.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.26.53.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_G...2014.27.39.jpg

The work is simple, but it takes time, lots of it. Caspian roll marks are not very deep, but the above work is about 3 hours.

Questions, comments, critiques and suggestions welcome.

This needs to be stickied!

I don't have the guts to try that yet, but your post makes me think that maybe I can do it. Do you run the sandpaper in only one direction or both?

Straight back and forth, trying to keep it in a straight line. You can see I have a little bit of arching, but it will be okay because this slide is destined for Cerakote.

BTW: For anybody who hasn't realized it yet, I am Butters on the other forum.

I will take some better pictures later, the cell phone pictures really don't do it justice. :)

It IS easy, just take your time, change your paper a lot, and it is imperative that you have a granite block or some sort of certified-flat surface.

And I thought you were going to turn our to be a spammer. :eek: Boy was I wrong, Your account is now upgraded to a full COTEP member.

great write up Butters. I did one with files, then sandpaper.....and I dont think it saved any more time than using all sandpaper lol. In fact, all paper on a flat surface will have more control than filing.
Before, then filed:
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1737089_n.jpg
sanded:
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4759414_n.jpg
My file and sanding surface:
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3811547_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7734872_n.jpg

WOW! That is amazing. I have a question, do you sand with the slide on stone or stone on slide?

LOL, well, I wouldn't say anything I post is worth anymore than you paid for it, LOL, but I don't think I'm a spammer!

Looks good! Ill comment further when I can see the pics on my PC.

No no, slide moves on the stone. :)

Trax. I have to agree with everyone else. That is a great post. I like the way you showed it through the process and then the final product so clearly. Thank you for it! Welcome to COTEP and .org! :cool:

Now if I only could get up the nerve to do that to my Kimber, i could remove all the unwanted names!!!:D









Noel

Great work........now how do you get that guys face off of the slide!!!!:D:D

Thanks for the info. I suspect this will give a flatter surface for high polish than any other method. No substitute for elbow grease. In retrospect, I probably would have used this method just because of the simplicity and reduced chance of screwing up with a power tool on my last project. I got lucky, but it didn't save any time or effort compared to the sandpaper method.