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Thread: Painted My S&W 642's Front Sight

  1. #41
    Member Zeke38's Avatar
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    Sep 2015
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    North Cenral Idaho
    Try to post a pic of my Model 37. Advertised as the Wyatt Deep Cover but I purchased it at a deep discount for the tuned action and the spurless hammer from a Centennial model fitted to the 37. Name:  DSCF0147.jpg
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    Colored front sight with day glo orange lure paint!
    Last edited by Zeke38; 07-14-2017 at 11:19 AM. Reason: Add data

  2. #42
    Member Zeke38's Avatar
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    Sep 2015
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    North Cenral Idaho
    Sorry bout that, here is a copy of the front sight painted on the 37:
    Name:  DSCF0194.jpg
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    Last edited by Zeke38; 07-14-2017 at 01:22 PM.

  3. #43
    I have switched all of my front sight paint to Krylon flourescent green. It comes in a spray can and is flat. You can just spray a small amount into the cap or some disposable cup or something and apply with small craft paintbrushes. The brushes are cheap and essentially disposable. I use one coat of white primer before applying 2-3 light coats of the color, otherwise it stays drk and not bright.

    My eyes pick up this color just as quickly as orange or red but the green does not glare as much for me so it does not blur the sight as much for me with my 60 yr. old eyes as the orange and red or pink do, so it is easier for me to take longer more accurate shots with the green than I could with the other colors

  4. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Malamute View Post
    I got the weird vibes from the girls in walmart when they asked if I needed help when looking for nail polish. When I told them it was for my pistol sights, Id seen it on the net, they seemed to relax and were very helpful.
    Someone asked you if you needed help in a wal-mart?! Go buy a lottery ticket man!
    I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
    The lunatics are running the asylum

  5. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    The 642's finish is anodizing, which is basically a honeycomb-like lattice of aluminum oxide grown on the surface of the base metal. If the anodizing is colored, these cells are filled with dye. The "sealing" step is where the tops of the cells are closed over, making the surface non-porous and locking in any dye. The oxide is very hard (aluminum oxide is used to make sandpaper), but it's very thin. It has good abrasion and wear resistance and, AFAIK, will withstand any common hydrocarbon. However, it is extremely susceptible to chemical attack by acids and bases. The total anodizing layer thickness is usually on the order of 0.001", with the "sealing" portion where the cells are closed being a small fraction of that. So it takes very little to open the cells. Once opened, the dye, if present, can be substantially removed, so you get streaks in the color, and the corrosion resistance is diminished. It is also susceptible to staining due to absorbing new materials, such as inks or nail polish diluted with solvent.

    Some caution regarding what gun cleaning chemicals are used on anodized surfaces is wise, as many of them may be acidic or basic. (I can't even remember how many incidents I've dealt with of "professional" car detailers causing cosmetic damage to expensive wheel and brake components by spraying them with acidic wheel cleaners. Let's just say that complimentary wash at the BMW dealer may not be your friend.)

    AFAIK, nail polish remover is primarily acetone, so you shouldn't have any direct worries. If you want to be safer, you could buy a small can of just acetone at a hardware store to ensure there are no added surprises. However, if the surface of the anodizing wasn't perfectly sealed in production, or has been compromised at any point, it could absorb streaks of the color. So some care is warranted. It might be a good call to put down a layer of clear nail polish before any color, just to be sure that any material that's absorbed doesn't stain the finish. Wiping down the area with penetrating oil awhile before using the solvent would be another layer of insurance, as it would tend to fill any pores and prevent new materials from wicking in.


    Thanks @OlongJohnson

    Info like this is why I spend the a good bit of my online time right here, and why I consider it the premier handgun sight by a long shot.
    The information above might make for a good sticky at the top of the Handguns/revolvers section.

  6. #46
    Started on mine tonight but going to remove it and start over. Reason being that I figured it would look crappy if I didn't paint all the serrations so all of them got the first coat, however it went way better than I thought. I found that I had some pretty hard pointy q-tip type things that really seem to work great giving really good control. I'm using Testors enamel with a base coat of white followed by a coat of fluorescent orange. The difference the white base coat is pretty stark. Got fluorescent yellow too but the orange gets the nod.

  7. #47
    Got the final coat on it finally. Now just a couple of tiny touch up specks and cleanup on the top of the blade and it’ll do.






    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #48
    If you use a white artist's acrylic no nerve required, it comes off with 92% isopropyl alcohol.


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  9. #49

    Painted My S&W 642's Front Sight

    Did the DS too.

    Note: if you do this on the little Colts take it a full half way back. I still see a little black at the bottom of the blade.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Spartan1980; 10-16-2020 at 08:22 PM.

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