Solvents and Bakelite Grips
 

A while back, I purchased a Luger that had been made into a "Black Widow" with addition of a pair of bakelite grips.

Since it left the factory in 1939, it's unlikely that it happened there. One of the grips is a brown type 1, the other a much later black type 4. They both appear genuine period, but were both painted black.

Since the paint on the inside of the grips left a ring about the size of an orange juice can, I doubt they were painted at the factory either...

Thankfully, I found a nice set of correct unnumbered Mauser wood grips for the pistol.

So, my question...

What solvents that might help remove paint will leave bakelite (especially Luger grip bakelite) undamaged?

Thanks, Marc

I'd start with a long soak in mineral spirits and a stiff brush to see if it will come off. I might then move up to turpentine, then acetone if the desired results are not achieved, but first I would apply a drop of each to the back of one grip, let it sit and see how the bakelite reacts to it.

Stay away from Toluol and MEK, which will certainly damage them.

I think long soaking in a mild solvent is the key.

No! Not acetone! Alcohol is OK, but acetone will dissolve the grips into putty!

I'll start with mineral spirits after a small test on the back.

Rick, I'm not sure what Laminated Paper Plastic type grips would be. They are the original grips used by Mauser and Krieghoff. I thought that these were a bakelite material, but have to re-read my reference books.

The paint (might be lacquer, might be something else) was put on fairly thickly. It's shiny high gloss, and covers most of the grips unevenly.

Doug and Rick, I was going to avoid the more potent solvents like acetone... The issue is that different plastics dissolve in different solvents.

Marc

I know of no plastic type material that will stand up to acetone.

One standard trick in the plastic model building world is to use brake fluid to remove paint, and I have used it on everything from plastic models to old car parts with good results. The cheapest DOT3 seems to work best, just soak the part until the paint starts to wrinkle up, brush it off with a tooth brush and rinse it good with soap and water. Brake fluid won't affect rubber seals in the brake system, and Bakelite is a type of hard rubber so it shouldn't affect it either.

I have never tried it on Bakelite so I can't guarantee how it will work, but I know that it won't affect styrene plastic and rubber. I have had mostly good experiences with it but I have also seen a plastic lens from a '69 Camaro turn into a sticky jelly bean after a night in brake fluid. As always, you better try it on a scrap piece first.

I don't know how it will affect bakelite, but the spray-on brake cleaner for disk brakes will remove lacquer...As I sadly found out on my 86 Corvette aluminum rims... :(

Yes, brake fluid is death to a painted finish. (Well, it used to be--not sure how the current cyanoacrylates fare)

Another thing to try which would theoretically be gentle on the bakelite is Easy-Off oven cleaner, which is basically lye solution in an aerosol can, give or take some fragrance and perhaps some proprietary buffers. Lye in this concentration is corrosive to "polar" materials like metals (Spray some on a piece of aluminum foil, wad the foil up quickly, and place the wad on a non-combustible surface, then observe!), but is easiy on "non-polar" surfaces like plastic, wood, and rubber--all of which are organic. I've used it back in the day to strip furniture. If used on something porous, like wood, it needs to be neutralized afterward by a quick flush with vinegar, a weak acid.

Dab a test spot on the backside of the grip, and Ill bet it works out fine.

David Parker