So you took the plunge and spent several hundred dollars on a custom cerakote project for your latest AR build, and now your ready to assemble it. But… you’re nervous that you’ll damage your investment. It can be intimidating. But there are ways to ensure you don’t damage your expensive parts during reassembly.
3 Tips for Scratch-Free Reassembly!
- Have the right tools for the job. Bench blocks, vise blocks, magwell brackets, and/or nice reaction rod are things to have. You want to be able to hold the parts in the proper position and not have to hold the part, a punch and a hammer. Holding three items with only two hands is a recipe for disaster. Placing parts on the table that can slide around as you try to assemble is also cooking from that same recipe.
- TAPE…. Masking, or electricians tape is even better. Tape off areas where you are going to be working with steel tools. Punches and pliers and the like can easily slip and nick or damage parts. Taping off those areas offers a first line of defense against damage. Do not leave tape on for extended periods of time or allow them to stay in hot areas, the tape can delaminate and leave residue on parts that is hard to remove without caustic solvents.
- Go slow and take your time. The faster you go the more apt you are to make mistakes and cause damage. You probably waited for weeks to get your parts back from cerakote. What’s an extra hour in the assembly process gonna hurt? We have all heard the old adage of the nascar driver that had to slow down through the turns to actually increase his overall lap time. The same applies here “Slow Is fast”.
Now that it’s finished get out there and enjoy it, over time damage will likely happen. Just like a new car it’s only gonna be new for so long. Safe shooting my friends.
Want to learn more about customizing your AR with a cerakote job?
