Cerakoted over flat spring in A1 upper

[monkeybutler]

I have an A1 AR upper. I sent it out for cerakote to get closer to a colt grey. For some reason I did not remember to pull the tiny flat spring which sits under the rear sight assembly. So it got cerakoted over by the vendor. The rear sight will not flip between the two apertures. The surface of the cerakote is pretty hard. But obviously i want to remove the spring carefully so as not to fux the upper. Have thought of trying a spring-loaded center punch to maybe see if i can make a dent or hole in the center (elevated) part of the flat spring, and try to lift it up, but that might just tear the spring rather than remove it.

Any ideas?

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[Joe13]

Tear it out and replace it?

 

[Greg S]

Return to vendor who performed the coating.

 

[Knobgoblin]

The finish is probably going to be failing on any moving parts eventually anyway.

Try scratching it with a scalpel type blade tip in the area you need to free up.
I've used a heat gun on Cerakoted parts that didn't want to move in the past, but this seems too small an area

 

[Joe13]

The finish is probably going to be failing on any moving parts eventually anyway.

Try scratching it with a scalpel type blade tip in the area you need to free up.
I've used a heat gun on Cerakoted parts that didn't want to move in the past, but this seems to small an area

Maybe a solder gun with a small or flat tip? I'd let it cool off from full hot if you do try this so you don't ruin the metallurgy of the spring.

 

[monkeybutler]

Tear it out and replace it?

Yeah that's what I am trying to do. Just without buggering the receiver. Don't care about the spring.

The finish is probably going to be failing on any moving parts eventually anyway.

Try scratching it with a scalpel type blade tip in the area you need to free up.
I've used a heat gun on Cerakoted parts that didn't want to move in the past, but this seems too small an area

I did try scoring the cerakote at the edges of the flat spring. Didn't do dik. I will figure out how to ise heat there. Perhaps a soldering iron like the other dude suggested.

Time to go find that centerpunch and see if it can crack the cerakote.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Yeah that's what I am trying to do. Just without buggering the receiver. Don't care about the spring.


I did try scoring the cerakote at the edges of the flat spring. Didn't do dik. I will figure out how to ise heat there. Perhaps a soldering iron like the other dude suggested.

Time to go find that centerpunch and see if it can crack the cerakote.

It's paint , so cracking it might have flakes going past the desired target area.
Maybe dremel time, with bomb squad focus.

Don't cut the blue wire.

 

[monkeybutler]

Maybe dremel time, with bomb squad focus.

Don't cut the blue wire.

Yeah. I imagine some kind of jig to limit the motion of the dremel.

 

[msgriff]

Cerakote is a ceramic (obviously), so I would address it the same way as dealing with porcelain or ceramic tile. Maybe try a thin grout removal hand tool with an abrasive carbide coated edge while protecting the adjacent areas with a small strip of thin scrap metal. Many light passes to abrade the Cerakote away at the perimeter of the flat spring.

 

[monkeybutler]

Cerakote is a ceramic (obviously), so I would address it the same way as dealing with porcelain or ceramic tile. Maybe try a thin grout removal hand tool with an abrasive carbide coated edge while protecting the adjacent areas with a small strip of thin scrap metal. Many light passes to abrade the Cerakote away at the perimeter of the flat spring.

Sounds safer than dremel. I really don't wanna mess up the upper, since it is difficult to buy new ones now in WA.