Metal finishing ideas?

[rafterob]

So, I have this kit. The metal needs to be sanded down. Other than many laborious hours hand sanding, anyone have any ideas how to speed up the process?

 

[rafterob]

Another question, I had one when I was young and had it nickel plated. Anyone have any idea of what current prices would be to have that done?

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I have the same kit. I got it back in the mid 80’s I think. I thought about smoothing or polishing the metal. I might have even started... Finally I just put it together to shoot. It’s a fun little pistol. Now you’ve got me thinking about polishing that metal again.
i don’t think there are any real shortcuts to doing it. If you find one, let me know please.

 

[andy52]

Ain't no fast way and do it right just emery cloth in progressively smaller grit and time.

 

[kje54]

Another question, I had one when I was young and had it nickel plated. Anyone have any idea of what current prices would be to have that done?

Good question, there is the more expensive nickel plating and the less expensive Electroless plating. There are also nickel plating kits where you can do it at home, I've seen kits as low as $24. Can't answer for how good those home kits are.

 

[Phil Coffins]

The fast way isn’t often a good finish. But when you have it all bright and shiny consider a sliver plate lotion. I just did the grip frames on a couple of Colts that came out very nice. Cost of the product was about $20.

 

[Sam squanch]

Historically, a nickel plate job was cheaper than the hours of polishing for a blued finish. That would look good Nickled .

 

[Phil Coffins]

Any finish is only as good as the prep of the metal. If there are scratches or machine marks before plating they will show on the bright surface, it’s not like paint.

 

[Sam squanch]

A heavy nickel finish is a lot like a bad paint job. But cheap guns were finished this way with little polish..

 

[Phil Coffins]

Sam, your right! In plating steel the part is first copper plated then nickel or chrome plated over that. I was thinking of higher quality of work for better firearms. I tend to try for the good stuff in my work and advise others towards that.

 

[Pete G]

Try cabinet scrapers on the brass followed by sandpaper on a block.

 

[HiDesertHunter]

Wet sand in running water with wet or dry.

Keeping the metal dust & particles off the work (and sandpaper) is a HUGE part of the process and will dramatically speed up the process.

 

[Col. Batguano]

A large tumbler with walnut or corn cob media in it would work, like we use for cartridge cases, or a wet drum with media in it like a rock tumbler. It will of course round off those sharp edges. It looks like most of the parts would fit in to a large size cartridge case polisher.

 

[44-henry]

I know of no other method of polishing that can beat fine files and polishing papers backed with appropriate shapes to match contours. A bit of scraping and burnishing is useful also.. Buffing wheels, Dremel tools, and polishing tumblers on the other hand will most likely round over corners and dish out screw holes that are supposed to be sharp and make it look amateurish and ugly in a hurry. Polish it right, and give it a nice rust blue and it will be a nice piece. Alternately sell it and buy something already finished, those kits are becoming rare and bring good money these days.

 

[rafterob]

Thanks, I am resigning myself to do it the right way. Will post some pictures as I go.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Yeah good plan. Anything round and spinning is going to dig in to the sharp edges. if you could rig it, and were very good, a small vertical band sander with very fine paper like is used for sharpening knives MIGHT work for the convex parts, but anything using electrons works really fast, and it's really really easy to lose control and make a mess out of it, leaving yourself more work to fix it (and it will never be quite right) than it would have taken to do it the right (and slow) way the first time.

That said, I HAVE use a grinding wheel to do heavy modification of a Lancaster BP thinning the return going forward to turn it in to a Lehigh BP. I still went the files though when it was getting close. One thing I learned; brass can REALLY transmit heat when you're doing heavy grinding on a wheel, and it takes a long time for those thick parts to cool down.

 

[rafterob]

Update, I have been laboriously sanding recently. About 4 evenings worth. Figure I got about 5 or 6 more evenings worth to go. I'll get some pictures up tonight.

 

[rafterob]

Top is sanded with 120 grit, side of barrel about 1/2 sanded and bottom with just the burrs filed off. Lots of small pits. Doubt I can sand it enough to get them all out.

 

[Scota@4570]

Draw filing is the correct first step. Yes, sanding WILL take forever. After draw filing go to 100 grit paper.

 

[poker]

Amazing how fast files can remove those small pits. Get some small pattern files and they get right in the coves and such.