Sandblasted

[ken.clements]

I could get a rifle where the owner in a “do it yourself” mad minute (finely) sandblasted parts on the rifle”¦barrel bands, lock, trigger assembly”¦. :youcrazy:
To get these parts shiny again in a tumbler, what material and size of granulate would I need?
Is there another way to get them shiny again?
Hand polishing would be pretty much impossible because of the angles, corners, and curves..

 

[44-henry]

All you will do will round over every edge/corner on your parts. Tumbling is definitely not the right way to go. Photos would help describe the parts you mention, I assume you are speaking of a muzzleloader (if not there are other forums better suited to your needs). Most any gun part has what you describe. Backing your abrasive paper/cloth with appropriately shaped steel, brass, wood, felt, blocks and taking care around the edges is the way to polish your pieces. If you have a lot of imperfections or pits, start with fine files and than go to the abrasives. Depending on the surface condition and finish desired make sure you completely remove the polishing marks left by the last grit used and progress to finer and finer grits. Lastly, sandblasting in itself isn't always bad and can, in fact, produce a good matt finish that can be a good base for browning or blueing. I would definitely proceed slowly with whatever project has wound up in your shop as it sounds like you need to do a bit more studying before proceeding. This forum will be a good starting point if you take the time to use the search tool and ask the right questions.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Dremel makes a small buffing wheel that will do about any fine work , but care must be taken to avoid "rounding" the edges. If you go the dremel route be prepared to use several of the wheels.They are small and wear quickly. :idunno:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Grit made from ground-up walnut hulls is used for removing rust instead of sand. The grit is hard enough to remove rust, but not hard enough to remove much metal if any, and round edges. Talk to machine shops about what they use. :thumbsup:

 

[necchi]

Hand polishing would be pretty much impossible because of the angles, corners, and curves..

Not really, many of the fine examples of rifles we see here on the forum began with "sand cast" triggerguads, butt plates, etc,,

Time consuming, laborious, loathed by many,,Yes.
But hand polishing is what get's the job done;
This part;

Became this part;

 

[jdkerstetter]

Necchi is right. That's the way it's done.

Not just the hands though.....files, stones, abrasives of finer and finer grits.

Laborious it is but it is oh so gratifying....aside from the fact that it seems at times that you've removed enough metal to make and another trigger guard or butt plate by the time you're finished with the part you're working on.

That's the way we all do it. :wink:

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[ken.clements]

The rifle in question is a Snider, no blueing or Browing (Sorry gentlemen, should have said that first). The Hammer, Trigger assembly, Breech Block are the parts in Question...
I realize it is not a ML...BUT IT IS BP, and it was a ML :redface:
I don't know where else to ask
The parts look just like those in your Pic, Necci (the unpolished ones)
With what did you start, and with what did you finish?
I promise never to tell anyone :wink:

 

[necchi]

That peice is German Silver.
A 6" draw file. A sharp file with a light hand can actually leave a smooth surface.
A sanding drum on a Dremel (moto tool)
A set of "needle files" from Sears.
Sand paper wrapped around wood dowels, shaped wooden blocks and the needle files.
A trick I learned is useing a cigerette butt (the filter) for round areas.
After the file work, sand paper in 120 through 400 (600 on some areas), then polishing rouge, then Brasso.

That single trigger guard has probably 6-8hrs of work in it from sand cast to polish.
Now all that work was not done in one sitting, the pieces are worked together in stages.

 

[Longsmoke]

Nicchi and the other are right. When you get cast parts they are all bead blasted. The lock below took about 3 hours, finished to 320, all metal on that gun finished the same. I start with a tool that most people don't know about, well people 40 or younger anyhow. "Points file" anybody remember those? You can still get them at auto parts stores. Buy 2 or 3. They even work on frizzens.

 

[Supercracker]

Don't forget about small scrapers. I made up some small ones from an old bandsaw blade specifically for TGs and such.

 

[jdkerstetter]

For the really oversized, crappy looking sandcast parts the first tool I turn to is my 1" table top belt sander. I remove the platen so the belt has plenty of flex for the curves and go at carefully....saves me a lot of time filing.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[ken.clements]

ok...thanks gentlemen :hatsoff:
Looks like I got my "to do" list filled up :wink:

 

[jdkerstetter]

Another tip on files....many builders who do a lot of work keep their files sorted....reserving the newer, sharper files for brass work and when they don't effectively work on brass anymore they are used to work on steel.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Longsmoke]

Thats a fact. Once you touch steel with a file they wont cut brass worth a snot.

The little points files are made from tungsten, they last a good long time.

 

[jerrywh]

When you see a beautiful gun it came about because somebody worked their azz off doing the near impossible.

 

[ken.clements]

here she is:
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l505/ken-clements/P1010075.jpg
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l505/ken-clements/P1010074.jpg
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l505/ken-clements/P1010072.jpg

 

[Stophel]

File, file, file. :wink:

And I use the point files a lot. They're good for grinding to narrower shapes. They are quite brittle, though, so you can't really lean on them when you're filing. But they cut well, and stay sharp.