Question: Gun Engraving Steps

I've been looking at alot of gun engravings online and was curious as to the steps involved. Some engravings stand out, some look highlighted and some are just blued all over.
Some look like they were engraved while blued and some look like the bluing was removed then engraved. I believed I read somewhere that guns are typically disassembled, bluing removed, engraved, reblued, then reassembled.
If it's reblued, how do you keep it out of the engraving? Or if the gun is blued after engraving..are the engravings blued along with the rest of the gun?
Looks like you'd lose alot of detail if this was the case.
If you use the rebluing over engraving method, do you take steel wool/scotchbrite and rub the bluing off to high light the high spots?
I take it both methods are used?
No attempted gun engraving by me at this time(and probably never)..just curious.

Jerry

The usual steps are to disassemble, remove bluing with a rust remover such as Brownells blue remover, polish and refine the parts, engrave and reblue. Sometimes the bluing is again removed from selected areas with the same blue remover, masking off areas you don't want to strip. Another process would be to case color the parts after engraving and if wanted, the color can also be selectively removed prior to lacquer coating. Bluing and case coloring will not affect gold but when rust bluing, the process requires carding off the "rust" between coats and this will invariably wipe off fine detail, especially in inlays. Another process that highlights and protects the engraving is to electroless nickel plate the items. There are of course many ways to skin a cat...its holding him still that is difficult.

Thanks Sam..appreciate the explanation...loved the last line of your reply!!

Jerry

for one thing, it's generally more difficult to ( at least to me ) see what you're doing when cutting thru the blue. way easier "in the white". most experienced gun engravers would never cut thru the blue, and leave the engraved metal bare. just my thoughts on the matter.