Budget work on a USFA SAA

[BrianPowley]

Customer was on a budget, but I felt it necessary to slightly over-deliver.
I also did the rust blue finish---8 coats of Pilkington's American Rust Blue.

 

[Weldon47]

Nice work Brian!

WL

 

[JohnR]

Thats a really nice job Brian. Your customer should be very pleased. I like the working gun look, something you can take out and shoot. Thanks for posting.....JohnR

 

[BrianPowley]

Thanks Weldon and John.
Yep...add a little holster wear you have yourself a real working gun.

 

[eastslope]

Very nice and thanks for showing. I'll keep practicing and hope I can get there some day, and projects like yours are good inspiration. Thanks again for sharing, Seth

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Very sweet Brian! Nice bluing too.

 

[BrianPowley]

Thanks Seth and Marcus.
The rust bluing was a strange experience. Coat after coat after coat until you get it where you want it.
I was surprised to learn that although the metal is only finished to 320 grit, it "fills" and smooths up during the carding process---almost to a sheen.

 

[Sam]

Your budget work is handsome stuff, Brian!
~Sam

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Brian, I had an acquaintance who did a lot of work on his own gun including engraving and stocking it. He browned the damascus barrels and told me that he couldn't believe the 'carding' process. The instructions said to paint on the solution, leave to dry and then sand off. He said he must've done this 6 or 7 times and every time he ended up with bright barrels! Suddenly though, on the next application the colour burst through and he had wonderful rust browned barrels. Was something like this what you experienced when you blued the pistol?

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Very nice work Brian, I would love to have one like this, but this is Belgium.


arnaud

 

[monk]

your budget work looks better than my museum grade stuff ! what's with that ??

 

[docmike]

Great Job!!! That is a beautiful Gun-Mike

 

[BrianPowley]

Thanks Sam, Arnaud.

Marcus, the process does seem strange to the point of not making any sense at all.
Mine never got back to bright steel, but rather a gradual darkening.
So gradual,in fact, that after the first three coats, I thought maybe the solution was defective.
The darkening really occurred after the 4th application. I stopped at 8 because I liked it. I guess I could've gone further.
I understand that the process is gradually burnishing the color into the steel. I'm told it is a much more durable finish than hot bluing, but that may be someone's opinion.
I also learned that different steels react differently, so you can't expect a Colt revolver to come out like a Holland and Holland double.

Monk, let's see your museum grade work and judge for ourselves.LOL!

 

[Steve223]

Man thats nice Brian i bet you had a happy cilent!!
Where did you get the blueing that you used ?
Thanks Steve

 

[BrianPowley]

Thanks for the Kudos, Mike.
Steve, I used Pilkington's American Rust bluing solution. Brownells has it.

 

[Steve223]

Thanks Brian ill have to try it.
Steve

 

[BrianPowley]

Steve, a few recommendations:
1. Follow the instructions and add these additional findings if you want to:
2. Prep the surface to just 320 grit---Trust me. I doesn't work any better if you make it smoother.
3. Use new,clean gloves from here on out----NO TOUCHY!!!!!
4. Clean the metal thoroughly. Soak it overnight in lacquer thinner or use whatever industrial cleaner/degreaser you have. I also use Brownell's Dicro-clean.
5.Boil the metal in de-ionized water. 10-15 minutes. Either buy it, make it, or get it out of a dehumidifier. Your tap water may be OK, but if there's any contaminates in it, the job will be ruined.
6. Set the bottle of Rust blue solution in a pan of hot water---it works real good when it's warm.
7. Upon removal from the boiling water, use either a hair dryer or a heat gun to dry the metal. The moisture will evaporate quickly and will be spot free due to the de-ionized water.
8. While the metal is HOT, apply the bluing solution. It will also evaporate instantly and will not puddle and make a permanent stain. The trick is to apply the solution evenly, and it works better when the metal is hot.
9. WAIT-----At least three hours for the first application.
10. Boil (10-15 minutes) in de-ionized water.
11.Dry with heat gun. Keep it hot!!!!
12. Card (burnish) the surface ever so lightly. There's a layer of "fuzz" all over the metal that needs to be smoothed off. I do not like the commercial carding wheels. (A personal preference) I like 0000 steel wool that has been degreased and dried.
13. I usually reheat with heat gun at this point than I apply another coat of solution.
14.Now you can wait for an hour, or two,or three and then repeat steps 10-13.
I only wait an hour.
Your results may vary.

 

[ddushane]

Good looking work Brian. I wish it was mine It's kinda hard to tell in the pictures, but does it have that reddish brown look under the bluing? Looks really nice,

Dwayne

 

[BrianPowley]

Dwayne. Yes, it is a real,real dark brown.

 

[Steve223]

Thanks for the advice Brian that will save me a bunch of time!!
Steve