Question: Polishing a piece before engraving

[Thierry Duguet]

Buffing, which is define as: "Using a loose abrasive applied to the work wheel" is not a desirable way to refinish flat surface and is never use on quality firearms, actually, buffing is often use by manufacturers to hide the poor finish of their gun, the same thing can be say of brush finish. The purpose of refinishing is not to make a nice mirror like finish as in jewelry, the purpose is to enhance the line of the firearm and to dress the surface. High polish is hardly desirable, look at quality (expensive) firearms (Purdey, Boss, Ringby, Dakota, Galazan, Francotte, etc) how often do you see them with high polish? They do not need to, they are well finish and are not ashamed to show their lines. Most of the time a 400 to 600 grip finish is adequate if the gun is going to be rust blue, if the firearms is not going to be blue 600 to 800 is plenty, it is call drawing the line. I will add that unless you know what you are doing with a file you should not attempt to use that tool. Machine marks, and heavy scratches take for ever to remove with sand paper and just a few minutes with a file if you know what you are doing, if you do not you may create more problem for yourself than you solved. Refinishing the outside of a receiver should not take more than a day, if it take longer, more than 10-12 hours, the firearm is hardly worth the effort as it, most probably, never was a quality firearm to start with.
Using a popsicle stick is an amusing idea but not very useful, the support for your sand paper need to be very hard, if you fold it (the sand paper) not more than one lair, you do not polish on a spot, as you would create a depression, you polish on a complete surface from one end to the other of that surface, you also need to cross polish meaning that you do not always follow the same axe, you remove the line create by the previous sand paper with the next one. The last grip will be use in the longitudinal axe of the firearm, consistently (even the fence).
One last point, do not forget the screws nothing look worst than an ugly screw on a nice flat surface, they often need to be redone/replace and time appropriately.

 

[D Smith]

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen. I like the double sided tape and the heat gun for the 3M 77 spray trick. Going to try both.

It makes me so upset in this day and age of being able to use the technology manufactures have that the trades of today are producing pure junk as compared to the days of old when a man with a file and belt driven machinery produced works of hand crafted art.

 

[dlilazteca]

If you make it long enough you can place rubber bands on both ends, plus your grip really helps quick and easy to remove, I also keep the old used ones, as they wear they naturally become a higher grit, so dont throw them out.

Saludos,
Carlos

 

[NicGregson]

What a great thread! I haven't done any gun engraving before just jewellery.....and its a far cry from the size of a gun canvas, but poorly made/prepared jewellery for engraving is frustrating. Mainly because as a jeweller I know it doesn't take a heap of extra time to make the item just that bit more accurate and finish it a bit more sharply....going from a 500 grit finish to polish with tripoli then rouge sends shivers down my spine. File marks left in surface, heavily rounded edges from polishing and my favourite....differing widths on sides of rings.....as soon as you engrave it, sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Idaho Flint]

Wow everyone, thank you so much for the feedback. I have been away from the computer since I started this thread, and was hoping for a couple of replies, and this really was a pleasant surprise when I got back this morning. I really appreciate what everyone has contributed to this thread.

The reason I started this thread is because I did know that a by doing a finish on a gun before engraving will enhance the engraving a million fold. I have a Colt Gold Cup that I have been working on the finish on and off for a while now, and was wondering if I was doing it correctly. I have been doing it by hand with some sand paper, and stones I got. It is taking a long time, but starting to take shape. Boy have I cursed Colt for their finish on the gun. Seems like they have just tried to cover up poor finish with bead blasting. Anyway. I just wanted to see how everyone else did it, and see if there were any pointers to making it faster or easier.

I see that what I am doing is correct, and there really is no fast way about it.

Another question I had about mirror finish was answered. I have never been able to get a satisfactory mirror finish on a piece of metal without a buffing wheel, and have always stopped at what I call a satin finish. I have not wanted to go to a buffing wheel because I did not want to ruin my edges. Sounds like that it is ok to stop at that level. Unless there is something I am missing.

Thanks again for all the advice, and help. I will continue my life long quest to be a decent metal finisher, and will take hart that it is a long hard road.
Mike