What did you accomplish today?

cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
So I committed a sacrilege. I started sanding on the gun. I know that's a big no no. Thing is it's not a historical gun. If I'm going through the process of slow rust bluing the i want it to look new. The gun is pitted and I'm slowly working the pits out. I didn't sand where any markings are. It will be nice when it's done.
 
BudmanTX

BudmanTX

Well-Known Member
lokie said:
We went to see the pyramids 4 times and each trip has a unique story.
Each time something we had not seen before came into view.

The one view that was constant each time was sitting and watched the sunset during dinner from the
booth at Pizza Hut.:blsmoke:
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pizza hut in egypt....never would have thought.......

Egypt is on my bucket list, sheesh me thinking of vacation, sheesh i haven't had one of those in ages and i mean ages.......
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
So I committed a sacrilege. I started sanding on the gun. I know that's a big no no. Thing is it's not a historical gun. If I'm going through the process of slow rust bluing the i want it to look new. The gun is pitted and I'm slowly working the pits out. I didn't sand where any markings are. It will be nice when it's done.
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I might run some stuff by you later... I have a gun that needs some maintenance to keep it looking nice. It is a very special little .22 akker pistol that my grandfather made. So it is a one of one situation.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
I might run some stuff by you later... I have a gun that needs some maintenance to keep it looking nice. It is a very special little .22 akker pistol that my grandfather made. So it is a one of one situation.
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Anytime.

It comes down to preference and actual value of the gun. The shape the gun I'm doing it was worth about $100-$150. With me taking the time to refinish it right it will raise the value.

Another reason I'm sanding on it is because rust bluing requires the gun to be sanded with 320 grit for the best finish. I figured if I was taking sand paper to it I would remove all the pits.

If your gun is not pitted and has a good patina then it may not need refinished.

It just comes down to personal preference.
 
Singlemalt

Singlemalt

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
The rust blue requires 320 grit so the rust can grab hold.

I'm using various grit from rough to medium to remove pitting.
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I'd be interested in some process pics on the pitting removal. I made a tanto knife a few years back, decided on a mirror finish. Had to send it away for proper heat treating. It comes back and it's rough and purple (expected, no surprise). So, I started sanding(hand sanding, directional) started at 150 grit up to 4000. Took about 1 1/2 months. It was gorgeous, literally like a mirror. Checking it out, happy, figure I'm done so I'll wipe the finger prints off. Without thinking, I use my T-shirt. Looked like a couple highways on a map, grit on the shirt scoured it. I was heart-broken LOL. Finally settled on satin finish approx 1000 grit
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
Anytime.

It comes down to preference and actual value of the gun. The shape the gun I'm doing it was worth about $100-$150. With me taking the time to refinish it right it will raise the value.

Another reason I'm sanding on it is because rust bluing requires the gun to be sanded with 320 grit for the best finish. I figured if I was taking sand paper to it I would remove all the pits.

If your gun is not pitted and has a good patina then it may not need refinished.

It just comes down to personal preference.
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The amount of guns that must pass thru your hands in Gunsmithing school is unreal. But you need to find many different models to work on for grades. I put $300 bluing jobs on $50 Western Auto .22's...:roll:
Just for the Colt/Ruger DFR class you need to have one each = Colt D,E,F.I frame guns and 1 Ruger revolver...DFR=Design,Function,Repair.
Then there's the S&W class....Auto Pistols....Bolt action rifles, pump shotguns, Double guns, ect....I think you need to have a total of about 50-60 guns to get thru school...buying/trading for guns cost more than the course....
"Lassen Community College Course Outline GSS-61.03 DFR Colt and Ruger Double Action Revolvers 1.0 Unit I. Catalog Description This course is designed to cover the design, function and repair of Colt D, E, F and I frame and Ruger revolvers, covers all phases of repair including endshake, range and throw-by. Recommended Preparation: Successful completion of ENGL105 or equivalent assessment placement. Does Not Transfer to UC/CSU 6 Hours Lecture, 33 Hours Lab Schedule
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Singlemalt said:
I'd be interested in some process pics on the pitting removal. I made a tanto knife a few years back, decided on a mirror finish. Had to send it away for proper heat treating. It comes back and it's rough and purple (expected, no surprise). So, I started sanding(hand sanding, directional) started at 150 grit up to 4000. Took about 1 1/2 months. It was gorgeous, literally like a mirror. Checking it out, happy, figure I'm done so I'll wipe the finger prints off. Without thinking, I use my T-shirt. Looked like a couple highways on a map, grit on the shirt scoured it. I was heart-broken LOL. Finally settled on satin finish approx 1000 grit
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On top of the sand paper I'm using various files and other things to remove pitting and shape the gun.

If this were an older break top or model 30 I don't think I would remove the pitting. Those were I frame guns. The model 31-1 is a j frame. It is thicker and similar to the k frame that handles .38 and .357. removing a bit of metal to refinish won't hurt the strength.

I'll take pics as I go.

doublejj said:
The amount of guns that must pass thru your hands in Gunsmithing school is unreal. But you need to find many different models to work on for grades. I put $300 bluing jobs on $50 Western Auto .22's...:roll:
Just for the Colt/Ruger DFR class you need to have one each = Colt D,E,F.I frame guns and 1 Ruger revolver...DFR=Design,Function,Repair.
Then there's the S&W class....Auto Pistols....Bolt action rifles, pump shotguns, Double guns, ect....I think you need to have a total of about 50-60 guns to get thru school...buying/trading for guns cost more than the course....
"Lassen Community College Course Outline GSS-61.03 DFR Colt and Ruger Double Action Revolvers 1.0 Unit I. Catalog Description This course is designed to cover the design, function and repair of Colt D, E, F and I frame and Ruger revolvers, covers all phases of repair including endshake, range and throw-by. Recommended Preparation: Successful completion of ENGL105 or equivalent assessment placement. Does Not Transfer to UC/CSU 6 Hours Lecture, 33 Hours Lab Schedule
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Oh I'm sure it's a crazy amount of guns.

Is a degree required to gunsmith?

Around here a person could make a good living on just basic repairs.

I know a ffl is required. As far as working on the guns I think I could do most of it without schooling. Mechanical things come easy to me. The info I wouldn't know would be head spacing and such. Those I could learn.
 
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doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
On top of the sand paper I'm using various files and other things to remove putting and shape the gun.

If this were an older break top or model 30 I don't think I would remove the pitting. Those were I frame guns. The model 31-1 is a j frame. It is thicker and similar to the k frame that handles .38 and .357. removing a bit of metal to refinish won't hurt the strength.

I'll take pics as I go.


Oh I'm sure it's a crazy amount of guns.

Is a degree required to gunsmith?

Around here a person could make a good living on just basic repairs.

I know a ffl is required. As far as working on the guns I think I could do most of it without schooling. Mechanical things come easy to me. The info I wouldn't know would be head spacing and such. Those I could learn.
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Liability insurance is SUPER expensive for gunsmiths, as high as 25% of gross income...especially if you do custom work. Insurance Co's give you a break if your properly educated.
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
As far as working on the guns I think I could do most of it without schooling. Mechanical things come easy to me. The info I wouldn't know would be head spacing and such. Those I could learn.
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I thought the same thing until i enrolled in my first firearm class......too much detail to learn on your own. It would take forever and you will fuck up a bunch of guns in the process. It's ok if you fuck up you're own gun, but fuck up a customers gun and your buying it....or worse
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
doublejj said:
Liability insurance is SUPER expensive for gunsmiths, as high as 25% of gross income...especially if you do custom work. Insurance Co's give you a break if your properly educated.
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I'm sure it is high. I carry a million dollar policy as it is now for working for myself. I'm sure the insurance for a gunsmith would be a lot higher.
doublejj said:
I thought the same thing until i enrolled in my first firearm class......too much detail to learn on your own. It would take forever and you will fuck up a bunch of guns in the process. It's ok if you fuck up you're own gun, but fuck up a customers gun and your buying it....or worse
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I'm sure you are right.
 
Singlemalt

Singlemalt

Well-Known Member
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
I didnt get good starting pics.

View attachment 4245783
Here it was at the start.
View attachment 4245784
View attachment 4245785
Here it is now. I'm still working on it and the pitting was way worse.
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You might consider bead blasting it and parkerizing it, or sending it for one of the new gun coatings. You wont need to be as fine on the sanding as they will cover a lot of blemishes. And you will still have a beautiful & functioning gun when your done. It's easy to put way more labor hrs into a gun than it's worth...
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
Count up your labor hrs on this gun project you are doing and see how much you would have to charge for the job and how much you are paying your self in the end.....it's hard to make money as a General gunsmith. Most of the gunsmiths that make decent money specialize...custom pistols, engraving, Armorer, custom finishes...ect
A gun is only worth what you can buy a used one for at a pawn shop...
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Singlemalt said:
Do you think someone in the past tried to clean it up? The first pic doesn't show that much rust, but obviously it was once rusted badly to get that pitting
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Most likely. Maybe they cleaned it to the point of removing the bluing and then forgot about it.
doublejj said:
You might consider bead blasting it and parkerizing it, or sending it for one of the new gun coatings. You wont need to be as fine on the sanding as they will cover a lot of blemishes. And you will still have a beautiful & functioning gun when your done. It's easy to put way more labor hrs into a gun than it's worth...
Click to expand...
They make duracoat in aerosol now.
doublejj said:
Count up your labor hrs on this gun project you are doing and see how much you would have to charge for the job and how much you are paying your self in the end.....it's hard to make money as a General gunsmith. Most of the gunsmiths that make decent money specialize...custom pistols, engraving, Armorer, custom finishes...ect
A gun is only worth what you can buy a used one for at a pawn shop...
Click to expand...
I'm not so much worried about the time in this one. For one I want to take it back to a good blue finish.

Another is it's a Smith and they just don't make them like that any more.

I get what you mean though. In this case if someone brought it to me like that they would either pay for my time or they wouldn't.

If I did become a Smith I don't know if I would do custom stuff or not. Most likely I would as l like to draw and other arts.

The biggest thing here is there is no one that works on them. May be a reason for that. May not. There was one guy but he retired.


I may just duracoat this one.
 
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