Here is a link to the thread and pics of just how well this old model 14 shot :


Model 14 from '68 shoots awesome!

So I thought this one could use some TLC , so I added a wide trigger . Then got some presentation grips and got it to looking a little better with a rust job.





So here's what she looked like before refinish job:



Thanks for looking Gentlemen ,

Kirk

Well done, Sir. Well done indeed!

That is an absolutely beautiful S&W revolvers. That classic handgun should give you a great deal of "pride of ownership."

God bless,
Birdgun

Very nice!

There was no reason not to refinish her or add the final touches so I commend you.

Kobsw

Very nice refinish. Looks very nice. Congrats.
Walt

Nicely done! Looks great!

__________________
“What you got, ain’t new.”

Wow.

Looks great.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

It looks very good. You did a great job.

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Ken

That came out real nice. It's a real looker now!

Would you mind describing how you did your re blue and what you used? Do you have any experience in how well they hold up over time?

Excellent re-blue. Looks original.

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Psalm 27:2

That turned out great!

Well that is somewhat of long answer and others have asked also so here goes:

The rust blue process is actually a surface conversion . This is done by applying a solution that rusts the metal and then boiling in water to change the color of the oxidation to black. Then carding the surface clean and smooth and repeating and repeating the cycles until the desired color or darkness and uniformity is achieved.

Depending upon the solution or brand of solution that would be between 6-20 coats or cycles . Some solutions require that they be left on the gun for a number hours depending upon the temp and humidity others you heat the metal to speed the rust process up .

I have a rust cabinet and use a heat gun and or the combination of both when rusting then boil the part for a few minutes and card with a wire wheel at slow speeds until things are clean .

That wire wheel needs to be very fine , say around .004-.006 " and turning slow somewhere around 800 rpms or so.

Ferric or ferrous oxide is the science I believe that you are dealing with (someone will correct me if wrong) .

when you get the color you want you simply oil the part with a very fine oil and one without any rust inhibitors added.

One of the most important parts or the most is prep. All previous finish needs to be removed such as bluing or parking and what not . This is done with a rust remover or a blasting cabinet or both . Then the part is smoothed or finished to the desired smoothness , that would include removing all the pitting if possible and scratches and dings that can be and taking the finish down to around 400 grit . Or I have really good luck with using Aluminum oxide of 180 grit in my blast cabinet at about a hundred lbs of pressure .

I do all of the work by hand , no buffers in my shop for metal prep , I simply am a bit scared of them , we have all seen buffed out blue jobs that look terrible and buffers can change the lines of a gun really quick and since I want to retain the original lines of a gun it makes sense to me to work things out carefully by hand starting with a file and going down from there.


Some guys go more or less on that and the finish will smooth out to a degree the more the metal gets carded on the wheel. The wire is actually folding the steel in on itself on a microscopic level.

The most critical part of rusting or parking or blueing is the removal of all traces of oil from the part . Acetone works and so does a degreaser like simple green in boiling water. Keeping the blast media clean as possible helps out also . This is a learned process and pin holes and nooks and cranys can kill a blue job if not dealt with before the rusting takes place. I have degreased with acetone then boiled in degreaser and then blasted and then degreased again only to have oil somehow show up and mess everything up.

Oh and unpowdered nitril gloves are essential when you start , think clean , clean , clean.

This is what is involved in rust bluing , hot blue or hot dip blue is somewhat different and I do not have the equipment to do that ,as it takes bluing tanks and some thought on ventilation also to do it safely .

As far as rust bluing durability goes , they have been using it for along time and I would say it holds up about as well as any of the other type blue would .

Here is a couple of pics of just a few of the smiths I have refinished with rust blue.





A 1911 that I threw together and also an old junk CZ





Oh and mods if this needs to be moved to the gunsmith section do what you need to do. Don't want to break the rules here.

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen , hope this will help somebody out .
Kirk

Nice looking work. Thanks for your informative thread. I enjoyed it!

I can find no fault with your work, in fact I believe your results are what most are looking for with a re blue.

Big thumbs up!

Great thread! You took a classic revolver and gave it more class... sort of like old money... you just can't hide the class, just understate it! Congratulations on a fine job.

Froggie