do you planish?

[xsexcess]

I picked up a 10-7 yesterday, recent re-import. I suspect Jerusalem Police (JP and 4 digit number clumsily stamped on bottom of frame ahead of trigger bow). There is good and bad, 85% is nice original finish. Some bluing wear, especially sight groove / top strap area (stored upside down??). There were several places it looked like the lot of pistols was dumped en-masse into a pile. Nicks / scuffs, enough to feel slight burrs on edges of them. First instinct was to pull out something abrasive, but I remembered I'd just bought a set of cheap Amazon planishing hammers. These are used mostly for jewelry making. I picked one and set about using very light taps, holding the hammer head almost in my fingers, lifting it off the surface no more than 3/8 of an inch or so. It worked great to re-fair the surfaces without damaging original finish in the area surrounding the boo-boo. Worked well for all the 'surface proud' areas. It will not re-fill the below surface gouges, but certainly seems a good technique for high spots. Do you planish?

 

[Toolguy]

It is definitely a good technique to know, especially for peening back the material around the cylinder notches where the cylinder stop goes.

 

[gwpercle]

It appears I do ... and didn't even know it !
Was not familiar with the term planish , but after looking it up realized I had been doing it to repair buggered up screw heads for years .
Pushing moved metal back in place , when you can , always beats removing the metal .
Learned a new word today... and I am a Planisher !
Gary

 

[scattershot]

Planish? Not that I know of. Is it contagious?

 

[ameridaddy]

I have a few planish guns, but most are pretty nice. ;>D
OK, that's so-so punny, but yes I have, after I first saw the technique watching an engraver working on a stamping die.
On guns and antique furniture, I've used the technique to improve buggered screw slots.