SSV Frankengun Project

[guzzitaco]

Beadblasting I

Preparation for Beadblasting:

The next step in the project was to blast the frame and slide. I did a lot of research and corresponded with forum members asking questions.

The best thread I found on the subject was:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...testing-5906-frame.html?417421=#post138383923

So, I ordered the econo-blend #4 for McMaster-Carr. It isn't cheap stuff. For 10lbs + shipping and tax it was $44.

I have a good compressor (Makita 3hp), so the next step was to buy a blasting gun. I ended buying a 20oz gravity feed blasting gun (HF). Since my initial intention was to blast out in the open (I do not have a blasting cabinet), the bulkiness of the blasting gun wasn't an issue.

However, after I thought about the cost of the blasting media, I wasn't happy to waste it. I thought about buying a blasting cabinet, but in the middle of the lockdown with my business closed, I felt guilty of spending the money in something that I don't know how many times I am going to use.

So, I decided to build a 'temporary' (rudimentary) blasting cabinet. I watched some videos and I ended getting a plastic container at Walmart for $15. I made some mods with some scrap material I had at home and I was ready to go.










I prepared the frame for blasting. All the major dings were addressed (to the best of my abilities).











more to come...

 

[Craig19]

Hi,
seller was Weaponspro in Salem, Indiana. I don't know if they have others in stock... ([email protected])

Maybe, it would be better to buy a whole 5906 and sell the parts you don't need/want on eBay... I have seen some for $329



PS: more to come...

Yeah, it would have to be a reasonably priced frame. A few years ago a someone was selling 5906 frames for $250. I can almost buy the whole gun for that. In fact, my PD trade in 5906 was $300 even.

 

[guzzitaco]

Beadblasting part deux

Blasting the frame:

So, I blasted the frame at 70 PSI. After I took it out of the blaster, gave it a bath and dried it, I realized that there were some minor spots that required re-touching. So, I re-filed and re-sanded to get ready for a second blasting session.

Some pics before 2nd blast...













Safety note: My improvised blasting cabinet has some small "leaks". It isn't too much, I lose around 1oz by blasting session, but the media gets inside my respiratory track. The feeling inside the throat isn't nice (nor good for your health). For the next blasting sessions, I always wore a respirator and eye protection. I strongly suggest you do the same.

After the 2nd blasting, this is what the frame looked like:











more to come...

 

[guzzitaco]

Beadblasting part drei

Preparing to blast the slide

Before blasting the slide, I addressed all the dings that I made trying to remove the extractor.





I removed the old finish using "krud kutter rust remover" (and Navy Jelly from Rustoleum, which I don't really like, but I spilled the krud cutter and needed to finish the job)



I also "squared" the slide by using sandpaper over a granite block. I was very careful in not damaging the roll marks this time.



Before the beadblasting, the slide look like this:













Beadblasting the slide: I blasted the slide using the same rudimentary cabinet and Econo-Blend #4 at 70 PSI.

When I was done, this is what it looked like:











Now, we are getting somewhere...



next...hot bluing at home...

 

[Craig19]

That looks great. You would never know the slide was originally blued.

 

[guzzitaco]

That looks great. You would never know the slide was originally blued.

yes, came out great...however, the carbon steel of the 6904/3914 slide, rust very fast...

as soon as I finished blasting it, I took it for a "bath" and then dried with the air compressor. I must have left some wet spots inside, because when I took it inside the house I had some corrosion spots inside...

I had to do some retouching...clean and dry properly...

but , I was happy with the result...

 

[4T5GUY]

But you know we all are learning along with you, (well at least I am anyway,) and it's great entertainment following.

It's pretty cool that you're just going full throttle on this. I kinda feel for you though in some of the things that have happened. Fortunately I researched, (before this forum existed,) prior to doing some of the things you have done so successfully in the end.

The REALLY amazing thing is you are documenting/posting EVERYTHING and I thank you for that. Ups and downs. I sure wish I had taken before and after pics of my endeavors. That's true my with cars and firearms.

Jim

 

[guzzitaco]

thank you

But you know we all are learning along with you, (well at least I am anyway,) and it's great entertainment following.

It's pretty cool that you're just going full throttle on this. I kinda feel for you though in some of the things that have happened. Fortunately I researched, (before this forum existed,) prior to doing some of the things you have done so successfully in the end.

The REALLY amazing thing is you are documenting/posting EVERYTHING and I thank you for that. Ups and downs. I sure wish I had taken before and after pics of my endeavors. That's true my with cars and firearms.

Jim

Thank you Jim,

I did this project with the help of two of my kids trying to teach them that you can research and fix or build things, rather than the "buy a new one" mentality that isn't always right.

I have learnt a great deal from the people in this forum. Some threads are just amazing, like reading a manual. Many members have gone the extra mile in providing me with advice, some of them even complimentary parts !!! I am thankful for this.

The hardest part has always been "understanding my limitations and not confusing abilities with expectations"...but as a friend here in the forum says: "you learn by doing..."

more to come...

 

[guzzitaco]

Hot bluing is hot

Research and preparation for Hot Bluing at home

Initially I was going to re-finish the slide by using rust bluing. However, after all the effort that was done with fixing the slide, the extractor and everything, I kind of wanted something better. I have done rust bluing in the past, and maybe there is something that I do wrong, but I always get a "smoky" color that has hints of brown. I didn't want a brown slide.

I started doing research about hot bluing and found some interesting videos at Youtube.

Also, I found a lot of forums and websites that had a lot of info and formulas for HOT CAUSTIC BLUING. I even found online the gunsmithing book of Roy F. Dulnap that details formula and procedure.

In my 20's I worked in an oil field, so I was trained in properly handling some chemicals. If you are not trained or used to on how to handle chemicals, perhaps you shouldn't attempt to do this by yourself.

SAFETY NOTE: HOT CUASTING BLUING IS DANGEROUS STUFF. THE "BATH" BOILS AT 280 TO 295 DEGREES AND THE CAUSTIC SOLUTION CAN BURN YOUR FACE, SKIN, EYES. VAPORS SHOULDN'T BE INHALED.

I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT WHEN DOING THIS: CHEMICAL GLOVES, RESPIRATOR, FACE MASK, LONG SLEVES, CLOSED SHOES, LONG PANTS AND APPRON IS THE MINIMAL PROTECTION GEAR THAT YOU SHOULD WEAR. If YOU DECIDE TO DOTHIS, YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I adapted the formula to the size of stainless-steel pot that I have in the garage. I wanted to do a small batch just for the slide. I bought the materials at the Walmart and the hardware store. Total cost was $16.

Slide preparation:
The slide was already blasted and free of rust, but following the recommendation of a forum member I deiced to polish the "flats" of the slide, to get a better look. I sanded over a granite block, with 400, 600 and 800 paper. I didn't want a super polished look, so I left it there. The slide isn't totally "squared" but again, I was concerned of erasing the roll marks by over sanding. There were some tiny spots that were not 100% perfect, but I didn't want to risk it further. I polished the front of the barrel bushing same as the flats. I also prepared the trigger and the hammer to be blued. I had already stoned the circumference of the hammer, carefully without touching any of the cuts. There is a great thread about this:

4506 gets a few more "adjustments"

After handling the slide, I cleaned it again by using simple green and warm water. The dried if completely and the degreased it with acetone. Same with hammer and trigger.

Hot bluing first try
I decided to do all the process out in the open using the side burner of an old bbq grill. That wy the fumes would be less of an issue. It was a Friday afternoon.

I set the bath and started to raise the temp. When it reached 280 degrees, I decided to put the parts in. I left the parts in for 20 minutes. I was concerned of "over cooking" them. Also, I didn't pay proper attention and didn't get the temperature constant at 285 to 295 degrees. This was a mistake. (some people decided to come and visit in the middle of the quarantine, I am working with a hot chemical bath and I'm being interrupted.)



After it was done. I rinsed the parts in water, dried them well and coated them with WD-40.












The slide looked great, but the more I looked at it under "artificial light" the more I realized the color was off...way off...it wasn't black...it was purple-brown I wasn't happy with the color...

I didn't like it like that and I was determined to fix it somehow...but first I needed to find out what went wrong...

more to come...

 

[ElectroMotive]

Just an aesthetics question, but can the front of the dustcover be trimmed back to be even with the ball cuts on the slide?

 

[1775usmarine]

Research and preparation for Hot Bluing at home

Initially I was going to re-finish the slide by using rust bluing. However, after all the effort that was done with fixing the slide, the extractor and everything, I kind of wanted something better. I have done rust bluing in the past, and maybe there is something that I do wrong, but I always get a "smoky" color that has hints of brown. I didn't want a brown slide.

I started doing research about hot bluing and found some interesting videos at Youtube.

Also, I found a lot of forums and websites that had a lot of info and formulas for HOT CAUSTIC BLUING. I even found online the gunsmithing book of Roy F. Dulnap that details formula and procedure.

In my 20's I worked in an oil field, so I was trained in properly handling some chemicals. If you are not trained or used to on how to handle chemicals, perhaps you shouldn't attempt to do this by yourself.

SAFETY NOTE: HOT CUASTING BLUING IS DANGEROUS STUFF. THE "BATH" BOILS AT 280 TO 295 DEGREES AND THE CAUSTIC SOLUTION CAN BURN YOUR FACE, SKIN, EYES. VAPORS SHOULDN'T BE INHALED.

I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT WHEN DOING THIS: CHEMICAL GLOVES, RESPIRATOR, FACE MASK, LONG SLEVES, CLOSED SHOES, LONG PANTS AND APPRON IS THE MINIMAL PROTECTION GEAR THAT YOU SHOULD WEAR. If YOU DECIDE TO DOTHIS, YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I adapted the formula to the size of stainless-steel pot that I have in the garage. I wanted to do a small batch just for the slide. I bought the materials at the Walmart and the hardware store. Total cost was $16.

Slide preparation:
The slide was already blasted and free of rust, but following the recommendation of a forum member I deiced to polish the "flats" of the slide, to get a better look. I sanded over a granite block, with 400, 600 and 800 paper. I didn't want a super polished look, so I left it there. The slide isn't totally "squared" but again, I was concerned of erasing the roll marks by over sanding. There were some tiny spots that were not 100% perfect, but I didn't want to risk it further. I polished the front of the barrel bushing same as the flats. I also prepared the trigger and the hammer to be blued. I had already stoned the circumference of the hammer, carefully without touching any of the cuts. There is a great thread about this:

4506 gets a few more "adjustments"

After handling the slide, I cleaned it again by using simple green and warm water. The dried if completely and the degreased it with acetone. Same with hammer and trigger.

Hot bluing first try
I decided to do all the process out in the open using the side burner of an old bbq grill. That wy the fumes would be less of an issue. It was a Friday afternoon.

I set the bath and started to raise the temp. When it reached 280 degrees, I decided to put the parts in. I left the parts in for 20 minutes. I was concerned of "over cooking" them. Also, I didn't pay proper attention and didn't get the temperature constant at 285 to 295 degrees. This was a mistake. (some people decided to come and visit in the middle of the quarantine, I am working with a hot chemical bath and I'm being interrupted.)



After it was done. I rinsed the parts in water, dried them well and coated them with WD-40.












The slide looked great, but the more I looked at it under "artificial light" the more I realized the color was off...way off...it wasn't black...it was purple-brown I wasn't happy with the color...

I didn't like it like that and I was determined to fix it somehow...but first I needed to find out what went wrong...

more to come...

I think it looks great for the first time around.

 

[guzzitaco]

Just an aesthetics question, but can the front of the dustcover be trimmed back to be even with the ball cuts on the slide?

Honestly, I don't know...never before thought about it...

I think all the short slide 3rd gen S&W look like this, with the exception of the M3913 NL and M3913 Ladysmith. Also, less noticeable in the value series...

I don't know if there is a technical reason for this, but I never thought of changing it for this project, since I wanted it to look like a M5967

Maybe someone with more experience can chip-in...

 

[JohnHL]

Just an aesthetics question, but can the front of the dustcover be trimmed back to be even with the ball cuts on the slide?

I, too, noticed the misalignment, and was hoping you intended to address it in a subsequent post.

If I understand you correctly, the frame and slide are "orphans" and will become as one, henceforth.

Therefore, "mating" them would be a nice detail and would not violate my "prime directive" i.e. "Never modify a complete pistol to the extent it can not be easily returned to original condition."

As it would be easier to match the frame to the slide as opposed to the converse, that would be my vote, but I'm no expert.

Other than that, I heartily applaud your efforts and I'm extremely gratified to see that you are showing your family, as well as the Forum, what can be accomplished by a determined and resourceful individual, without having to resort to a financially crippling array of specialized tools and equipment.

Keep up the good work!

I'll go pop some more corn.

John

 

[stansdds]

I thought some shade of purple was the normal shade of blue for S&W's metal receiver centerfire pistols. The 39-2 that I had decades ago had a purple-blue slide, it was the factory blue. My current 439 has a purple-blue slide. The odd color may be the result of the steel alloy S&W used for their slides.

As for the receiver's dust cover extending past the ball cut in the slide, this seems to be a standard feature for their pistols with 3 1/2 inch barrels. I agree, it is unsightly.

 

[guzzitaco]

I, too, noticed the misalignment, and was hoping you intended to address it in a subsequent post.

If I understand you correctly, the frame and slide are "orphans" and will become as one, henceforth.

Therefore, "mating" them would be a nice detail and would not violate my "prime directive" i.e. "Never modify a complete pistol to the extent it can not be easily returned to original condition."

As it would be easier to match the frame to the slide as opposed to the converse, that would be my vote, but I'm no expert.

Other than that, I heartily applaud your efforts and I'm extremely gratified to see that you are showing your family, as well as the Forum, what can be accomplished by a determined and resourceful individual, without having to resort to a financially crippling array of specialized tools and equipment.

Keep up the good work!

I'll go pop some more corn.

John

Thank you John for your kind comments...!!!

You have always been very supportive and helpful in answering my questions...

I will address the "misaligment" question/issue in a separate post...

 

[guzzitaco]

I thought some shade of purple was the normal shade of blue for S&W's metal receiver centerfire pistols. The 39-2 that I had decades ago had a purple-blue slide, it was the factory blue. My current 439 has a purple-blue slide. The odd color may be the result of the steel alloy S&W used for their slides.

As for the receiver's dust cover extending past the ball cut in the slide, this seems to be a standard feature for their pistols with 3 1/2 inch barrels. I agree, it is unsightly.

than you stansdds,

You are right, purple-bluish I would be happy with...but it was more brown with shades of purple...

I will address further in the next bluing post...

 

[guzzitaco]

Misalignment comments

Misalignment concerns: I think I better tackle this in a separate post before we all get stuck in a "rabbit hole".

As I said in a previous post, to be totally honest, I never thought about addressing the slide/frame misalignment. I never paid much attention to it, since most of the 3rd gun S&W have it. And maybe it is kind of a "trademark" of a third gen.

To illustrate my point:


the M5967 that I am "inspired" by has it


also the M6906


also my beautiful M5906 TSW


even some Performance Center pistols as this Shorty45

However, there are examples that I found where it was "corrected". All are Performance Center pistols.


the 3566 compact


the fantastic Shorty40

One thing is certain, I do not have 1/10 of the skill of one of the Performance Center guys that built those guns...

I don't know if I should try address it, because after that I might want to address it in all my S&W...and I would be hard to do it in all since there are aluminum frame ones (like the M6906) that would need to be re-anodized.

I have to think more about it, before attempting to tackle it...

Maybe in the future...

Anyway, thank you for the feedback...never thought about it...


more to come...

 

[guzzitaco]

2nd time bluing is hotter

Understanding what went wrong with the first bluing attempt:

The day after the first bluing attempt was a Saturday. I woke up early and the house was very quiet. I took my time and went through all my notes and all my reading material. I discovered the following mistakes:

1) The formula was off: The potassium Nitrate concentration was low by 5%, whilst the water was over by the same 5%. My formula was too diluted, hence "weak".

2) Time: I discovered that depending on the steel alloy the "bath time" should be longer, the 20-minute time was only used as a reference, not as a rule. So, I might need to "cook" it for a longer time.

3) Temperature: for the bath to have the proper "black" results, it should boil at 280 to 295 degrees. Every time I went to close to 295, I turn off the flame to let it cool down. This was a mistake. I should have added water to keep the boiling temp at 295. The problem is that adding water is DANGEROUS, since adding too much too quickly can cause a steam eruption that will splatter the hot solution in all directions!

By doing some more research online I found that a brown color was probably related to low temp. However, I needed to be careful because above 310 deg I could get a more purplish color.

So, I needed to mix a new solution and do it again. I had the materials, and the time. Everyone was sleeping and wouldn't bother me…sounds like a plan.

Bluing 2nd try

I disassembled the slide and cleaned it very well. Again, used simple green and warm water. Dried with compressed air. Then used acetone to degrease further. Clean gloves to handle everything. Avoid water marks. Use paper towels (clean and new) if/when necessary.

Set the "bath" again. Got the pieces in at 295 deg. Kept it at 295 deg for 50 minutes. I took it out a couple of times to check the color.

After it was done, I rinsed it in clean water, dried well and then spayed it with WD-40

Back in black:



















Yes, we are back in black…

more to come...

 

[1775usmarine]

Shoot me your address I got a cz82 you can do. Give me a price.

 

[1775usmarine]

Looks awesome though.