Antiquing "How-To"

[deucedaddyj]

That is pretty darn cool. I might have to try it on the "Widowmaker" (so called, because it's caused me so much stress, if I was married my wife would be a widow by now) Iver Johnson/Uberti Cattleman.

Palidin: Boy, our avatars are a little close for comfort, aren't they? If you want me to, I'd be glad to change mine. Yours looks better anyways.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Well, I did the second Uberti Millenium.

Turned out better than the first one!!! (I did a better job of bluing and I used a hotter temp for the browing)

Man, it looks so good after cleanup with the Flitz, I could swear it was color case hardened (if I didn't know better).

Both actions are smooth now. (both need another 500rds through them and they should be good to go for this next season)

Anyone who thinks this is hard has nothing to be affraid of. Just take your time and go slowly.

A good bit of bluing with Permablue PASTE is what made the difference.

don't forget to get the temp up before browning. (350 on my stove worked just fine)
[do the browning twice and after the second time, let er sit for 10min so it has time to react]

Pics to follow...

[Dakota Widowmaker]

OK, here is some eye candy.

[edited: sorry, lost those pics and no longer have those guns... life goes on]

[Yankee John]

Looking great Dakota!  They look like they are 100 years old. 

John

[LazyK Pejay]

Good job on both pistols. I am not sure I like the brass on the UBerti though, but the grips look great. Thx.

LazyK Pejay

[Dakota Widowmaker]

LP-

Yeah, the brass is either anodized or bead blasted with a parkerized style surface.

I am going to sand it down smooth then let nature take its course with the surface finish.

I could blacken it with chemical agents...but why?

Brass grips don't make it any less fun to shoot.

[Revolvr]

These antiqued SAA's in the photos look great. I think I might give it a shot.

Question: My SAA clone has the "Charcoal Blue" that Uberti and Cimarron advertise. Is this bluing removed just like the other?

Also, what happens to the color case hardened frame? Seems like this technique would cover that finish as well.

-- Clay

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Yes, the bluing from Uberti and others is the same. It can be removed with plain old "naval jelly" or "bluing rust remover"

[Revolvr]

So if I can summarize, it seems the real difference in this process is the cold blueing before browning.

The photos in the original web link show a distressed antiqued finish. But some of the photos that have been posted since show a very even newer look.

So is the difference in the blueing and browning, or is it in the care and time taken in the cleaning/degreasing/polishing preparation?

Does this end up hiding the case-hardened finish or does that still show through reasonably well?

Thanks,

-- Clay

[Highlander999]

I took this old gun that I bought for a song, took 0000 steel wool, polished the end of the left side of the BBL where the holster wear would be, along the ejector rod on the right side, buffed more just along the bbl, and then all around the cylinder flutes and where the bevel on the front of the cylinder strikes the holster.  I then used the steel wool on the backstrap where my hand hits it, then across the front of the backstrap, and where my finger hits the trigger guard.  You can see where I started out with 600 emery paper (don't do that).  You can't see it in regular lighting, but under flash you can.