How do ou polish the barrel (hood?)

S

Shorts

New member
How do you polish the barrel (hood?)

I'd like to polish the barrel of our SA GI, just for asthetics. I was wondering what's necessary as far as compound and tools. Or is this something I should/shouldn't do that would affect function?

Here's a pic representing:

attachment.php
 
Last edited:
1. Clamp barrel in vise, work it like your shining a shoe with wet 600 paper..or

2. Take to gunsmith, give him $25 to polish hood

WildcheaperthansandpaperAlaska
 
Shorts, please let us see how it comes out. I've got one myself. I'ts kind off polishing itself, but not very nicely. Might do it to mine if it is feasable(easy and looks good)
good shootin
kid
 
Sure thing. This one just looks dirty and blah. I'm not paying $25 for a 'smith to do it :rolleyes: This is a project for myself. Like working on my truck. I like to "make it mine" with the mods I do to it (and I've certainly done A LOT!). I don't take it in to the dealer just to get an oil change.

Thanks for the info, 600 grit.
 
Wild hit it right on the Money! The barrel hood is like half of a piston in a car engine. The inside top of the slide is half of the cylinder. They rub. I like to make mine smooth. It is about a 10 minute job if you do it real slow.

35071614.jpg


Here is one I jeweled and then had Bodycote apply the DLC finish to it.
 
Buy the 'sapler pack' of wet/dry at the automotive dept at Wal-Mart.It goes up to either 1000 or 1500 grit, Start with 400 and work your way up shoe shining like Ken mentioned. If you want to finish up with semichrome, sure, why not, but if the inside of your slide is not as smooth and shiney, i.e..like Dave is describing the inside of an engine, after a few rounds it'll be scarred up again.
 
All that thought of shoe shiny labor made me gaze longinly at the light buffing wheel

But I'm just the service advisor, Im not authorized to use punches or power tools

WildrpmsAlaska
 
Although the shoe-shine method will result in a great shine, I've found that because the "grain" of the polish is running at right angles to the rubbing of the barrel and slide, the polish dulls quickly in the contact areas. After getting the level of smoothness desired, I wrapped some emery cloth around a large rubber eraser, and went over everything again, in a fore-aft direction, and it stayed bright a lot longer.
 
Polished hood

Dear Shooter
Looks like a nice 45; now, after you use the 600 grit you've got to get some black "dynashine" shoe polish and a rag and spit shine that sucker!

:p Hey! Just Kidding! Harry B.
 
Ok fellas, I just finished up polishing the barrel and a courtesy cleaning and oilin', 600 grit wet sanding job, here's the pics:

Barrel finished. Before starting, it had the ugly black-scuffed finish
attachment.php


Nice poser shot, the barrel (the whole point of this post) slightly visible
attachment.php


Here's the "sanding handle" I made. I can't use my left hand, so this enabled me to use the shoe shine method. I also had a smaller narrower strip I used by thumb to clean up the lower areas of the barrel that weren't getting polished with the larger, wider strip. That was mainly around the "S.A. .45" stamp. The stamp is still nice and defined, though you can't see it in the pics. My camera just plain bites it so I can't get a closeup of how nice it cleaned up.
attachment.php


This is my first attempt at toolin' around with the (any) gun, so I'm happy with it. I might go back to really mirror finish it and completely remove the extra fine marks that remain.

What can I use to do this?
 
Last edited:
RickB, I'll probably go back and buff the vertical direction of the barrel next time I take it down again. I shoulda checkedthis post one last time before I started. That'll allow me to shoot some rounds and see if and where there is contact.


Close up on the hood:

attachment.php
 
Last edited:
Well, folks, we have got Shorts "Hooked" now! So I have to tell you the rest of the story.
You have to polish the cylinder half also. The inside of the slide has to be smoothed out to achieve the desired effect! Make a sanding stick out of a 12" piece of an old broom handle or a 3/4 " dowel. Cut a slit in on end about 1 1/2-2" deep. Take a strip of sandpaper 1 1/2 -2 "s wide and carefully wind it around the dowel after you stick the end in the slit. Glue the end so it will stay in place. Then shine up those upper lugs in the slide until it shines like a diamond in a goats butt! Don't remove and metal , just shine it up. OK? You can tape up the sides of your slide with masking tape and put it in your vice upside down to hold it. You have made a "Captain Eagle Cheap Tool" called a "Lug Iron!"
 
And when ya really get good, chuck that stick in a variable speed drill and give it a twirl...

1000 grit though, be careful

WildwhirringdervishAlaska
 
Key Words Here: "When you get really good". I am not that good yet so I still use the old slow hand method..........................
 
I polished the lugs inside the slide, although, it wasn't as thorough a job as I would have liked to do. I made the dowel, but I didn't let the glue set long enough so it unwrapped :o I'll fix it up though and finish to my satisfaction. My fingers are small enough that I can fit them inside the slide rails and I polished them that way.

As far as using a Dremel or "power" behind specific delicate work, it makes me nervous :o I use it on the wood, leather and heavy metal outside on my truck, but for now, since I'm not really good, it's all by hand :) I'd much rather do it that way.

Thanks for all the help guys :cool:
 
Glad you did some good, Shorts. Time is on your side and you have plenty of it to play with.
I wish everyone had the respect for the Mr. Dremel Tool that you do. They can turn very fast and are easy to lose control over. I use them all the time (I have three hooked up as we speak) and I have the greatest respect for them now as always. They are a wonderful thing in my shop, but I still handle them with care.
 
One of the BIG RULES in using Mr. Dremel Man is do not use it on flat surfaces. Looks like you are going to get rid of that bad job OK. I did two SA tune ups yesterday and used them well. I rode them hard and out them away wet! I had to knock them out so I can get loose from here for a couple of weeks.

Hey! Mr. Dremel Man......................Dremel Me Banana..................daylite cum and I wanna go home.........................
 
Actually the guys here dont use Dremels as much as they use Fordams, same concept. They let me touch a cratex wheel once :)

WildandimallowedtoputbrassinthetumblerAlaska
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top