Hey folks , as I stated in a previous thread , Im building a custom mauser out of a k98 action (Ive settled on a 280 Ackley improved . I just wanted to know what you folks thought of polishing the unblued action to a mirror finish with a buffing wheel and jewelers rouge ?when I get done I want a super shiny gloss finish , so what do you think?......LOUD
polishing before blueing?
- Thread starter LOUD
- Start date
"Of course, you know that bluing is also applied in coats while also polishing between each one?"
With the exception of rust bluing, which requires “carding” vs. polishing between applications, I don’t know of any conventional bluing process in which you polish more than once.
With the exception of rust bluing, which requires “carding” vs. polishing between applications, I don’t know of any conventional bluing process in which you polish more than once.
I'm not sure where you got that info.
In the case of hot caustic bluing, the metal is polished, degreased, then immersed in a boiling saturated KOH solution. When it comes out, it is done. No more polishing.
Then there is rust bluing, where the metal is polished, degreased, then rusted with a mild acid solution, then boiled in distilled water to convert the rust. When the part is removed from the water, the loose rust is carded off, and the process repeated. But the metal is only polished onece.
Even in nitre bluing, the metal is first polished, then immersed in a boiling saturated metal salt solution, when it is removed it is done.
Dfariswheel
New member
If I read you right, you want a brilliantly polished bare metal finish with no bluing?
Yes you can do this, but the metal will rust fast unless you keep a coat of rust preventing lube on it.
Even then, handling will remove the lube and the metal will start to dull and then rust over time.
If you happen to use the rifle on a humid day, you can find the metal rusting within a few hours.
The only way to keep it bright over time will be to buff it again when it starts to dull.
Bottom line, bare metal, especially mirror polished steel rusts and dulls fast.
Yes you can do this, but the metal will rust fast unless you keep a coat of rust preventing lube on it.
Even then, handling will remove the lube and the metal will start to dull and then rust over time.
If you happen to use the rifle on a humid day, you can find the metal rusting within a few hours.
The only way to keep it bright over time will be to buff it again when it starts to dull.
Bottom line, bare metal, especially mirror polished steel rusts and dulls fast.
You will have a hard time getting a very shiny blue with rust bluing, so I assume you intend to use hot tank or caustic blue. For that purpose, the polishing you describe will work fine, but note that jewelers' rouge is very fine so you will want to use a more abrasive compound first to polish out the tool marks common on military rifles. Then work down (or up, if you prefer) to the jewelers' rouge. The result will be a very high shine (mirror finish).
(Just to cover the bases, you also won't get a mirror finish with cold blue of any kind, no matter how hard you polish and the blue won't last.)
Jim
(Just to cover the bases, you also won't get a mirror finish with cold blue of any kind, no matter how hard you polish and the blue won't last.)
Jim
To get a high polish, deep mirrored blue job I spin the barrels against a belt sander.
Depending on the condition of the barrel I start out with a 320 grit barrel and work my way up to a 4000 grit barrel. I like the effect of a bead blast action and a highly polished barrel then into the bluing tanks. After that cold water dip rinse and then clean it with lots of WD 40, followed by a heavy rubbing with RIG.
Depending on the condition of the barrel I start out with a 320 grit barrel and work my way up to a 4000 grit barrel. I like the effect of a bead blast action and a highly polished barrel then into the bluing tanks. After that cold water dip rinse and then clean it with lots of WD 40, followed by a heavy rubbing with RIG.