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Posted: 9/8/2014 12:29:59 PM EDT
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This summer I decided to try my hand at restoring a firearm. I purchased a pathetic Eastern Arms coach gun to make all my mistakes on. LOL! I have just about finished. Here's my question. After reading several posts on AR, it seemed appropriate to bead blast the barrels before applying the Cerakote. I am fairly new to my town and took it to a very reputable gunsmith. Walking into his shop I could see why. The elder gentleman had, and I am NOT kidding, close to five hundred shotguns and rifles lined up for gun smithing. So, it came as no surprise, that after two weeks, my work order is not in sight. He did say that he plans to do a group of guns at one time.
Question: Is there a Plan B out there? I perfecto understand the gun smith's predicament and maybe this is par for the course in gun smithing. However, would it be rude to take it somewhere else? I was surprised (I probably should add a few pics) at how well I Oh, one more thought. As I removed the original stain varnish, I was surprised and pleased to see it had an ash butt stock. I decided to just put a neutral stain and then a half dozen coats of polyurethane, lightly sanded with 0000 steel wool. Now I am wondering if I should forget the Cerakote (Coyote Brown), and just blue the barrel. I've only blued one other barrel and it seemed to take forever to do that and it still seemed way too light. Again, coulda just been me. https://www.flickr.com/photos/40464609@N03/sets/72157647361269841 |
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Other options are machine shops and auto garages. Most of them have bead blasters.
I'd be a little hesitant on those since they don't work with guns and they might get the beads into the chamber or barrel and roughen them up. Other than that, you need to actually see the texture they'd do before letting them do it. It might be too rough for you. |
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Quoted:
Other options are machine shops and auto garages. Most of them have bead blasters. I'd be a little hesitant on those since they don't work with guns and they might get the beads into the chamber or barrel and roughen them up. Other than that, you need to actually see the texture they'd do before letting them do it. It might be too rough for you. And the blast media may be contaminated with who knows what. |
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Glass Bead blasting is only the first step for none SS metal coating (blasting is just prep work to get the metal clean and ready to be parkerized)
For gun coatings to get a good bond, you need to parkerize the metal. The parkerizing bonds to the metal, and when the parkerizing is left in a dry/clean state, allows the coating to soak into and bond to the parkerizing for a rock solid bond. It's only is SS metal where it can not be parkerized, that you want to use Oxide media instead of Glass bead to direct prep the metal for coating. Glass bead peens the metal, while 300 oxide cuts instead, and leave enough of a rough surface on the SS to allow the coating to semi bond to it (coating will not bond to the blasted SS as well as it would to parkerizing). 
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Quoted:
Glass Bead blasting is only the first step for none SS metal coating (blasting is just prep work to get the metal clean and ready to be parkerized) For gun coatings to get a good bond, you need to parkerize the metal. The parkerizing bonds to the metal, and when the parkerizing is left in a dry/clean state, allows the coating to soak into and bond to the parkerizing for a rock solid bond. It's only is SS metal where it can not be parkerized, that you want to use Oxide media instead of Glass bead to direct prep the metal for coating. Glass bead peens the metal, while 300 oxide cuts instead, and leave enough of a rough surface on the SS to allow the coating to semi bond to it (coating will not bond to the blasted SS as well as it would to parkerizing). http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Dano523/DSC00892.jpg http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Dano523/DSC00888.jpg I don't think he's got a SS Coach gun. May be wrong |
Now we can see what your talking about better. If it were me, I'd bring her back to her original glory with a nice bluing job. My dad had a 1903A3 he started to sporterize with a walnut Montecarlo stock from a blank. 20 yrs later it was just sitting there, so I borrowed it and finished it. Had a nice deep bluing job put on it, bedded a floated the barrel and gave it back to him. Nothing like a blued finish on a vintage firearm to bring it back to life IMHO. Looks like a fine specimen to be working on. Stock came out great. |
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Pitting it not too bad, but would take a lot of work to polish out to re-blue.
Short work would be pull the parts down, glass bleed blast to remove the old finish/rust, parkerize the parts (make sure to plug the bores so you don't parkerizes the inside of the bores), then spray it with a good spray coating. Since you are going to coat over the parkerizing, then your parkerizing does not need to be color perfect, so the parkerizing for the barrel can be heated up, then use a closed end PVC tube to put the barrel in, then pour the parkerizing in the tube to parkerize the long barrel. On the smaller parts, you can parkerize them once the solution is hot enough (before pouring it into the tube to parkerize the barrel last). As for a good spray coating, since you do have a long barrel and baking may be out, would use Duracoat since it does not require baking to cure (takes a few weeks for the finish to fully cure though). |
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Rust bluing can easily be done at home in stages as you have time.
The finish will reflect the amount of time and effort you put into the metal prior to bluing. Pits will still be pits, and the amount of sanding and polishing will determine whether it is shiny and reflective or a matte finish. You could bead blast and rust blue for a black oxide similar to a black parkerize. Or you could park it at home. |
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That top lever looks awfully left of center with the barrels attached & the action closed. Appears to be a well-worn action. Are you doing this as just a project gun? Doesn't look to be worthwhile to put too much cash or time into it.
I'd Belgian blue and call it good. Rust blue would take too much time and/or effort, just my .02. |
| Remember, Parkerizing needs to be kept at 185 degrees F to work correctly. I have tanks that use electric elements to keep the temp to within +/- 2 degrees while parts are in. Also be careful of old doubles. THEY ARE SOFT SOLDERED together. I have had 3 customers bring in guns that they tried to repair/refinish. Cost them 3x the worth of the guns to repair. |
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Quoted: This summer I decided to try my hand at restoring a firearm. I purchased a pathetic Eastern Arms coach gun to make all my mistakes on. LOL! I have just about finished. Here's my question. After reading several posts on AR, it seemed appropriate to bead blast the barrels before applying the Cerakote. I am fairly new to my town and took it to a very reputable gunsmith. Walking into his shop I could see why. The elder gentleman had, and I am NOT kidding, close to five hundred shotguns and rifles lined up for gun smithing. So, it came as no surprise, that after two weeks, my work order is not in sight. He did say that he plans to do a group of guns at one time. Question: Is there a Plan B out there? I perfecto understand the gun smith's predicament and maybe this is par for the course in gun smithing. However, would it be rude to take it somewhere else? I was surprised (I probably should add a few pics) at how well Ihttp:// was able to buff out scratches and tarnish and get an almost stainless steel look to the breach. Can I do that with the double barrels? It did take a LONG time to get that finish. As you can see, I am a total novice at this. Oh, one more thought. As I removed the original stain varnish, I was surprised and pleased to see it had an ash butt stock. I decided to just put a neutral stain and then a half dozen coats of polyurethane, lightly sanded with 0000 steel wool. Now I am wondering if I should forget the Cerakote (Coyote Brown), and just blue the barrel. I've only blued one other barrel and it seemed to take forever to do that and it still seemed way too light. Again, coulda just been me. https://www.flickr.com/photos/40464609@N03/sets/72157647361269841 |
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