My Pre-B refinishing and modification diary

[sberres]

Thx!  What the best pic size to post?  I used medium. Does small work ok? 
  Seems my real problem wasn't so much in taking a photo but in using one that I'd already stored as a note. I think we got it, though. Thanks for your help!

[Underwhere]

I did one more rusting tonight. Mark Lee's instructions.

If I look closely I still see blotches but actually not too bad.

The worst area is on the front of the slide and I think I know what that's from. It's  pattern. It's from my paper towels. So I must have Contaminated or placed the slide in contact with the paper towel with wet rusting solution. Oops.

I think I'm done with this. I actually like this a lot and I'm going to keep this as is. It's not perfect but it'll be good to look back on and also have something to compare future work with.

I followed the mark lee instructions and it's sitting in a baking soda bath. As I had read the solution doesn't like to mix together very well so I have to hand mix every few minutes.

I'm not sure of my next steps. I have some boiled linseed oil. I have read to dunk this in tranny fluid or motor oil. Others say wipe with a thin layer of linseed. Any thoughts?

[The Guardian]

I'm not sure of my next steps. I have some boiled linseed oil. I have read to dunk this in tranny fluid or motor oil. Others say wipe with a thin layer of linseed. Any thoughts?

Actually any of those or just gun oil........the lubricant/oil stops the rusting process and seals/preserves the finish.......it will enhance the finish as well as blend the darker spots, it won't eliminate them but will soften them up with respect to the rest of the finish 

[Underwhere]

I'm not sure of my next steps. I have some boiled linseed oil. I have read to dunk this in tranny fluid or motor oil. Others say wipe with a thin layer of linseed. Any thoughts?

Actually any of those or just gun oil........the lubricant/oil stops the rusting process and seals/preserves the finish.......it will enhance the finish as well as blend the darker spots, it won't eliminate them but will soften them up with respect to the rest of the finish 

So is this a wipe or dunk?
I have read that some leave it sitting in this oil in a bag for 24 hours.

Others suggest a wipe on with a thin coat and say it will leave streaks otherwise.

I found a mystery oil in my garage. No idea why I have it.

[The Guardian]

My preference would be gun oil, regardless no matter what you use just wipe it on heavily and let it absorb into the finish......if you see dull spots just recoat it and let it set again for several hours.  I normally just coat it before bed and check it in the morning and recoat if necessary.  Submerging it is probably overkill but its your call.

[The Guardian]

The thing about gun oil is it is thinner/light weight, I've never had issues with it leaving streaks, just apply it liberally.  This type finish is like any blued finish, occasional light oiling is advisable to help maintain a nice finish 

[Underwhere]

So I washed off the baking soda mixture with hot tap water.

Then I blew it dry with my compressor.

I noticed a bunch of rust. Interesting. Mark Lee's directions say that if you notice any rust after neutralizing to card off those areas. I did... Only they didn't go away.

Now my frame on the right side rear has these freckles as well as other areas. I didn't see this at any point in time before neutralizing.

I didn't really have a problem with the finish before. I think I may have a problem with the freckles now.

But I'm too far in. I may as well finish and see what it's like before deciding to start again.

I used my mystery motor oil. My gun oil is Slip 2000 and every marketing asset available purports it to be made of unicorn tears. Who knows what that would have done to the finish.

So it's sitting there with a coat if motor oil, freckled and in my basement.

[Underwhere]

I'm just praying it turns out ok.

The most physically taxing part of this entire process is actually my shoulders. I feel like I've been hunchbacked for 2 weeks straight.

[Underwhere]

Freckles with the motor oil on it this morning.

Yea now i may redo it.

I may order some laurel mountain and look into building a better sweat box.

[sberres]

Wish I had some magic words to throw in here about the freckles, but I'm at a loss. I can't see where baking soda should be able to make any sort of reaction, either. Frustrating and puzzling. If you scrub on them with oiled steel wool do they diminish at all?  Below are some tips that I have and will be following.
  Not knowing the nature of your air compressor I'd avoid using it for this type of work. Any contaminant in the air or tank (moisture, oil, rust particles) get blasted onto your project. Use a heat gun to dry parts as soon as you pull them from the water, paying particular attention to any holes, threads, crevices to prevent streaking.
  After each carding or other handling activity swish parts in acetone and dry with the heat gun before subsequent bluing steps. Keep wire brushes and steel wool washed similarly. Even avoid touching the gloves you wear at any point other than the cuff.
  Get a box of nitrile gloves ajnd change them frequently.
  Use a clean shop towel every time you lay parts in process on the table or work surface. Use a sheet of something under it to prevent contamination from anything residing on your workbench. 
  Put a small amount of bluing solution into a small glass cup to avoid contaminating the bottle. It only takes about a teaspoon to do an application to a pistol. Discard this after each acid step.
  I used the American Classic from Brownells because I figured it was the same as a name brand. It should be essentially nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, iron powder that's been reacted in the mix, and water.  I wasn't going to spend 3x the price for the same product in a different bottle.
  When I do my final boil I will add about 2-4 tbsp baking soda after the parts have boiled for 20 min., then boil another 10 min before rinsing in heated, distilled water and again drying with a heat gun.  As soon as this is done it gets soaked liberally in wd40 and held as wet as possible like this (immersed or wrapped in soaked shop towels) and held for a day before wiping it down.
  After the wd40 it'll be warmed again with the heat gun and liberally coated/rubbed/soaked in boiled linseed oil and again wrapped in oil soaked towels for a day.
  Finally some more gentle heating and a thorough rubdown should finish it and make it ready for any typical gun protectant and reassembly.
 

[Underwhere]

Wish I had some magic words to throw in here about the freckles, but I'm at a loss. I can't see where baking soda should be able to make any sort of reaction, either. Frustrating and puzzling. If you scrub on them with oiled steel wool do they diminish at all?  Below are some tips that I have and will be following.
  Not knowing the nature of your air compressor I'd avoid using it for this type of work. Any contaminant in the air or tank (moisture, oil, rust particles) get blasted onto your project. Use a heat gun to dry parts as soon as you pull them from the water, paying particular attention to any holes, threads, crevices to prevent streaking.
  After each carding or other handling activity swish parts in acetone and dry with the heat gun before subsequent bluing steps. Keep wire brushes and steel wool washed similarly. Even avoid touching the gloves you wear at any point other than the cuff.
  Get a box of nitrile gloves ajnd change them frequently.
  Use a clean shop towel every time you lay parts in process on the table or work surface. Use a sheet of something under it to prevent contamination from anything residing on your workbench. 
  Put a small amount of bluing solution into a small glass cup to avoid contaminating the bottle. It only takes about a teaspoon to do an application to a pistol. Discard this after each acid step.
  I used the American Classic from Brownells because I figured it was the same as a name brand. It should be essentially nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, iron powder that's been reacted in the mix, and water.  I wasn't going to spend 3x the price for the same product in a different bottle.
  When I do my final boil I will add about 2-4 tbsp baking soda after the parts have boiled for 20 min., then boil another 10 min before rinsing in heated, distilled water and again drying with a heat gun.  As soon as this is done it gets soaked liberally in wd40 and held as wet as possible like this (immersed or wrapped in soaked shop towels) and held for a day before wiping it down.
  After the wd40 it'll be warmed again with the heat gun and liberally coated/rubbed/soaked in boiled linseed oil and again wrapped in oil soaked towels for a day.
  Finally some more gentle heating and a thorough rubdown should finish it and make it ready for any typical gun protectant and reassembly.
 

Thanks. All good recommendations.
I was thinking about the air compressor. I know that sometimes people get moisture out of it. Maybe that's what happened. It's just puzzling that it only showed after the neutralization.

I do rinse in Acetone. I wonder if I should be changing out my Acetone. I leave it on a small clean rubbermaid container and dip the parts in. I wonder if there is some oil sitting in the acetone from earlier cleanings.

One thing that I struggle with is when to replace solutions. (Distilled water, acetone etc)
How do I actually confirm that anything I have is really degreased. My carding brushes. I dipped those in Acetone and swished them around. My 0000 steel wool I just dipped in a small amount of Acetone and wrung it dry.  I wonder if those weren't enough.


Oh well. I appreciate everyone's help and advice.

I need to start preparing for round 2.

I also need a break from this process. I can tell my wife is getting annoyed I'm in the basement every night she goes to bed.

[Mccian]

Hi Underwhere, check out this restoration done by a former member (if you haven"t already), https://www.cztalk.com/threads/restoration-of-a-pre-b.690/ 
 maybe you can gleam some info that will help.....I hope I'm not violating some forum rule by referring a thread from another forum.....

[Mccian]

Hi Underwhere, check out this restoration done by a former member (if you haven"t already), https://www.cztalk.com/threads/restoration-of-a-pre-b.690/ 
 maybe you can gleam some info that will help.....I hope I'm not violating some forum rule by referring a thread from another forum.....

Disregard.....I hadn't read through the entire thread, saw where you had asked a couple of questions.....still admire the effort.....

[Underwhere]

Mark Lee wrote back to my email and said to skip the baking soda neutralization step next time so long as I have boiled the part.

He also said before stripping and re-bluing to attempt a degrease, scotchpad and reblue first. I may try that tonight to see if I can save it.

[Mccian]

Looked like you had a pretty darn good first time result before the baking soda......have been following as I want to do a Pre-B & CZ83 as soon as crazy work schedule tapers off.