My Pre-B refinishing and modification diary

[Underwhere]

Hoping this is almost it

[Underwhere]

Hopefully just one more welding session tonight.

The top finally looks good. One tiny pit but I'm not going to chase it.

The bottom has a few but thankfully not close to the edges. I think I can take care of those.

The pre-heat and heat sink worked. No burn-through or more puts after last night's welding.

I also made sure to make this wider than it should be so I have room to shave the sides down to normal width. This will prevent a sharp edge from forming between the top and bottom of the beavertail.

[Underwhere]

Almost!

I ended up chasing the top (successfully)

The bottom still needs work. Just the tip has pits. Everything else is fine.

I think. If I have enough free time I may be bluing by this weekend. Then I'll need to figure out how to match the slide.

[Underwhere]

Uncle!

I welded and ground maybe 7 or 8 more times and this is where I'm going to stop.

I'm not frustrated, I just think I've hit the point where I don't think additional effort will be productive. There's also risk every time that I may make things worse.

So this pits will remain and I'll blue over them. It is what it is.

I already know How I'll do this on my next gun. I'll add to the existing beavertail and then grind down instead of cutting off the beavertail and adding one. Hindsight.

So now on to cleaning up the frame with 220, 320 and 400 and then prepping for blue.

[Underwhere]

Here it is 220'd and then 320'd.

Working on the 400 grit.

I forget how perfect I need to get it. I also forget how I managed to see the areas that need work because of the glare from lighting.

The inside is still blued from before.
The slide is still blued from before.

The lighting makes it seem like there isn't much contrast.

[Underwhere]

Here is the gun after wet sanding with 400.

Some of the bluing is still there.
Hard to see in certain light. I may try and blue over them. They almost appear like shadows.

I don't want to submerge in Evaporust because the inside of the gun is nicely blued already and man that was a pain in the butt.

Here are the bad pics of the beavertail after deep cleaning. I hope the bluing hides it a bit. I know it won't be ideal.

So tonight I'm going to let the frame, hammer, slide stop and any of the other small parts I need to blue sit overnight in acetone.

[Underwhere]

Bluing Cycle #1
As always: problems

After wet sanding with 400 I let the gun, hammer and slide stop sit overnight in Acetone.

I took them all out and washed with water and Dawn (wearing gloves). There was already noticeable surface rust from sitting in Acetone (pics).

I dried them and then blued them with Mark Lee's Express blue so I could match the slide.

And I dunno what it is about me rust bluing things but it never comes out clean.

It's blotchy again.

I wonder if the rust that built up on the frame while in Acetone contributed to the blotchyness.

I may hit it with a Scotch Brite pad and blue again.

It never ends.

[Underwhere]

This morning I tried a Scotch Brite pad dipped in acetone. It sort of removed the spots but in other places it did not.

I'm considering:
1. dropping everything in Evaporust
2. Laying an Evaporust soaked paper towel over the frame
3. just bluing over it and hoping for the best.

The reason why I am hesitant to dip in Evaporust is that the inside of the gun is already very well blued... And after hand surgery it's harder to get inside there again.

[Earl Keese]

I've used red scotchbrite and I believe it's too fine. Maybe try resanding with 320 before bluing.

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[Underwhere]

I've used red scotchbrite and I believe it's too fine. Maybe try resanding with 320 before bluing.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Yea that's a good idea.
Maybe I didn't sand enough and now the bluing provides the contrast for me to see it.

[Earl Keese]

I've used red scotchbrite and I believe it's too fine. Maybe try resanding with 320 before bluing.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Yea that's a good idea.
Maybe I didn't sand enough and now the bluing provides the contrast for me to see it.

I had a similar issue with my last attempt. The temptation to make it smoother gets me every time. Also if it's rusting in your acetone, you might want to change it out. I have parts that have been in acetone for months w/o rusting. I've had lacquer thinner and acetone come with water in it straight out of the can. It's actually common with cheap wash thinner.

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[Underwhere]

OK here it is after 320

My hands are killing me

[Underwhere]

I've used red scotchbrite and I believe it's too fine. Maybe try resanding with 320 before bluing.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Yea that's a good idea.
Maybe I didn't sand enough and now the bluing provides the contrast for me to see it.

I had a similar issue with my last attempt. The temptation to make it smoother gets me every time. Also if it's rusting in your acetone, you might want to change it out. I have parts that have been in acetone for months w/o rusting. I've had lacquer thinner and acetone come with water in it straight out of the can. It's actually common with cheap wash thinner.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

So what would you do now?
Freshly sanded to 320 but not rinsed.

Would you rinse with Dawn and water and forego any more acetone?

Dry then blue?

[Earl Keese]

I would wash with degreaser, blow dry with heat and soak in acetone for 5min or so. Air dry, then blue it. Hopefully the coarser sanding profile will give the blueing solution more to work with.

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[ejb1975]

Just ran across this thread today, I?ve got a few Pre b?s including a 95 i was planning to do pretty much everything you?ve done.  Crazy how much more work it is in pictures than it is in my head, awesome story and you are tenacious! Well done


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