My Pre-B refinishing and modification diary

[Earl Keese]

If it doesn't show anything after half a day at 90% humidity, I call it done. Usually at the end it will just be slight rust in a few places.

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[Underwhere]

If it doesn't show anything after half a day at 90% humidity, I call it done. Usually at the end it will just be slight rust in a few places.

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Thanks!
That's helpful.

[Underwhere]

Cycle #5 is done. I think I have a few more to go.

The frame rusted well after about 5 hours.
The controls took 7.

Here is the frame compared to the slide.
The hammer looks like it's almost done.
The slide stop lever could use a bit more. It's maybe a shade darker than the frame.

I just rusted the start of cycle # 6 and will give it a 6 hour period in the sweat box.

[Underwhere]

I snuck a peak at the parts. The frame rusted well before the controls so I snuck in an additional boiling and carding while the controls were still left in the sweat box.

Here are the results of a 4 hour sweat at 90% and boiling/carding.

After another 4 to 5 hours I'm going to boil them altogether assuming they are ready.

[Earl Keese]

Looking good!

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[Underwhere]

I'm trying to plan out the next Bluing project. Trying to go all out. I may start a thread just for that.

I'm thinking of maybe doing a Semi-Compact and welding a 1911 beavertail onto it. Maybe doing an ambi slide stop lever just for fun even though I'm a righty.

[ejb1975]

I'm trying to plan out the next Bluing project. Trying to go all out. I may start a thread just for that.

I'm thinking of maybe doing a Semi-Compact and welding a 1911 beavertail onto it. Maybe doing an ambi slide stop lever just for fun even though I'm a righty.

Ive thought about trying that with a 1911 safety on a few before, love to see a thread on that.  Pre b is looking great!


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[Earl Keese]

I have a few projects in the queue,  but we moved and I won't have a place to work before fall(winter maybe). I'm living vicariously through you. 

[Underwhere]

This time around I tried very hard not to overlap and to go very light.

I may have gone too light on the rusting solution.

It's been probably 7 hours at 90%humidiy and it's not uniform yet.

Leave it?
Boil it?

[Earl Keese]

The last couple cycles won't be uniform,  some of the surface won't rust much if at all. Boil it and do another cycle.

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[Underwhere]

This is cycle 7 or 8 I don't even know anymore.

All parts were boiled and carded.
I ran out of distilled water and had to make some of my own to replenish what has evaporated. I need to get some more but apparently there has been a run on it. Checked 4 places and everyone was out.

I think the frame is darkening now.
The hammer has to be close to done.

Everything is sitting there with rusting solution on it. I'll put it on a timer in the morning.

[Underwhere]

Cycle 5


Cycle 6


Cycle 7

[Underwhere]

I always hit issues

I had everything rusting for about 6 hours. Then let it go 4 more.

I ran out of distilled water so I asked my wife to pick up some. The only stuff she could find was the Wegmans branded distilled water.

It came out of boiling still very much red. It also didn't card off well. It took a lot of manual rubbing.

I wonder if this is bad distilled water.


The picture of the frame is before boiling.
The picture of the hammer is after boiling.

The pics of everything is after carding.

[sberres]

I think my first project had something like that happen on one of the latter cycles. Maybe more than one. I was using distilled all from the same place. I think I may have attributed it to parts going in before the boil started??  You should technically be able to use any water but distilled gets used to eliminate the variability in composition of mineral make up. Having water go to boil before adding parts pretty well de-oxygenates it.
  Those were the logic points I referenced anyhow.  I’ve not seen it since and the parts seemed to finish off with no ill effects.

[Earl Keese]

That's copper from the acid solution. It will come off with acetone and 000 steel wool. The first time it happened to me I panicked and started over. If you look closely you'll see it's a soft film not rust. It takes a little work to get it off, but it isn't a big deal.