Can this be removed or??

[Donny]

Good morning everyone,
I have a desire to buy one or two Parker Bro. SXS's. I was wondering if any of you have dealt with removing the zigzag pattern on one of these types of shotgun I have pictured? It seems like it should be achievable with a lot of elbow grease using files and stones. Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Don,That not a problem the zigzag pattern is not cut that deep,just be careful not to looses the sharp edge's on the parts when removing the zigzag pattern.The Parker is a V grade. J.J.

 

[Leland Davis]

Don, if you know how to use a file correctly it won't take long, if you don't have good skills with a file do yourself a favor and practice elsewhere.
Leland

 

[JJ Roberts]

Your local hardware store should have everything you'll need for restoration work,files,wet & dry automotive papers and Tire has a nice assortment of files and polishing stones in her catalog. J.J.

 

[Donny]

Thank you. I have amassed Gesswein Diemakers and Mold maker stone sets with all the grits and sizes they offer, files (single cut), small files (all sorts), paper of all grits.

I will give this a go. Gonna start on either a Winchester 1890 or my Ithaca NID (the one with the rolled on dog scene). If those go well then I will get the Parkers Baby steps.

Don Curtis

 

[Donny]

DBL Posted. Sorry!

 

[Archie Woodworth]

I feel that you are more than capable of doing the job. Just as a suggestion, you might consider first start with a 2X3 inch piece of 3/4 to 1 inch cold roll steel and learn how to first draw file that flat ... Im sure you will be able to remove the marking on the guns ... just get the "feel" (how the files work, proper stance, correct hand positions / holding etc.) first on a low value practice plate. Then once you are comfortable with your ability to file the surface flat, move on to the "good stuff". I remember the old time machines at work talk about their apprenticeship programs...they learned how to square up a block of steel by hand with first files and then continued to refine all the surfaces with stones and finally lapping the surfaces....all the while maintaining 90 deg. angles all around. Most of them still had the samples squirreled away in their tool boxes ... they were so proud of them and remember the work it took to pass inspection.
You can do it, practice a little bit and just take your time.

 

[Donny]

Archie,
Thank you for the suggestion...I have been doing that since last weekend. In truth, and I will be totally honest. I HATE COLD ROLLED STEEL NOW. I never realized it was so cupped! I've always just sanded it without draw filing the piece first. its taken me the better part of an hour to get it flat with the file and remove all of the EDM scale. I have had difficulty finding the right combination of stone and paper to polish it to a smooth 600 grit finish. I haven't been able to find a step by step on the subject unfortunately. BUT I will eventually find my way.

 

[MoldyJim]

One suggestion, file as close as you can to finish.
I was taught that once you start sanding or using a stone you shouldn't go have to using a file.
Sanding/stones will leave particles behind in the surface that will ruin your files if you go back.
You can get a pretty nice finish with drawfiling.

Remember to vary the direction of travel for each grit, so you can see the previous grit scratches as you work them out.
0, 45, 90 degree etc.

 

[MoldyJim]

Oh, also those thick plastic nail files are pretty useful, cut them to fit into narrow areas.
Or use double sticky tape to stick sandpaper to popsicle sticks.
On smaller parts, you can take a full sheet of wet/dry sandpaper stuck onto a sheet of glass and rub the part on the paper.
Its easier to hold the parts flat that way.

 

[Donny]

Thank you MoldyJim.

Can someone post a picture of what the pistol or rifle should look like just prior to A) engraving B) just prior to Bulino/ Game scene. I'm mostly curious about the sheen/smoothness/shine however you would like to describe it.

Don Curtis

 

[MoldyJim]

http://www.moldmakingtechnology.com/articles/teach-yourself-polishing

A little bit past the filing stage to final polish.
Probably more than you need...

 

[Dave London]

Are you sure you got cold rolled steel, it should not have scale like hot rolled does. Even most of the guns are not really flat either. Good luck polishing is a PITA. MTC

 

[Donny]

Are you sure you got cold rolled steel, it should not have scale like hot rolled does. Even most of the guns are not really flat either. Good luck polishing is a PITA. MTC

I believe so. I ordered Cold. Invoice says Cold. But it is still a PITA to be sure. This about 15min of draw filing...

 

[Leland Davis]

Don, your right it is a PITA but it's part of the deal. Keep going I don't see any bad file gouges so your doing good. When you start on a gun you will find out they are not flat either so this will be good practice. Most of us are just metal polishers who get to engrave when we get done.
Leland

 

[Tim Wells]

Archie,
Thank you for the suggestion...I have been doing that since last weekend. In truth, and I will be totally honest. I HATE COLD ROLLED STEEL NOW. I never realized it was so cupped! I've always just sanded it without draw filing the piece first. its taken me the better part of an hour to get it flat with the file and remove all of the EDM scale. I have had difficulty finding the right combination of stone and paper to polish it to a smooth 600 grit finish. I haven't been able to find a step by step on the subject unfortunately. BUT I will eventually find my way.

That mild steel if you got it from a hardware store or big box store is hot rolled, not cold rolled and it's almost always slightly convex on one side. Home Depot calls it "weldable steel" and I hate it too. Cold rolled will be twice the price but it won't have that black scale on it and it'll be flat.

I'm about to go down to the shop in a minute and fly cut that cupping out on my mill before I start making a couple of bar keys with this stuff.

 

[mitch]

well, Donny, if you're gonna get into this sort of thing one of the first rules is the same as for doctors: "First do no harm." i've found one of the best ways to scrupulously observe that dictum is to learn when and how to put a "safe edge" on a file. the basic idea is to grind & polish the teeth off an adjacent face of the file so that you can work right up to a step/ledge or other raised detail without the file cutting sideways where you don't want it it to. this trick is also useful for many other situations where it's important to cut ONLY one surface at a time. another advantage is that you can take say, a 3-sq or 4-sq file that has so-so factory corners and grind one face until it's really sharp along the edge. it'll only cut to one side at a time, so depending on what you're doing you may need to frequently alternate, but that's how you get really crisp inside corners and creases. probably a third of my dozens of files have been modified to some extent.

in your particular case, a properly 'safed' file can be used right up against the fences on that Parker.

 

[Donny]

Mitch,
Thank you for that hint!! That will save me from having to learn that the hard way!

Donny

 

[SamW]

Just as a point of reference, I long ago engraved a Belgian made Browning A-5 shotgun which required draw filing off the factory design. It took 14 hours of hand numbing work to accomplish. I am much more careful of the work I accept after that.

 

[JJ Roberts]

SamW, I engraved two Browning A-5's grade 1 with no factory engraving,I have engraved A-5 with factory engraving but only two top panels between the scroll's with game birds. J.J.