Critique Request A restoration on a High Wall

[metalchipper]

After the gold inlays where done, the customer asked if I could put it all back together because his gunsmith retired. So I received the relined barrel and all the parts. It needed some gunsmithing, loosening up the tight falling block, adding some head space, cutting the extractor relief in the barrel and making a .005" shim to have the barrel tighten up correctly. Then slow rust bluing to finish it. Maybe I should post this on a gunsmithing forum?

 

[John B.]

Lots of work and well done.

 

[Ronan]

I really love the High-wall, a real American classic, like the Sharps falling blocks. Can i ask, if the rust bluing process can damage the gold inlay ?

 

[metalchipper]

I really love the High-wall, a real American classic, like the Sharps falling blocks. Can i ask, if the rust bluing process can damage the gold inlay ?

Hello,
Yes it can, when doing the carding it will wear on the gold and if using steel wool it will leave rust-dust from the process that darken the gold. So what I do is cover the gold with a plating mask the protects the gold. Also "slow rust blue" is hard to turn into gun metal gray so i use the masking to protect those areas and then use cold blue, bead blasting or abrasive to achieve the color. To do most of the carding [After boiling the red rust is turned black and the fuzz needs to be removed] I use a slow turning fine stainless steel wire wheel to remove the "fuzz". That is probably not the correct word for it but I have a limited vocabulary. On gold wire inlays I use bore cleaner on a soft tooth pick to polish. Changing the water in the boiling tank often helps also as the acids in the bluing solution can color the gold.
Hope that helps,
Mark

 

[dimovengraving]

Beautiful work

 

[papart1]

nice stuff.....

 

[JJ Roberts]

Mark,Keep up the good work. J.J.

 

[graniteguy52]

Finely done! A better than original - restoration.