Pics of my NMA Project

[amin ledbetter]

I have had this Pietta for about 2 years now. I had shot it few time, and honestly likeed everything about it except the bright bluing. ( And the rough action. ) I decided to tinker with it some. First I smotthed the action up by polishing some of the rough spots on the hammer, paw, trigger sear, and making the tip of the bolt fit the cylinder better. The hammer was also rubbing the inside notch of the frame, so I filed and stoned that down as well. Tested the gun and everything was much better! ( Still have all my fingers. ) I decided to antique the outside of the gun after the action work was done. I bought a quart of Dupont CF-5717S Metal Conditioner. ( Phosphoric Acid ) I disassembled the gun and placed the parts into a tub with a 4 to one mix of Metal Conditioner and water. 1 part CF-5717S to 4 parts water. This works fast! Took less than a minute to strip the bluing off. I then neutralized the acid with clean water and immediately oiled the parts. The next day I decreased each part in boiling soapy water, after wipeing them down with lacquer thinner. I then dried and baked the parts at 500 degree in the oven then for about 15 minutes. Removed parts then applied Berchwood Caseys Plum Brown as per instructions. Once the browning process was done I assembled the loading lever, cylinder pin and cylinder in the gun. I then worked the outside of the gun with fine grit sand paper. ( 800, 1100, 1500, 2000, then micro papers, 3200, 3600, 4000, and 6000 in areas. I tried to replicate holster, and grip wear. I also distressed the grips some. I am pleased with how it turned out. Here are some pics.







See more pics here: http://gassaninedesigns.com/id147.htm

[Curley Cole]

Very nicely done. Looks great. Here are a couple of pix of my EMF Dakota I did about 25 years ago...I got a Dakota that they were selling in kit form ($120) I decided to do it antique and so I used cold blue. It came with a brass tg/bs and ugly wood grips I lived with them till a couple of years ago got a set of ArmiSan Marcos from EMF (they said it wouldn't fit, but it did, just had to get a longer mainspring.) the outfit had been laying in the back room so long the grips already looked aged...
The pix of the gun in the book is Doc Holidays gun. The pix doesn't do justice, but the aging is almost identical. Except for the barrel length and the bp frame, they almost look identical.

anyways ya done a good job.
thanks
curley

[amin ledbetter]

Hey CC! I had seen your post on here before of that gun. It is truly a beautiful piece. And I must say it is also inspiring. I am doing a similar technique on one of my friends BP guns. When I am finished I will post pics. When I first seen your Dakota I was amazed at  how good the barrel and cylinder contrast looked with the frame. I do have one question about it though. The tg and bs you said were originally brass. Are they still the brass originals that have been antiqued ( blacked ) or are they the ASM's that came silver plated? In the photos it is hard to tell. I know from experience in photographing these old revolvers that a plated silver tg, and bp will render dark spots that give an antique appearance on film that is similar to antiqued brass. Amazing looking gun CC! It's one my many favorites on here to look at!     

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy amin ledbetter

    All I can say is your refinishing and antiquing is some of the best I've seen, WELL DONE Pard 


            Regards

        tEN wOLVES 

[Wolfgang]

Amin . . . EXCELLENT job !      About the effect that I'm looking for when I do mine.   Couldn't bear to strip the finish on the ones that I have.  All are just too NICE to attack the finish on them, . . . so bought a pair recently that have been "antiqued" but not to the way I want 'em to look and they are my "projects" for this winter.  My '58s at   http://www.drburkholter.com/cf6.html down the page.

[Curley Cole]

Amin
thanks for the kind words. I think you are on yer own good path, just wanted to show a different tenicque. (sp, I just rolled in from the GFBJL...tired)

anyway, the o nly thing that I could get that would fit was the ASM and it is brass with a black nickel plate. It is great looking but hard to find anyone to do it.

good shootin
curley