Refinishing

[half-hitch]

What's available out there for the novice to refinish or change a finish on an SAA? 

[Kent Shootwell]

With that wide open question I'll start with naval jelly. That will strip off the finish for the start of an antique look. On the other end Brownells offers "Oxpho-blue" for a very good cold blue. Next step up is Brownells "Dicropan IM hot blue. These can be done at home with modest skill required. Case color hardening isn't for the novice as the start up costs a couple of thousand and takes a bit of learning.

[Major 2]

Naval Jelly will remove it ,  BUT leaves a gray patina that will not readily accept Browning or bluing and will leave spotting & streaking.

There is Blue remover ....however White Vinegar is mild and slower.... in any case neutralize with warm water and a pinch of baking soda.

[Blair]

Birchwood Casey "Rust and Blue" remover.
Give a good washing/degreasing before applying and one after use.
Then use as you would normally with washing/cleaning and oiling after shooting. The SAA will age out in a more natural way.
My best,
Blair

[Black River Smith]

half-hitch,

I will first ask --- what type of SAA is this revolver?  A standard casehardened/blued or a matte/millenium finish?  The work for one is not the same for the other.

Vinegar or brand name bluing removers work the easiest in my opinion.  I emery (sandpaper) stripped and vinegar stripped a matte finish SAA last year and then reblued with 'super blue' solution.  I left the hammer case-hardening alone.  I liked the end product.

Have used both oxpho-blue (great bluing solution) and super blue (nice fast dark blue on that once matte gun; even darkened the brass BS/TG to where it matched the steel color).

I would use the oxpho-blue if attempting to antique the polished standard metal.  It takes several applications to reach a real dark final color.  That way you can decide when to stop applying, for your desired tint.

So you see it does make a difference on what your intent is.

[half-hitch]

I've have the chance to purchase a used, never fired Uberti Hombre, cheap.  I don't care for the finish on the gun and was just curious how difficult it would be to turn it into a Uberti 1873 Cattleman Brass model.  See photos below.

[Black River Smith]

My bottom line comment would be Never....  At least I could not do it with just at home tools and materials.  The matte finish is not just textured paint.  The metal has been sand or bead blasted to texture the metal to some extent.

Unless you're very good at sanding and high polishing without rounding the edges everywhere on the revolver, you will not reach the factory mirror shine.  Not saying that meticulous hand sanding is not possible with time.

I used fine emery paper attached to hardwood to do my matte and tried to watch every line and edge.  I did not attempt to polish or reach a smooth metal finish.  I did not want that look either, in my case.  So I was content with a semi rough / used look.  With close examination, milling or cutting lines are still evident on the surface.

Also, casehardening is almost impossible for home individuals but you could try smearing the colors so the frame looked cased.

Remember when you sand on your revovler, you take metal off, so you are possibly changing the factory fit of each part.

Good luck.

[half-hitch]

I spent 30 years as a machinist and tool maker so I can polish/prep just about anything with the right tools.  I'm not so much worried about prep as I am the results that one can obtain from a home refinishing job.  I can save about $150 on the gun purchase so I have some fiddle room. 

[Black River Smith]

Did not mean to insult your techincal knowledge then.  It sounded like (from your 20 or so postings) you were making a first attempt at home gunsmithing or these types of tasks.

Good luck with your task.

[half-hitch]

No... no.....  not at all, Black River.  Just saying that prepping wouldn't be a problem for me.  The refinishing could be.  I'd love to get into tricking out some guns but not really interested in machine work.  I'm no longer in the business.  I do have a brother and a nephew, both of whom I got started in the trade years ago if I need any piece work done.  I'm more interested in something to dabble in to keep me busy.  I started a photography business after my machining career and I'm doing less and less of it so looking for something I enjoy to occupy my time.

[Jake MacReedy]

If you take your time, you can use onion skins, apple peels and some cold blue to make a rather authentic looking "worn" case-hardened finish, once the finish is removed.  I have done this a number of times on revolvers made by Uberti, Pietta and USFA (Rodeos, with the finish removed, of course!)

Regards,
Jake

[Virginia Gentleman]

I have rust blued worn and rusty SAA clones that look great and the frame blues just fine with rust blue.  Sanding and polishing is a big part of how well it will turn out and I take care with sanding blocks so I don't round edges.  If you can polish, wipe the acid solution on, wait until it gets some red rust, then put it in boiling water until the red rust turns black, card the black velvet off, repeat the rusting and carding 5-8 times, you will have a great looking blued revolver.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Here is a rust blued Uberti that was beaten to death with neglect.  The rust bluing came out perfect and the prep was the most tedious part of the job.

[Virginia Gentleman]

The screws were fire blued and like the rust bluing was all done at home.   

[Virginia Gentleman]

Here is how it started out after polishing.

[Virginia Gentleman]

  Don't have a heart attack, the gun is fine.....this is part of the rust blue process when the acid rusting solution is put on and allowed to rust.  Once it is boiled in distilled water it will turn black, the velvet is carded off with 0000 steel wool, repeated 6-10 times and then coated with boiled linseed oil to stop the rust.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Here is another shot of the gun after the rust bluing process was completed.

[Professor Marvel]

nicely done VG!

[Virginia Gentleman]

nicely done VG!

Thanks we think it came out nicely too.    I would think it would be a great thing to get well worn on the outside guns fairly cheap because of their condition and then do a nice rust blue job on them with nitre blued appointments.  Apparently, an all blue Colt SAA was an option from the factory.  Many Hollywood guns were used and abused as props that were refurbished in an all blue finish, I seem to remember John Wayne carrying one or it was a Great Western in all blue.  Personally, I like the way an all blue SAA looks almost as much as a case color and blue one and much better than nickel.

[Sergeant Klondike]

I purchased a new Navy Arms/Uberti SAA years ago.  When it started out in life it was a nice shiny blued gun.   A couple of years ago I shipped it to Classic Single Action in Tucson, Arizona.  Joe Perkins antiqued the finish and tweaked the action.  He did an outstanding job.  The photo does not do it justice.  In person, it looks like a 100+ year old gun.