To polish. Or not to polish

[Heywood]

I'll have to admit you did a great job and it looks MUCH better than before however these will NOT get polished....
View attachment 406093

I hear you. Certain guns just need polishing, others do not.
I think all the weird angles of the 627 require it. I knew I was opening a can o' worms by starting it and really didn't know if i'd like it when it was done til it was done.
I am happy with it now.

 

[RVTECH]

I am happy with it now.

Heck yea - it looks great! The two in the picture are 'no-dash' Models 66 and 60 - and with them there is a value issue so other than swapping the SS sight out on the 66 with a blued one, (and keeping the original) and better grips for shooting they stay original.

 

[johnny bob]

A friend of mine showed me his S&W he had polished and applied a coat of "British Museum Renaissance Wax". I looked it up on Wikipedia and it sounds like the real deal to protect the finish. He was very happy with the finish and I was impressed as well.

 

[BillGabby1]

I'll have to admit you did a great job and it looks MUCH better than before however these will NOT get polished....
View attachment 406093

I want those target grips!
LOL
Satin is the right finish for those!
I've got the M-19 but someone put Pachmeyer target
grips on it before I got it.
I've looked at tons of grips online but could never come up with the scratch to buy a set, and I want factory S&W grips not reproductions.
So I make do with what I have.
Gabby

 

[BillGabby1]

Well folks. It seems, I know better than all of you....
View attachment 406085 View attachment 406086 Ok, so I am not the perfect example of what a thread starter should be.
I ask the peeps opinion on a subject then totally disregard the overwhelming majority's sound advice.
I couldn't help myself.

All it took was a jar of mother's mag polish, a bag of rags and 2 seasons of The Walking Dead.

Are you serious, you got that result just by hand polishing?
Gabby

 

[ArtBrownSr]

Sure I like those oversize hotdogs a lot, with german mustard and a little horse raddish.
OK, the gun in the pic could use some elbow grease but I personally don't like the "Bright and Shining" of Chrome or similar materials.

 

[Heywood]

Are you serious, you got that result just by hand polishing?
Gabby

Yes sir. I did. I have to say though. The bead blast on that gun seamed way harder to polish off than other stainless steel I've worked on.

 

[Timbertodd]

Looks great!

 

[orygun]

I was going to suggest a full polish job, but the OP beat me to it.

I'm pretty picky on what I like for two-tone treatment on firearms and didn't like the revolver as originally pictured.
Sure as heck like it now, especially with those grips! That's a beaut.

 

[taroman]

Time and elbow grease, no power tools allowed:

 

[BillGabby1]

Yes sir. I did. I have to say though. The bead blast on that gun seamed way harder to polish off than other stainless steel I've worked on.

Well I've ordered a Pakistan made SS blade that I'll be making the handle scales for , and I planned to sand it all down then polish it out hoping to get it as good as you did on that revolver. I've polished out a couple of steel BP revolvers using my Dremel type tool and jewelers rouge with good results.
I never heard of using rags and Mag Wheel polish before. I've got to give it a try.
I started a thread titled Bowie Build if you are interested with its progress, I just ordered the blade so it will be a few days before I can start adding anything to it.
In the future if you have difficulty removing anything like the bead blasting, get FINE tooth files and carefully file them down, and if needed follow with fine sanding, & polish.
Thanks Heywood,
Gabby

 

[Goosebrown]

My first wife was polish. Never again.

 

[mkwerx]

I was gonna say leave it satin but....too late it does not look bad though, so whattaIknow.

If it were blueable I'd say mirror polish before bluing because old school bright, blued S&W with square butt grips are some of the sexiest guns ever even though I am not a revolver guy.

 

[Heywood]

I was gonna say leave it satin but....too late it does not look bad though, so whattaIknow.

If it were blueable I'd say mirror polish before bluing because old school bright, blued S&W with square butt grips are some of the sexiest guns ever even though I am not a revolver guy.

I thought about that for a couple minutes, then I realized the stainless gun I paid a premium for....was stainless....
I like the deep royal blue of the old revolvers.

 

[Heywood]

Well I've ordered a Pakistan made SS blade that I'll be making the handle scales for , and I planned to sand it all down then polish it out hoping to get it as good as you did on that revolver. I've polished out a couple of steel BP revolvers using my Dremel type tool and jewelers rouge with good results.
I never heard of using rags and Mag Wheel polish before. I've got to give it a try.
I started a thread titled Bowie Build if you are interested with its progress, I just ordered the blade so it will be a few days before I can start adding anything to it.
In the future if you have difficulty removing anything like the bead blasting, get FINE tooth files and carefully file them down, and if needed follow with fine sanding, & polish.
Thanks Heywood,
Gabby

I will check it out, I have made a couple knives out of old farriers rasps I had hanging around. I'll post a pick if I find one.

 

[mkwerx]

I thought about that for a couple minutes, then I realized the stainless gun I paid a premium for....was stainless....
I like the deep royal blue of the old revolvers.

Hence my reasoning "if it were blueable"

Stainless is great for rust mitigation but will never be as sexy as old school blue. Kind of like how the modern pop tartlets of today don't hold a candle to some of the finest ladies if yesteryear in their prime.