-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
rough brass
- Thread starter cou9ar
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Yup.
To fix your cast butt plate and other metal parts you can do it with special sandpaper.
I do not recommend using Crocus or emery cloth. IMO, both are too soft to work well.
Everything mentioned below is available at large hardware stores.
Most folks think of sandpaper that is made for wood or paint and that kind is usually white or a red color. I prefer the red "Garnet" to the whiter aluminum oxide or flint papers for wood. You'll need some of this kind of paper for working on your wood so buy some sheets of 60, 120 and 220 grit paper.
Back to the metal.
Look for a black sandpaper that says "wet/dry" on it. It also should say silicone carbide on it.
If they have it get some 60, 120, 220 and 400 grit paper with the emphasis on the 120 and 220 grit. If they have paper with numbers that are a little different they will work.
This black paper is made for sanding metal parts and it works very poorly on wood.
Because it is a "wet/dry" paper you can use some water to wash away the metal particles and to keep them from embedding in the paper but it isn't mandatory. Try it wet and dry to see what works best for you.
Start with the roughest paper and when everything looks about the same, switch to the next higher number. Don't switch too soon. Make sure everything looks uniform.
When you get to the 600 grit paper you have a decision to make. Does it look like you want it to look or are you going to want it to be polished?
If you do want a mirror bright surface you can use some 1200 or 1500 grit paper but it still won't shine. Using these fine grit papers will make polishing a bit easier though.
To polish your metal parts get some "brass polish" and a rag. Follow the directions and plan on using a lot of elbow grease.
Even this may not shine your parts up to a full mirror brightness. If you want it shiner get some "silver polish" made for use on fine silverware.
More rags and elbow grease and you'll have it looking like a mirror.
Other words of advice.
Many muzzleloading castings have sharp ridges where the dies parting line is. The careful use of a fine toothed metal cutting file will remove these mis matches easier than sanding.
If you are sanding up to what is going to be a sharp edge you don't want to round it off so use a small block of wood to provide backing for the paper to keep it from rolling over the edge.
To fix your cast butt plate and other metal parts you can do it with special sandpaper.
I do not recommend using Crocus or emery cloth. IMO, both are too soft to work well.
Everything mentioned below is available at large hardware stores.
Most folks think of sandpaper that is made for wood or paint and that kind is usually white or a red color. I prefer the red "Garnet" to the whiter aluminum oxide or flint papers for wood. You'll need some of this kind of paper for working on your wood so buy some sheets of 60, 120 and 220 grit paper.
Back to the metal.
Look for a black sandpaper that says "wet/dry" on it. It also should say silicone carbide on it.
If they have it get some 60, 120, 220 and 400 grit paper with the emphasis on the 120 and 220 grit. If they have paper with numbers that are a little different they will work.
This black paper is made for sanding metal parts and it works very poorly on wood.
Because it is a "wet/dry" paper you can use some water to wash away the metal particles and to keep them from embedding in the paper but it isn't mandatory. Try it wet and dry to see what works best for you.
Start with the roughest paper and when everything looks about the same, switch to the next higher number. Don't switch too soon. Make sure everything looks uniform.
When you get to the 600 grit paper you have a decision to make. Does it look like you want it to look or are you going to want it to be polished?
If you do want a mirror bright surface you can use some 1200 or 1500 grit paper but it still won't shine. Using these fine grit papers will make polishing a bit easier though.
To polish your metal parts get some "brass polish" and a rag. Follow the directions and plan on using a lot of elbow grease.
Even this may not shine your parts up to a full mirror brightness. If you want it shiner get some "silver polish" made for use on fine silverware.
More rags and elbow grease and you'll have it looking like a mirror.
Other words of advice.
Many muzzleloading castings have sharp ridges where the dies parting line is. The careful use of a fine toothed metal cutting file will remove these mis matches easier than sanding.
If you are sanding up to what is going to be a sharp edge you don't want to round it off so use a small block of wood to provide backing for the paper to keep it from rolling over the edge.
hoochiepapa
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2010
- Messages
- 5,853
- Reaction score
- 7
What I do, because I don't want that brilliant shine like factory polishing, is start with a smooth file (depending on how rough it is), then smoother and smoother grades of sand paper like Zonie says, then 0000 steel wool to get that matte finish.
I have a dedicated buffing machine. Looks like a large bench grinder. It is used to polish the brass for musical instruments.
With it you can use several different “rouges” and polish out the most disgusting scratches, and do it quickly.
With it you can use several different “rouges” and polish out the most disgusting scratches, and do it quickly.
ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2008
- Messages
- 7,473
- Reaction score
- 2,209
I use a "wet or dry" sandpaper available at any auto parts store. Start with course grits and work your way down to 600. Then buff to desired shine. :hmm:
Be very careful with a Dremel as it can do damage that's hard to fix!
You have got alot of good advice so far, Do as much as you can by hand first. Get the brass as smooth as possible with files and then sanding blocks and only use power tools for the final polish!
You have got alot of good advice so far, Do as much as you can by hand first. Get the brass as smooth as possible with files and then sanding blocks and only use power tools for the final polish!
I know this isn't exactly what you want to hear but please remember, if you go slowly by using hand power you can see a potential wreck coming long before you get to it. That gives you plenty of time to avoid any problem that may be sneaking up on you.
Using power tools you may arrive at the wreck before you see it coming.
While I do use a very fine grit abrasive drum with my Dremel I stop using it long before I am reaching the finished shape or surface.
Even with my experience a Dremel can cause me problems if I try to use it for fine finshing.
I do use it with its little cloth wheel and a buffing compound like Dico Stainless for some of the polishing but I always end up finishing the surface by hand.
Using power tools you may arrive at the wreck before you see it coming.
While I do use a very fine grit abrasive drum with my Dremel I stop using it long before I am reaching the finished shape or surface.
Even with my experience a Dremel can cause me problems if I try to use it for fine finshing.
I do use it with its little cloth wheel and a buffing compound like Dico Stainless for some of the polishing but I always end up finishing the surface by hand.
A 1/2" dia. sandpaper wheel in a Dremel removes mat'l from the flatter areas of sand castings very quickly and after using it, I then smooth w/ a file. All the nooks and crannies are detailed w/ a file and when the entire TG or BP is filed smooth, I use soft, self cleaning Gesswein stones dipped in mineral spirits to eliminate the deeper scratches and smooth all areas of the part.These stones remove mat'l quickly, but need to be used w/ mineral spirits. I then use 220, 320, 400 wet/dry paper followed by green "Scotchbrite" and lastly #0000 steel wool. If a "brushed" look is desired, stop w/ the "Scotchbrite". I then dull the brass w/ 44/40 cold blue......Fred
Guest
The best tool in your work bench is patience, most power tools will cause more delays, and aggravation than they are worth. If you only use a Dremel occasionally, the best thing you can do with it is cut the power cord off and pitch it. Assembling one of these kits can be a great teacher of how to use proper hand tools, and why they should be scary sharp. Slow down, and enjoy your build.
Bill
Bill
ryzman
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2011
- Messages
- 289
- Reaction score
- 1
i would say a smoothcut 8" single cut file would do the trick. check harbor freight for a cheap one time use file or spend a few bucks on a decent one from Sears. i inherited all my files and i used a Nicholson smooth file for shaping my metal parts.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
FOR SALE Original Mountain Man / Frontier Pistol- Latest: Relic shooter
-
-
-
-
FOR SALE Kuchenreuter pistol ... great pics and info- Latest: No second place
-