Protecting from browning

[rich pierce]

Say I want to brown the outside of a lockplate fairly aggressively but not the inner surface. How do/would you protect the inside?

Wax?
Shellac?
Dykem?
Other approaches?

[Joe Stein]

Rich, I think I would try masking the face of the lock plate well, making sure to get a good seal around the edges and tumbler axle hole, then coat the inside with lacquer.  Peel the masking tape ans clean the surface with alcohol to remove any remaining adhesive from the tape. From there proceed as normal for browning.
-Joe

[jerrywh]

Spray the inside with lacquer

[rich pierce]

Thanks guys. How do you remove the lacquer? Paint stripper? Something else?

[Scota4570]

Lacquer thinner or acetone.

[smallpatch]

Rich,
I use bluemasking tape on the plate, inside of cock, striking surface of the frizzen, sides of trigger blade, etc.
Works great, just peel it off.

[T*O*F]

Other approaches?

I don't do anything.  You ain't gonna submerge the whole plate.  Just swab the solution wherever you're going to brown and let it work.  Any residual rusting can easily be sanded off.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I do the same as Dave.  I just apply the browning solution to the areas I want browned, and if there is any gets on the inside of the plate (there always is some), I simply polish it off with 220 grit.

[Ed Wenger]

+1 Dave and Taylor, with petroleum jelly in holes to protect threads.  Liquid car wax works as well...



                Ed

[t.caster]

Vasoline or Rig grease always worked for me! Rig inside the barrel too.