Lock Finish Question

[QuanLoi]

The lock I am inletting has a gray surface finish... What method of polishing should I attempt in order to achieve a bright metal finish?  Should I use an emory cloth or polish it on a wheel?

Thanks in advance.

[KLMoors]

I don't usually polish them up super bright, but here is what I do.

I take everything off and then I draw file it to get the casting finish off. Then I switch to sand paper. 150 first, on up to 320. That shines things up well enough for the finish I am after. I did polish one quite bright using one of those Brownells carding wheels and that thing really came out smooth.

Some folks use stones and can get them very nicely polished with those.

[Acer Saccharum]

Quan, check the tutorials: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2585.0

Emery paper over a stick, polishing stones, buffing wheels, etc all work. Try to avoid buffing the corners off the cock, plate, frizzen, etc, as it looks really cheap and modern.

If you have the confidence to anneal the frizzen, and harden it later, the benefits are tremendous. In the annealed state, you can FILE the frizzen in a couple of hours. You can also engrave it, change the contours, file the tail to a new shape, etc.

[Acer Saccharum]

I learned that from Taylor.

[QuanLoi]

Thanks for the link to the tutorial...  That's exactly what I was looking for.

D.A. Decker

[Dphariss]

Polish the edges, the bevels if it has them first with a given grit. Then do the main flat areas with that grit. If you have a hard backing and the paper, I use only wet or dry paper, is double stick taped to the backer it will help keep sharp edges. Keep going finer until you reach the level of polish you want. On a lock I would go to 400 grit.
The proper finish is then casehardening. Don't want color then remove it by polishing or chemically removing the color.

Dan

[Nordnecker]

A timely post. I got a lock on loan until mine arrives. It just begs to be cleaned up. I want to file it, shape it, polish it, but I can't.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

You didn't say what lock/rifle you are building. Some beg for a mirror bright finish. In which case afte exhausting your fine sandpaper you can go to adhesive backed diamond paper in 1500 or 2000 grit.... you would be amazed... resists rust better that way too.