Calling all bead blasting maestros.....

Sterling · April 10, 2016, 03:38 PM

Im considering bead blasting just the slide on my fs 1911 to my knowledge its a forged steel unit parkerized. Strictly for cosmetic reasons as I plan to mimic the first Ruger SR1911 look a non glaring bead blasted ss gun. I was willing to buy a ss 1911 but in 9mm all were more than 750$ out of my budget. So I went with what was available, parkerized. So my question is after bead blasting aside from a light coat of silicone or gun oil is there any chemical coating or spray to keep it from rusting or turning color. Or should it be fine with just bead blasting. Help me out here.

**4V50 Gary** · April 10, 2016, 03:52 PM

So long as the bead blasted surface is parkerized, blued or painted (cerakote, duracote, name-your-paint), it is protected.

If you leave it bare (bead blasted and that's it), it will rust. Note: You can rub in a coat of RIG gun grease to protect the bead blasted finish. Follow the instructions. If the slide will never be used again, you should use Renaissance Wax (apply as you would RIG).

Sterling · April 10, 2016, 04:26 PM

Can it be used with Rig gun grease. What will the surface look like. Btw its a range gun only. As I do not carry with it. When not shooting at the range Its either in a foam box or holster.

**4V50 Gary** · April 10, 2016, 05:51 PM

Certainly it can be used, but the protection won't last with any degree of handling. That's why it's blued or parkerized or painted or plated.

Look up my instructions for Express Bluing. It's a bluing finish that can be done at home and is more durable than hot blue.

Shimpy · April 10, 2016, 06:40 PM

I did a test years ago to determine rust preventive effectiveness using a piece of cold roll steel. I milled slots in several sections and then surface ground it to remove all traces of oil. After cleaning all sections with alcohol, I then treated each section with a different product. I used car wax, WD40, motor oil, hoppes #9 , 3 in one oil, Boe Shield and Rig.
I then put this test sample in my back yard in South Florida which I consider it to be the rust capital of the world. Most rusted overnight except hoppes , Rig and Boe Shield. In the end Rig and Boe Shield was the best and never rusted. If you are not familiar with Boe Shield, it was developed by Boeing and is a spray that puts a wax like coating on surfaces.....Great for battery terminals.
Not having any Boe Shield now I use Rig on all my guns that I am storing now.

Sterling · April 10, 2016, 07:16 PM

So getting a bead blasted look from a once parkerized slide is out of the question. What if I use heat resistant 400° clear coat spray ?

**4V50 Gary** · April 10, 2016, 08:10 PM

If you want it blued, send it to me and I'll throw it in the blue tank.

Bill DeShivs · April 10, 2016, 09:28 PM

If you want it to look like stainless, have it hard-chrome plated.

Sterling · April 10, 2016, 11:04 PM

Will hard chrome plating make it look shiny. Or is that something the tech can control shiny vs dull ?

mete · April 11, 2016, 12:14 AM

Proper hard chrome gives a matt finish. This is because first you reverse plate to give a chemically clean surface then it is plated .Then the plating won't peel off ! If you want shine then you polish it.

Sterling · April 11, 2016, 12:51 AM

Alas a solution. Thank you

Sterling · April 12, 2016, 01:24 AM

Spoke to a guy that does duracoat on guns. Gona ask him about duracoat clear on my bead blasted slide. I beleive thats as close to factory looking for my needs.

tobnpr · April 13, 2016, 06:36 AM

Quote:

What if I use heat resistant 400° clear coat spray ?

Cerakote Clear:

https://www.clearcoating.com/

Thinner coating for tight-tolerance fits and much better durability than Duracoat.

Bill DeShivs · April 13, 2016, 02:26 PM

Duracoat and Ceracoat are paints. They do not wear as well as hard chrome- which is a lifetime finish.
It seems the guys who paint guns charge nearly as much as the platers do.

mete · April 13, 2016, 03:16 PM

If you hard chrome make sure you use an experienced GUN plater !

Hunter Customs · April 14, 2016, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Will hard chrome plating make it look shiny. Or is that something the tech can control shiny vs dull ?

Hard chrome is a transparent finish, like bluing whatever the metal prep looks like is how the finish looks.

Hard chrome is a very good and tough finish, one I certainly prefer over paint, that being said it will rust.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

tobnpr · April 15, 2016, 07:30 AM

Quote:

It seems the guys who paint guns charge nearly as much as the platers do.

I don't know the amount of time involved in prep work for plating, so I can't comment.

But you make it sound as though those of us that "paint" guns just grab a paint brush, or HVLP and shoot it like any monkey could do.

Trust me, it ain't so

Bill DeShivs · April 16, 2016, 11:11 AM

I know properly applying the gun paints is a painstaking process.
It's about the same process that is used for HC plating, but the end result is much inferior.

April 10, 2016, 03:38 PM	#1
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	Calling all bead blasting maestros..... Im considering bead blasting just the slide on my fs 1911 to my knowledge its a forged steel unit parkerized. Strictly for cosmetic reasons as I plan to mimic the first Ruger SR1911 look a non glaring bead blasted ss gun. I was willing to buy a ss 1911 but in 9mm all were more than 750$ out of my budget. So I went with what was available, parkerized. So my question is after bead blasting aside from a light coat of silicone or gun oil is there any chemical coating or spray to keep it from rusting or turning color. Or should it be fine with just bead blasting. Help me out here.

April 10, 2016, 03:52 PM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	So long as the bead blasted surface is parkerized, blued or painted (cerakote, duracote, name-your-paint), it is protected. If you leave it bare (bead blasted and that's it), it will rust. Note: You can rub in a coat of RIG gun grease to protect the bead blasted finish. Follow the instructions. If the slide will never be used again, you should use Renaissance Wax (apply as you would RIG). __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 10, 2016, 05:51 PM	#4
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	Certainly it can be used, but the protection won't last with any degree of handling. That's why it's blued or parkerized or painted or plated. Look up my instructions for Express Bluing. It's a bluing finish that can be done at home and is more durable than hot blue. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 10, 2016, 06:40 PM	#5
Shimpy Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2015 Posts: 153	I did a test years ago to determine rust preventive effectiveness using a piece of cold roll steel. I milled slots in several sections and then surface ground it to remove all traces of oil. After cleaning all sections with alcohol, I then treated each section with a different product. I used car wax, WD40, motor oil, hoppes #9 , 3 in one oil, Boe Shield and Rig. I then put this test sample in my back yard in South Florida which I consider it to be the rust capital of the world. Most rusted overnight except hoppes , Rig and Boe Shield. In the end Rig and Boe Shield was the best and never rusted. If you are not familiar with Boe Shield, it was developed by Boeing and is a spray that puts a wax like coating on surfaces.....Great for battery terminals. Not having any Boe Shield now I use Rig on all my guns that I am storing now. __________________ The Villages, Florida.

April 10, 2016, 08:10 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	If you want it blued, send it to me and I'll throw it in the blue tank. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 10, 2016, 04:26 PM	#3
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	Can it be used with Rig gun grease. What will the surface look like. Btw its a range gun only. As I do not carry with it. When not shooting at the range Its either in a foam box or holster.

April 10, 2016, 07:16 PM	#6
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	So getting a bead blasted look from a once parkerized slide is out of the question. What if I use heat resistant 400° clear coat spray ?

April 10, 2016, 09:28 PM	#8
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	If you want it to look like stainless, have it hard-chrome plated. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

April 10, 2016, 11:04 PM	#9
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	Will hard chrome plating make it look shiny. Or is that something the tech can control shiny vs dull ?

April 11, 2016, 12:14 AM	#10
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	Proper hard chrome gives a matt finish. This is because first you reverse plate to give a chemically clean surface then it is plated .Then the plating won't peel off ! If you want shine then you polish it. __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

April 11, 2016, 12:51 AM	#11
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	Alas a solution. Thank you

April 12, 2016, 01:24 AM	#12
Sterling Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2014 Location: Katy Tx Posts: 126	Spoke to a guy that does duracoat on guns. Gona ask him about duracoat clear on my bead blasted slide. I beleive thats as close to factory looking for my needs.

April 13, 2016, 02:26 PM	#14
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	Duracoat and Ceracoat are paints. They do not wear as well as hard chrome- which is a lifetime finish. It seems the guys who paint guns charge nearly as much as the platers do. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

April 13, 2016, 03:16 PM	#15
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	If you hard chrome make sure you use an experienced GUN plater ! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

April 16, 2016, 11:11 AM	#18
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	I know properly applying the gun paints is a painstaking process. It's about the same process that is used for HC plating, but the end result is much inferior. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com