Refinishing damascus steel

jack robson · October 15, 2007, 12:24 PM

I have an old 12ga. double hammergun. It is in very poor shape,shattered stock,missing hammer very rusty. My question is do I work damascus steel, as in polishing ect. as I would a steel barrel? I know that the barrel has a pattern and do not want to polish it off. Thanks Jack.

Bill DeShivs · October 15, 2007, 01:38 PM

The pattern true damascus is in, rather than on, the steel.
Note: some guns had fluid steel barrels with damascus patterns imprinted on them.
Damascus patterns can be brought out by etching the polished barrel with a weak acid solution. Most knifemakers use a solution of ferric chloride etching solution mixed with water to etch damascus steel.

James K · October 15, 2007, 03:17 PM

I hope you only want to make a better looking wall hanger, as it sounds like the gun is not worth a lot of work or time and certainly should not be fired.

If that is the case, this is an instance where a good cold blue can make the gun look better and also show the Damascus pattern. Clean the stock, maybe find an old hammer of the approximate shape and it would look OK over a fireplace.

Jim

robroy15 · October 16, 2007, 05:43 PM

Check Dixie Gun Works for hammers.

Austin Cowart · October 17, 2007, 10:25 PM

If the damascus has a nice pattern I say take what’s left to a good metal worker preferably a blade smith and have him make you a badass knife you can pass down.... just my 2 cents

Bill DeShivs · October 17, 2007, 11:48 PM

The dasmascus steel used in shotguns is not suitable for knives.

Wolf Lies Down · October 19, 2007, 12:51 AM

-
--I'd dismantle the weapon completely (here's where a set of real gunsmith's screwdrivers comes in handy) and scour the whole gun with 000 or 0000 steel wool and plain old vinegar, which will help clean it up and slightly etch the steel, bringing out the pattern in the damascus. I would not use any stronger of an acid.

Take the other hammer to a machine shop and have them duplicate it in mirror image form. Try to get some springs and stuff from Brownells or some other supplier and buy a cheap stock that closely matches the gun and carve it to fit.

The gun may still be suitable to shoot if you shoot low-load black powder (or a black powder substitute) loads, but that's your call. Smokeless powder will blow the gun, even with very low loads of smokeless, because it burns differently than bp. Smokeless has a high spike on the initial explosive burn, which will weaken old guns like yours until they pop, which of course could happen on the very first smokeless shot. So, don't shoot smokeless powder in it, ever.

You can buy a very inexpensive shotgun shell Lee reloader from Cabellas for under $40.

Wolf Lies Down

James K · October 19, 2007, 01:06 PM

Hi, Wolf Lies Down,

I always advise against shooting any of those Damascus barrel guns. If the gun has good Damascus barrels, it is probably too valuable to take a chance; if it has poor quality barrels (and 95%+ fall into that category), then it is dangerous.

The difference between black and smokeless powder is not in the initial pressure spike but in the fact that with smokeless powder the pressure curve extends further out, with high pressure still remaining at the point where the barrel thins. Since this is the point at which a shooter will grasp the fore end, a barrel failure almost always trims the shooter's fingernails a bit too far back. With real bad luck, the thumb and part of the palm can end up missing as well.

Jim

October 15, 2007, 12:24 PM	#1
jack robson Member Join Date: June 17, 2007 Posts: 17	Refinishing damascus steel I have an old 12ga. double hammergun. It is in very poor shape,shattered stock,missing hammer very rusty. My question is do I work damascus steel, as in polishing ect. as I would a steel barrel? I know that the barrel has a pattern and do not want to polish it off. Thanks Jack.

October 15, 2007, 01:38 PM	#2
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 11,112	The pattern true damascus is in, rather than on, the steel. Note: some guns had fluid steel barrels with damascus patterns imprinted on them. Damascus patterns can be brought out by etching the polished barrel with a weak acid solution. Most knifemakers use a solution of ferric chloride etching solution mixed with water to etch damascus steel. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com Last edited by Bill DeShivs; October 15, 2007 at 10:51 PM.

October 17, 2007, 10:25 PM	#5
Austin Cowart Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: Lumberton, Texas Posts: 118	hum If the damascus has a nice pattern I say take what’s left to a good metal worker preferably a blade smith and have him make you a badass knife you can pass down.... just my 2 cents

October 17, 2007, 11:48 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 11,112	The dasmascus steel used in shotguns is not suitable for knives. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

October 19, 2007, 12:51 AM	#7
Wolf Lies Down Member Join Date: October 1, 2007 Location: California Posts: 53	Clean it up - --I'd dismantle the weapon completely (here's where a set of real gunsmith's screwdrivers comes in handy) and scour the whole gun with 000 or 0000 steel wool and plain old vinegar, which will help clean it up and slightly etch the steel, bringing out the pattern in the damascus. I would not use any stronger of an acid. Take the other hammer to a machine shop and have them duplicate it in mirror image form. Try to get some springs and stuff from Brownells or some other supplier and buy a cheap stock that closely matches the gun and carve it to fit. The gun may still be suitable to shoot if you shoot low-load black powder (or a black powder substitute) loads, but that's your call. Smokeless powder will blow the gun, even with very low loads of smokeless, because it burns differently than bp. Smokeless has a high spike on the initial explosive burn, which will weaken old guns like yours until they pop, which of course could happen on the very first smokeless shot. So, don't shoot smokeless powder in it, ever. You can buy a very inexpensive shotgun shell Lee reloader from Cabellas for under $40. Wolf Lies Down

October 15, 2007, 03:17 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I hope you only want to make a better looking wall hanger, as it sounds like the gun is not worth a lot of work or time and certainly should not be fired. If that is the case, this is an instance where a good cold blue can make the gun look better and also show the Damascus pattern. Clean the stock, maybe find an old hammer of the approximate shape and it would look OK over a fireplace. Jim

October 16, 2007, 05:43 PM	#4
robroy15 Member Join Date: March 30, 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 40	Check Dixie Gun Works for hammers.

October 19, 2007, 01:06 PM	#8
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Hi, Wolf Lies Down, I always advise against shooting any of those Damascus barrel guns. If the gun has good Damascus barrels, it is probably too valuable to take a chance; if it has poor quality barrels (and 95%+ fall into that category), then it is dangerous. The difference between black and smokeless powder is not in the initial pressure spike but in the fact that with smokeless powder the pressure curve extends further out, with high pressure still remaining at the point where the barrel thins. Since this is the point at which a shooter will grasp the fore end, a barrel failure almost always trims the shooter's fingernails a bit too far back. With real bad luck, the thumb and part of the palm can end up missing as well. Jim