Help with receiver DH

[John Nagel]

Hi guys,

So I sent of a d grade 16 ga action to a prominent engraver to have the quail on the floorplate changed into grouse. We decided to to the following additional things. Recut side engraving, and french gray the receiver. This was an adition $640 on top of the floor plate.

I received the gun back today and the floorplate looks great, but the action is far too bright. It almost looks modern. Also I can barely see the pointer on one side unless it is in the right light. When I sent the gun out it had some gaudy case coloring on it. I was expecting to get it back looking like the other d grade I have pictured here on the left. Anyone have any affordable ideas of how to achieve that color and make the dogs pop? Really bummed as this wasnt a gun I was hoping to have to put any more money in and wouldnt have ever paid $640 for what I got back.


http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=714&pictureid=8640

[Dean Romig]

Wow... that's pretty sad.

Was the engraving as sharp as the one you show with it?
It looks like it was buffed pretty hard to have lost that much definition... or was it extremely worn before you sent it?

I know Geoffroy Gournet produces a wonderful French Gray finish but I don't know if he does it himself or if he sends that work to someone else. You can't go wron by giving him a call. Check out his website for a contact telephone number www.gournetusa.com
He has a heavy French accent and he is not insulted if you ask him to repeat himself... a really nice man.





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[calvin humburg]

There was one quail on the floor interesting. More pictures please. Yes, it is to bad how things go sometimes.

[Brian Dudley]

I may recommend doing sometimg to darken the engraving on the gun to make it stand oit more. Like rubbkng in india ink or something of the sort.

[Dean Romig]

Geoffroy engraved this woodcock but I did my own "french gray".



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[John Nagel]

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=714&pictureid=8642

Heres the floorplate.

[calvin humburg]

The floor is very nice! Is the engraving on the sides as sharp. I like Brian's idea, but one would need to test it on something. I wonder if one could get the ink off if it did not turn out good?

[John Nagel]

Here are two more pictures that show how bright the finish is.. It almost looks like a beretta 686!

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=714&pictureid=8643

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=714&pictureid=8644

[Brian Dudley]

You also have to account for the fact that the metal was likely still case hardened. I have little experience with french graying, so i cannot say if that would effect it or not.
Also, the amount of engraving recutting would likely be limited due to the hardened surface. The french graying and recutting, would have removed anything that was imbedded into the engraving, so it doesnt stand out as much.

Personally, i do not see much of an inherant difference between the two frames in the photo, except for the dark engraving.

[Greg Baehman]

Here is the product professional engravers use to achieve the look you're after, it's called Background Antique and Vigor and is produced by Grobet USA and costs <$20 for the kit. One place to purchase this product is here: http://ngraver.com/
It's very easy to use, with a small artist's brush you simply cover the entire engraved surface with the Background Antique, let it dry for 5-7 minutes and then with the Vigor (aul solvent) dabbed onto a swatch of lint free cloth you rub over the surface gently to remove the Background Antique from the higher areas.

Below the Background Antique and Vigor pic are pics of my custom Fox which has a French Gray finish with the treatment applied.

[Phillip Carr]

I have used Grobet black background kit with success to get the engraving to stand out.

[Bruce Day]

The poster's photo of the frame looks to me like the frame was heavily buffed, eroding much of the engraving details. Here is an 1890's DH 16 that still has crisp engraving, for comparison.

It's hard to make worn down engraving stand out.

[Dean Romig]

That's a great look Greg!

But with the wear on Mr. Nagel's DH I don't think it will look they good... But for $20, it is certainly worth a try.

Who did your French Gray, and what solution was used?




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[Greg Baehman]

Who did your French Gray, and what solution was used?
Bob Strosin applied it, I have no idea of what solution he used.

[charlie cleveland]

mighty nice finish on that fox...charlie

[Bob Brown]

Wow, that Fox is amazing.

[calvin humburg]

That is a beauty Greg. I would try it.

[Jerry Harlow]

I bought this 32" DH and someone had polished it so bright I thought it had been chrome plated. Much brighter than yours. A drop of bluing confirmed it was raw steel. It also had salt water pitting; someone's waterfowl gun. I had the dogs recut and the reeds around the dog, since much had been polished away.

It was still bright, and I applied the old Birchwood Casey cold blue to it with a Q-tip, turning it gray. I used 0000 steel wool to take it down to the desired gray. I am happy with it.

[John Nagel]

Im going to try the grobet kit. I think something like this should work as there is definitely still detail there when held to the light correctly.

I would like to darker the whole thing a little, if I was going to use the cold blue q tip method should I do that before or after the grobet?

[Dean Romig]

Before.





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[keavin nelson]

Exactly what is a French Gray finish. I thought it involved plating?

[Jerry Harlow]

I have an article from Brownells written by Guiseppi Forte, Master Engraver. Article number #076-200-388, but it did not come up on their site. I can't scan it at home, but Brownells will probably be glad to send it to you. He list four methods for a gray finish:

1. Hot blue first, then partial removal of blue to achieve gray (using phosphoric acid or 32% hydrochloric acid to do that).

2. Metal left white, treated with nitric acid to achieve gray. (mixed 1 part to 10 or 15 parts water. Then flushed with water, or club soda for a better finish)

3. Metal left white, then abrasive-blasted to achieve gray. Then black printer's ink is applied and baked at 275 for three hours. More methods given.

4. Electroless nickel first, the abrasive-blast to achieve gray.

These are just the titles of the four methods he describes.

That's where I got the idea to use cold blue and then take it down with 0000 steel wool to get the gray finish I desired, on my shiny receiver. The first coats of cold blue are gray, and not blue. I remember warming the metal with a pencil torch before cold bluing.

[John Nagel]

I have an article from Brownells written by Guiseppi Forte, Master Engraver. Article number #076-200-388, but it did not come up on their site. I can't scan it at home, but Brownells will probably be glad to send it to you. He list four methods for a gray finish:

1. Hot blue first, then partial removal of blue to achieve gray (using phosphoric acid or 32% hydrochloric acid to do that).

2. Metal left white, treated with nitric acid to achieve gray. (mixed 1 part to 10 or 15 parts water. Then flushed with water, or club soda for a better finish)

3. Metal left white, then abrasive-blasted to achieve gray. Then black printer's ink is applied and baked at 275 for three hours. More methods given.

4. Electroless nickel first, the abrasive-blast to achieve gray.

These are just the titles of the four methods he describes.

That's where I got the idea to use cold blue and then take it down with 0000 steel wool to get the gray finish I desired, on my shiny receiver. The first coats of cold blue are gray, and not blue. I remember warming the metal with a pencil torch before cold bluing.

Should I Use perma blue or super blue? The pencil torching sounds out of my league.. Is that necessary?

[Joe Wood]

I had excellent results swabbing on a barrel browning solution and after only a minute wiping it off. Nicely mutes the finish, leaving an aged patina.

[Jerry Harlow]

Should I Use perma blue or super blue? The pencil torching sounds out of my league.. Is that necessary?

Any cold bluing solution should work, or as Joe says even browning will work but browning is rusting and will leave the patina of 100 years in a jiffy. This may look old but probably not gray.

If the gun is assembled obviously the pencil torch is out of the question. But as we learned earlier in life, chemical reactions work twice as fast for every 10 degree increase in C temperature (just a general statement which is not precise but does matter). Get the receiver as warm as possible and not in a cold garage, and free of all oil and grease. Just my 2 cents, subject to criticism from the gallery as usual.

Please show us you result and don't have your lawyer contact me. For entertainment purposes only.

[David Noble]

Cold blueing solutions usually leave a smell. You can tell a gun that has been cold blued by rubbing an area with your thumb until you feel warmth, then smell the area. It's a distinctive odor. I don't know if there is a time limit on this but I've done it on guns that were cold blued 8-10 years earlier that you could still smell.