"melt" treatment?

[USMCSKI]

I have been trying to explain the melt treatment to a guy I work with and figured a picture would be worth 1000 words.....anyone have pictures of 1911s with the melt treatment done to them?

[Tedfs]

Is this what you are trying to show?

http://www.pearcegrip.com/images/kimber1.gif

I think this one is over done but it gets the idea across anyway.

[USMCSKI]

on anything other than a kimber.

[John]

Here you go:

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/images/guns/md45.jpg

[USMCSKI]

thanks John!!! who was that one done by?

[John]

The father of the "Meltdown". Clark Guns.

[1911Tuner]

It's been said tha a personal weapon should be smooth, and alluring to the hand. The melt treatment accomplishes that, and is one custom feature that I really like. Makes'em feel like my old 1919 Colt...which has been melted naturally over time.

While anybody can melt the edges on a pistol, doing one so that it accomplishes the mission and looks nice too is another kettle of fish. This is one job that should be left to someone who is adept in its execution, lest the gun turn out looking like some 5 year-old has been at it with grinding wheel.

[AnthonyRSS]

I find that the artistic gunsmithing is the most difficult kind and should only be attempted if you really don't mind screwing things up. I began melting a 1911 of mine but after hours of work I realized that it really wasn't worth it and quit. I now have a slide with nicely contoured edges and a melted bushing. Least I didn't screw anything up.

Anthony

[lanceriley]

it needs an artist.

[USMCSKI]

Looks like I am going to have to start saving up some money to buy a new gun and send it to Clark customs!!!

[watchin]

It is funny that if we were a collector we would not even look at anything that closely resembled a melt job. The sharper and crisper the edges the more valuable the firearm. The only downside to melts is that you can't get the lines back once you grind them off. I like the feel of them better than the look.
-watchin-

[Timothy]

[QUOTE=John]Here you go:

Wow! That is one nice melt job. I would have to agree that this is one of the few custom touches to a pistol that really appeals to me, if done right, like this. Don't try this at home, Clark is the "King-Daddy" of the melt-job! lol :D

[1911Tuner]

It is funny that if we were a collector we would not even look at anything that closely resembled a melt job.

I am a collector, and a purist. I'd never deliberately melt or do any other alteration to a collectible pistol...but on a carry gun that isn't a museum piece and probably neve will be, I like a melted surface. Besides...Some of'em are wear-melted. Geet one of those, and you can have your cake and eat it too. :cool:

[armedandfree]

Obviously, it is more complex, but in a "metl-finish" job, do they file the sharp corners to rounding them off? To appear "melted"?

It makes sense to me... a "worn in" feel but newly functioning reliability.

How much does this process cost from Clark?

Will they do any 1911? Steel parts, obviously.

[Sniper350]

Melt Job = a gunsmith with too much time on his hands !!

Everybody just looking for that "different" look and then trying to market it to the public as a must have. I have never seen the practical purpose [in the real world ] to "melt" your 1911 or any handgun for that matter. But you hear qualifications like " won't snag on your clothing" . Give me a break, I have never had a 1911 snag on my clothing; drawing the pistol from a holster.
Com'on there is only one type of user that shoves a handgun down inside his clothing and then has to worry about snags -- they make nightime withdrawls from your local 7-11's. ;)

If you like the way they look ......go for it , :D

But a "needed" accessory ?? ......not unless you work the late shift making money withdrawls :nono:


JF.

[armedandfree]

what accessory is ''needed''? ha...

[Sniper350]

what accessory is ''needed''? ha...

You got me there ..... :)

JF.

[armedandfree]

Only meaning to point out that accessories, finishes, etc etc... aren't needed, but are nice, and can personalize a weapon to suit the owners wants and/or personality and/or style of shooting. What works for one may not work for another.

[David Rose]

Waaait a minute there, Sniper!

When my dogs bark in the middle of the night or if the shop alarm goes off, I don't add a holster to the pants I barely (thankfully) got on. :D I cram that critter into my belt and grab the keys and light and head for the door. *I* enjoy a melted gun in that case! Ever tried stuffing a sharp barrel bushing or slide down against bare flesh? Maybe my case isn't typical, but it isn't too uncommon for a home owner I would think. If it happens to go between my pants and shorts, then I am blessed. But when I am half asleep I don't worry about it... until later. I've had a few scrapes to prove it. :scared: You may be right about the back end "hanging on clothing". For these excursions, I don't worry about concealment. But dehorning can't hurt.

I'm not talking "high tech" melting, though it looks better. A file and some abrasive cloth prior to finishing will get a practical job done. I think that anyone can do a workable job. Artistic flair and common sense is a bonus. Don't remove lower slide rail thickness around the slide stop notch, for instance. But knocking off sharp edges into radiuses then polishing out those file marks will get the job done. Of course, unless you have a natural finish like stainless, you will need a refinish.

Also, this isn't exactly melting, but I've noticed that Colt has removed the lower rear sharp edges of the slide on the past few Defenders that we've gotten in. Just a bevel, but it could head off a cut or two.

And if it is nothing more than cosmetics, that is OK. We live in a country (those of us in the US and maybe others) where we have some money for fun stuff. We don't have to listen to every sales pitch. But if one strikes our fancy, then we can go for it... when we can afford it.

David

Melt Job = a gunsmith with too much time on his hands !!

Everybody just looking for that "different" look and then trying to market it to the public as a must have. I have never seen the practical purpose [in the real world ] to "melt" your 1911 or any handgun for that matter. But you hear qualifications like " won't snag on your clothing" . Give me a break, I have never had a 1911 snag on my clothing; drawing the pistol from a holster.
Com'on there is only one type of user that shoves a handgun down inside his clothing and then has to worry about snags -- they make nightime withdrawls from your local 7-11's. ;)

If you like the way they look ......go for it , :D

But a "needed" accessory ?? ......not unless you work the late shift making money withdrawls :nono:


JF.

[1911Tuner]

With melted guns, it's not about lookin' good...though one that's well-executed can have a certain aesthetic appeal. It's about how the gun FEELS. Used to be that, when sharp checkering on a set of stocks on a Model 29 rolled the skin up on our tender hands...we'd scrape the points a little with a knife blade. Problem solved...at least partly.

For what it's worth, I've never melted a gun. I have, however, used a smooth mill file or a stone to break the corners on a few...some of which were almost sharp enough to shave with, and would part skin...and did on a few occasions...even after several years of handling and use. You don't have to make'em look like a well-used bar of soap to keep'em from drawin' blood...but they feel good in the hand if they are.

[captiva]

How much does this process cost from Clark?


Clark Custom Guns Meltdown prices here (http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/1911serv.htm#reblue)

Jim's profile here (http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/jimsr.htm)

He was a good guy.

It was the famous pistolsmith Ikey Starks who said the combat pistol should feel like a well-used bar of soap. - Mas Ayoob

I first read from Jeff Cooper...

[ColtAllure]

Here is my method for turning a square, 90 degree corner into a radius. If the corner is not 90 deg, some small modification would be necessary.

Assume that you want small radius of about r on the corner. The first step is to cut a 45 deg bevel on the corner, so that the width of the bevel is r. This can be done with a an appropriately shaped file, a stone, or a dremel tool (horrors!) or flexible shaft set on the slowest speed, with the finest stone. I usually use a die polisher's reciprocator from Gesswein, with a fine, fine ceramic stone. The more uniform this bevel is (and it's easy to judge a long bevel), the better the result.

It's not easy to get a uniform bevel, but let's say it's done. Now on each side of the bevel, we want to bevel again at half the original angle, that is, a 22.5 deg bevel on each side. This secondary bevel should eat up the outer 1/4 th of the first bevel. When this is done on each side the original 45 deg bevel is half of its original size.

Again we try to make these secondary bevels uniform (even less easy than the previous one, and more important).

Now we are amazingly close to a corner with a radius r. A gentle hand blending with a fine Cratex block or a really fine stone will give us a good looking radius, perhaps not exactly circular in cross section, but close enough.

Of course none of this has to be exact, but a procedure like this can help eliminate funny-looking radii.



CA

[David Rose]

CA,

That's basically what I do using a file. One tip. At least it helps me to cut matching surfaces all with the first cut before doing the secondary cuts. For instance, I will try to go all the way around the front of the muzzle with cut one, then go all the way with the next two... etc. I find this a little easier to keep radii uniform to each other. The hard part for me is seeing uniformity with these "tired" eyes as the cuts get finer.

David

Here is my method for turning a square, 90 degree corner into a radius. If the corner is not 90 deg, some small modification would be necessary.

Assume that you want small radius of about r on the corner. The first step is to cut a 45 deg bevel on the corner, so that the width of the bevel is r. This can be done with a an appropriately shaped file, a stone, or a dremel tool (horrors!) or flexible shaft set on the slowest speed, with the finest stone. I usually use a die polisher's reciprocator from Gesswein, with a fine, fine ceramic stone. The more uniform this bevel is (and it's easy to judge a long bevel), the better the result.

It's not easy to get a uniform bevel, but let's say it's done. Now on each side of the bevel, we want to bevel again at half the original angle, that is, a 22.5 deg bevel on each side. This secondary bevel should eat up the outer 1/4 th of the first bevel. When this is done on each side the original 45 deg bevel is half of its original size.

Again we try to make these secondary bevels uniform (even less easy than the previous one, and more important).

Now we are amazingly close to a corner with a radius r. A gentle hand blending with a fine Cratex block or a really fine stone will give us a good looking radius, perhaps not exactly circular in cross section, but close enough.

Of course none of this has to be exact, but a procedure like this can help eliminate funny-looking radii.



CA

[ColtAllure]

Yes, cutting a uniform bevel is easy to say, hard to do, particularly on the curves. Your idea of cuttting each bevel as long as possible, before advancing to the next step, does seem to make it easier to judge uniformity.

CA

[David Rose]

CA, actually, the "full length" bevel was more your excellent instruction. I don't know that you used those words, but that was the idea that I got from what you said.

What I meant was really more of matching surfaces with one cut. Like both sides of the backend of the slide. I don't do one side completely, then go to the other. The large flats are easier for me to check uniformity. So I like to do several surfaces, sometimes the whole gun if the mood strikes, with the primary cut before cutting the next angles.

A person with artistic ability could probably do it any way he wanted and come out good. I am more of a technical craftsman. I could do one radius completely, like I wanted, then jump to a matching one and spend a week trying to make it "look right". :o That's why I like the help from the steps.

It's late and I'm not sure that I'm making more sense than I did earlier... :(

David

Yes, cutting a uniform bevel is easy to say, hard to do, particularly on the curves. Your idea of cuttting each bevel as long as possible, before advancing to the next step, does seem to make it easier to judge uniformity.

CA

[ColtAllure]

David, you have an good point. I haven't paid much attention to getting the radii equal on the right and left sides, for example, just equalizing along each line. When you do the beveling steps together on both sides, you can see both at once. I'll try it.

This stuff *is* hard to describe precisely without pictures, but I think we're communicating :)

CA