How to polish flats on a ORM Colt 1991A1 stainless

[javichin1991]

Hi everyone,

I would like to know how to properly polish the flats areas on slide and frame on a ORM (Old Roll Marked) Colt 1991A1 stainless (matte finish). Any help would be appreciated.

Do you have pics of ORM Colt 1991A1 in matte stainless finish with polished flats?

All the best from Spain.

Javi

[garrettwc]

Polishing is nothing more than sanding with progressively finer grits until you get the desired finish.

You will need a flat surface such as a pane of glass.
Attach some fine grit emery cloth to the glass (1200 or finer)
Disassemble the slide and run along the emery cloth to get a nice even finish.
Repeat with finer grades of cloth each time (2400, 3600) etc. until you are close.
Finish off with a good metal polish (we use Flitz in the U.S.)

Go slow and take your time. You can always polish a little more metal off, but you can't put it back on.

[RickB]

The slide is easy. The frame requires removal of the plunger tube and grip screw bushings. Also, you don't want to polish the frame rails, so figure out a way to keep the abrasives away from them. You have to use long, even strokes, making sure the part is moving when it hits the abrasive, and still moving when you lift it off. Otherwise, the stop/start motion will leave "fish hooks" in the finish. When I had the slide on my ORM polished, the 'smith said he first stoned down the metal displaced around the rollmark, as polishing it down flush with the surrounding surface would have taken much longer.

[gc70]

If you want highly polished flats, garrettwc nailed it.

If you want a brushed finished that looks like Colt's production guns and the gun below, start with 400 grit sandpaper and work your way down to 220 grit for the brushed look.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/gc70/Colt-L.jpg

I refinished the 1991 NRM in 2004 (http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=96339). A couple of things to consider if you want a brushed finish - always sand in one direction and keep all of the sanding strokes parallel. I made an oversized wooden 'slide' to protect the frame rails and it also acted as a guide (along the side of the glass) to keep my sanding strokes parallel.

[garrettwc]

If you want a brushed finished that looks like Colt's production guns and the gun below, start with 400 grit sandpaper and work your way down to 220 grit for the brushed look.
gc70 don't you have that backwards. 220 grit is the heavier grit and will make deeper wider sanding marks in the finish. You would work "down" to 400 grit which is the finer grit. Right?

[gc70]

gc70 don't you have that backwards. 220 grit is the heavier grit and will make deeper wider sanding marks in the finish. You would work "down" to 400 grit which is the finer grit. Right?

It sounds backwards, garrettwc, but it is not in the case of a brushed finish as described. The 400 grit paper moves the initial work along quickly but leaves a surface without visible streaks from the sandpaper's grain structure. Finishing the job with 220 grit paper and sanding sparingly with nearly no downward pressure (just sliding the gun over the sandpaper surface) results in upsetting the smoothness of the 400 grit surface just enough to give a brushed appearance.

[garrettwc]

OK, gothca GC70, you're only using enough pressure on the 220 to give it some "grain". Makes sense now.

[gc70]

Precisely, garrettwc, and the 'brushed' finish is a lot more forgiving of the minor imperfections that are so difficult to avoid in a highly polished finish.

[Rich-D]

I find your posts very interesting, I enjoy learning new techniques!


Thanks,
Rich

[garrettwc]

I find your posts very interesting, I enjoy learning new techniques!
You're welcome.

I learned it from a guy on another forum years ago.

His hobby was taking beaters and restoring them. He used to buy rough looking S&W stainless semi-auto police trade-ins (you know the ones in the used gun section that look like they were drug behind the patrol car :p ) and polish them up like this and replace the chipped plastic grips with some nice Hogue wood grips.

After he was done you wouldn't believe it was the same gun.

[para38super]

I am wondering if I can polish my brush stainles steel XSE, and make Bright stainless steel.

[garrettwc]

I am wondering if I can polish my brush stainles steel XSE, and make Bright stainless steel.
Sure, that's the end result of the first process I described above. You have to get into some really fine grit stuff to get it to that point, but if you have the time and the patience it's do-able.

The flats are easy. It's the rounds that will drive you crazy trying to get them even.

[para38super]

how fine of a grit should I start and end with. Is a mirror finish do able with grit stuff or do I need a polishing wheel.

[garrettwc]

para38, I don't care much for the shiny stuff so I've never taken one that far, but I would start with what I posted above and go as fine as you can in steps. Yes, if you want something similar to the "Ultra" stainless (comb your hair in it) that Colt does, your final polish will be on the wheel with the superfine polish or jeweler's rouge.

[javichin1991]

Thank you very much for the info,

Regards,

Javi

[Rick McC.]

Thanks for the informative post!

Rick