stainless finish

spasmcreek

i have a stainless revolver with a brushed, lightly sandblasted, or matte finish that has two small pock marks in the factory casting...is there some magical filler, epoxy , etc that i could use to touch up these blems decently or should i just leave well enuff alone....thanks

perry shooter

Leave alone gets my vote.

scrubberguy

Spasmcreek:
You didn't mention where the "pock" marks are on the gun? If you can hide them with a better set of grips do that.

As far as a touch up is concerned? I'd leave well enough alone!

Anything you do to address these mark's will change the finish of the gun. So unless your prepared to buff out the entire pistol?
This will also depend on the size of your marks and where there at on the gun.

Where ever and how ever big they are this could mean a lot of work for you.

I'll also caution you on buffing out the stainless gun. You must use untouched buffing wheels or wheels that have only been used for stainless buffing in the past. If you use a wheel that has been used for steel you run the risk of imbedding steel flakes in the stainless your trying to clean up. Saddly you won't notice this right away but what happens is the imbedded flakes will rust leaving you with a stainless gun with the "measles".

Which gun do you have? I can't believe a major maker let one get past Q.C. but it has happened. Bear in mind that if the gun has "pock" mark issues more may be hiding just under the "skin" waiting to surface as you attempt to remove the ones you can see!

Again unless these things just jump off the gun and slap you in the face I think I'd leave it alone. [8D]

Bill DeShivs

Probably best to leave it alone.
I have been buffing steel for about 40 years and have never had stainless rust from having carbon steel "imbedded" in it.
Bill
www.billdeshivs.com

duckhunter

Leave alone

rhmc24

Bill D is right. I've been into this stuff for over 40 years too and do stainless from time to time. A case: I had a Charter .44 stainless that had horrendous scratches across the frame on the right side. I made a dummy screw to fill the screw hole to keep from cupping the hole. Then I took out the scratches with an abrasive flapper wheel. Then I buffed it with the same buffing compound that I use on a lot of other things. It came out looking good as new. I owned and shot it for years, still looking great.

If you want to consider the job on a "kill or cure' basis, go ahead. If not it might be better to learn to live with it. If you decide to do it you will be wise to get some experience on something else before doing your gun.

glabray

Buffing stainless steel with anything, new or used, can lead to rust / corrosion depending on how the stainless item has been finished. Sometimes stainless items are passivated in an acid bath after manufacture. This process tends to remove iron from the surface leaving the surface richer in nickle, chrome, etc. than the bulk of the metal. This is done to improve the rust / corrosion properties. Now if you buff off this surface you are removing the passivated layer and making that area less rust / corrosion resistant. That resistance can be restored by repassivating.