The first part to get polished is the ejector rod, I taped up the knurled portion and the threads and chucked it into my drill, then polished it to 1200 grit
Then I started on the frame, removing the engraving. I started with 150 grit
Next I remove the engraving from the bottom side of the top strap
note the cartridge marks on the breech face
The muzzle had some wear and light pitting, this is a 1200 grit finish, I stay away from the roll marks, the rest of the finish on the barrel is in good shape, I'll give it a light buffing and blue over the old bluing.
Then I started on the side plate
Notice how I steer clear of the roll marks, it is easy to destroy these when they are shallow. I work around them until I get to 400 grit or above. I also find creative ways to sand the metal in very small sections
Once I had the frame parts close, I started on the cylinder. I built this jig, using a small bolt, some bushings that fit the inside of the S&W cylinder perfectly and some copper washers. It allows me to mount the cylinder in my drill press for expedient sanding
There is some deep pitting in places
I start with 100 grit, I alternated sanding fore and aft, then back into the drill press
Then 150 grit
220 grit
280 grit
320 grit
400 grit
600 grit
800 grit
1200 grit
2000 grit
and a final polish with fine crocus cloth
Next stop the bluing tank
The progression of the polishing is just straight nerd porn...
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