hanging parts and pins

[hughscpa]

What type of wire do you use when hanging parts during the rust bluing process? Also, how do you handle the pins and screws? I'm guessing you blue the pins as well during the project.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Most small parts are fire blued.

[hughscpa]

So that is heating them with a propane torch and stopping the process be butting them in oil? If so, do I need a special type of oil? If the original finish is okay, there would be no need to reblue correct? My project is a non matching shooter that looks okay but I want to try to fix up.

[hughscpa]

Putting not butting.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Yes, Pretty simple but practice on small metal parts. Carefully observe color changes and stop applying heat BEFORE the desired effect as it will continue to heat anyway..


Any old oil will work. It's to cool the piece.

[ithacaartist]

One way of getting uniform colors from heat onto parts is to immerse them in a container of sand that's been tempered to the correct temperature. This entirely eliminates any worry about over-heating. A toaster oven works fine for strawing small parts, but you'l need something with more kick to fire blue, which happens at almost 600 degrees F.

If you know a knife-maker, they'd likely have a small tempering oven. A toomaker's tempering oven, potter's kiln, or a glass artist's annealing oven would also work, as long as they're adjustable.

Quenching in oil is not necessary when heat-coloring parts.

[hughscpa]

I strawed my first nails two nights ago in our kitchen oven by this method. (Wife wanted to know why I was baking a sand pie). It went well in my opinion. I know of a local knife maker and I'll try to see if he has a tempering oven. Thanks.

[DonVoigt]

If you are patient and careful, you can get the higher temperatures by using a propane torch.
Just practice some more.

These pins were treated with a propane torch.

The second picture shows the difference between the wide flange navy type toggle pin/axle and the "normal" one.

[hughscpa]

Should they be the purple/blue color? Can all the pins be done this way as long as I get the technique down right? I know you don't see anything but the ends of the pins anyway, right?

[hughscpa]

Also, I am going to needing a few parts like the locking bolt and possibly others. I have seen used ones available and newly made ones. Which would you recommend? The numbers don't match as it is, so I am not worrying about trying to find a certain number. I also realize that just because the numbers match does not mean it is not a mix from other guns. This is another shooter.

[hughscpa]

Yet another question, do I need to strip and polish the pins or just strip them and use acetone to clean them? Sorry for all the questions but better to ask a knowledgeable person than make a very preventable mistake.

[4 Scale]

When I am re-coloring parts I sand off the old finish and then clean with acetone before heat treatment. As far as new parts vs. original, I've used both but always prefer original. I found that using new parts makes the project less satisfying for me. It's an entirely subjective decision.

I''ve watched eBay and Gunbroker and the forums for years in search of original part(s) that hit the right combination of price and condition, but for me that's part of the fun.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by hughscpa

Yet another question, do I need to strip and polish the pins or just strip them and use acetone to clean them? Sorry for all the questions but better to ask a knowledgeable person than make a very preventable mistake.

you need to "polish" the pieces to a white metal condition, the degree of polish depends on what the rest of the pistol looks like- something that blends in- not a high polish, or a rough one.

Clean parts are good.

Color can be what ever you want it to be, look at pictures of original lugers of the type you have and go with something similar.

You can't really screw up, if it turns out the wrong color just
re-polish and do it over.

You just need to get on with it, you will learn more in 1/2 hour of doing than by asking a zillion questions! JMHO

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by hughscpa

Also, I am going to needing a few parts like the locking bolt and possibly others. I have seen used ones available and newly made ones. Which would you recommend? The numbers don't match as it is, so I am not worrying about trying to find a certain number. I also realize that just because the numbers match does not mean it is not a mix from other guns. This is another shooter.

Reproduction(new) parts frequently require more fitting than original parts.
Not every part, original or not, can be made to fit and function in every luger.
The TD lever will likely require fitting to the existing side plate, actually the side plate will be fit to the new lever. It may or may not be "fittable".

I built a luger from parts this weekend, fortunately I had 6 or 8 side plates, and half a dozen trigger levers. I tried all of each and still could not get the pistol to fire.
I finally had to change the trigger, then I was able to get a combination that would work.

The moral of this story is that you may need to buy more than one part, or even more than one of the same part to get one to fit.

Probably 80-90 % of the time one can make a substitute part work, but sometimes they just will not co-operate.

Side plate, trigger, triggle lever, and sear bar interaction are the tough ones to get correct function.

But then no one promised working on lugers would be a "walk in a rose garden". There is a reason that the small parts were numbered when the pistol was initially built.

[hughscpa]

Her are some pictures of the trigger and the ejector. I strawed the trigger and it just doesn't look quite right. Do I need a higher temperature? Also, can I sand out the imperfections in the trigger? Also, is the ejector too pitted or can I get it cleaned up all the way?

[DonVoigt]

You can "clean up" the trigger, but the ejector would likely wind up too thin- it is a spring.

You didn't heat the trigger hot enough and/or long enough to get good yellow straw.

You get a do-over!

[lugerholsterrepair]

Also, can I sand out the imperfections in the trigger? Yes, within reason. Be sure to clean well with alcohol or acetone just before heating to remove imperfections. Large items like a trigger need to be evenly heated slowly.

[hughscpa]

I will have to be away from the project for a while in a couple of days. Should I spray it down with oil or some other protectant? I am only in the polishing phase right now. I really do appreciate all of the help I am getting with this thing.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Should I spray it down with oil or some other protectant? Not unless there is high humidity? Remember you want the part clean and OIL FREE until after strawing.

[hughscpa]

Okay, they will be in my home with ac. So everything will be left where it is. I'll take some pictures of the next strawing attempt and where I am so far. As always, any tips or critiques are appreciated.