New here

lrb1200 · 11-04-2021, 04:51 PM

Discovered photographing to the level of detail
needed for evaluation isn't a cakewalk.

I'm not a cell phone camera guy.

But, looking for some insight to what is the "white" stuff
that I see applied to highlight the stampings in numerous
photographs I've viewed?

It must obviously pose no risk to the finish in use
or removal.

Thanks.

gunnertwo · 11-04-2021, 05:21 PM

It's called a "white stick" and can come in several colors. It can enhance markings but can also obscure original markings in determining originality or refinishing. I choose not to use it for the items in my collection.

Welcome, great and helpful folks here.

G2

Neil Young · 11-04-2021, 05:24 PM

Welcome Chicago Burbs.

ithacaartist · 11-04-2021, 05:38 PM

Sometimes the markings are highlighted with gold, too. It's mostly used to make them show up better, but sometimes they're used to cover up the nuances displayed by markings that have been faked--pantographed, acid etched, laser cut, or hand engraved. These are stamped, and displace metal when applied. This raises the surfaces directly surrounding the markings. This interruption of the original grain of the metal induces the "halos" found to have developed over time around stapmpings that were executed after the rust bluing process on original guns.

Since the guns never left the factory with anything more than the "Gesichert" filled in with off-white enamel, the stuff filling the markings can be a variety of things--basically whatever sticks in the recesses of the markings and helps them show up. Paint--either lacquer or enamel--is used. "Dial enamel" is wax-based and used to highlight recessed markings on dials...or whatever. One could also rub a white Crayola or a white lumber marker into a warm gun's stampings and buff off the excess with a soft cloth.

Most techniques for highlighting are safe enough for the finish. What you have to be careful about is removing them. Absolutely avoid any abrasive methods, as well as techniques for removal using anything acidic, both of which will remove the finish. Organic solvents such as acetone should be fine, along with a soft toothbrush or the like.

spangy · 11-04-2021, 06:13 PM

As ithacaartist has pointed out only the "Gesichert" was factory filled.
Other members here have called all other 'white' fills as putting 'lipstick on a pig' and in that regard I agree.

If you must use a white filler for whatever reason the cheapest and easiest to remove later on when you have regained your senses is 'white out' typewriter correction fluid.

To each his own but if Luger manufactures thought that white filled proofs would be a good idea they would have 'made it so'. JMHO

Edward Tinker · 11-04-2021, 10:00 PM

Here in the New Collector area is a FAQ - check it out, has many questions

Vlim · 11-05-2021, 01:44 AM

White filling helps to create the contrast needed when photographing guns. Especially so in the older analog days.

mrerick · 11-05-2021, 08:57 AM

Note that anything that fills the markings can also be obscuring the details of the markings themselves, and any manipulation that may have been done to them.

It is very common for a person that restores Lugers to use an engraver to enhance or restore markings. This would be clear if you could see the profile and detail of the marking, and that detail would not be visible if covered with the residue of a lacquer stick or marking pen.

Take photographs in indirect (shaded) sunlight with a camera that can be properly focused and which you can adjust for exposure and you'll get the best pictures. That's especially true in today's world of digital photography and high dynamic range sensors.

Also, use care with acetone. It can dissolve or soften the bristles of some toothbrush construction as well as the shaft. Start with isopropyl alcohol. Follow cleaning with a preserving gun oil.

cirelaw · 11-05-2021, 10:44 AM

I Use Laquer stick, easy on, easy off! https://www.amazon.com/lacquer-stick...lacquer+sticks Don't leave on for prolonged time as it can become permanent over time!

Curly1 · 11-05-2021, 12:27 PM

Welcome to the forum

wlyon · 11-05-2021, 09:59 PM

Welcome. Nice people here. Bill

ithacaartist · 11-06-2021, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spangy

...when you have regained your senses...

I must ask... When would that ever happen with folks who love Lugers?

cirelaw · 11-06-2021, 02:42 PM

I'm still in Luger Love!

4 Scale · 11-29-2021, 01:56 PM

Gortz and Sturgess says the original fill material was wax.

I find highlight material helpful for dressing up a shooter. It distracts from imperfections; the rougher the shooter the more it helps. For collectibles I don't use highlights.

Eugen · 12-05-2021, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

Gortz and Sturgess says the original fill material was wax.

Wax!? I didn't know that. Interesting.

schutzen-jager · 12-06-2021, 08:13 AM

welcome aboard =

i use Craft Decor chalk writers - available at Dollar Tree stores - some people shy away from filled markings - these can easily be removed with plain water after pictures -

Mac Cat · 12-06-2021, 10:18 AM

I think I read that some people were using a white crayon a while back.
Never tried it, but it sounds safe enough.

Proofed · 12-06-2021, 10:38 AM

I have found that if you are trying to photograph small details or marks sometimes they come out better if you back out a little with the camera/phone and use the zoom function to zero in on the desired spot, it works pretty well most of the time. try to prop your hands up or rest the camera to hold it steady while zoomed

Proofed · 12-06-2021, 11:02 AM

[url]http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachment.php?

1912 erfort

Proofed · 12-06-2021, 11:33 AM

This sight is on a 1912 Erfurt luger. in 1913 the hold open was added and acceptance marked at the location. At the same time the front sight was changed from a 100 to a 50. The witness mark can be seen that locates the blade on the right side. There is also an acceptance stamp from the Erfurt armory (that did the modifications as mandated). It is to the left of the blade and not very visible it would have been a good candidate for highlighting before photographing.
If I do this I use a grease marker made to write on glass it comes off very easily and doesn't damage anything.

11-04-2021, 04:51 PM	#1
lrb1200 User Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Chicago Burbs Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 4 Posts	New here Discovered photographing to the level of detail needed for evaluation isn't a cakewalk. I'm not a cell phone camera guy. But, looking for some insight to what is the "white" stuff that I see applied to highlight the stampings in numerous photographs I've viewed? It must obviously pose no risk to the finish in use or removal. Thanks.

11-04-2021, 05:24 PM	#3
Neil Young Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Scottsboro, Alabama Posts: 546 Thanks: 559 Thanked 442 Times in 168 Posts	Welcome Chicago Burbs. __________________ Neil The hurrier I go the behinder I get. Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.

11-04-2021, 05:38 PM	#4
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,347 Thanks: 7,285 Thanked 2,579 Times in 1,366 Posts	Sometimes the markings are highlighted with gold, too. It's mostly used to make them show up better, but sometimes they're used to cover up the nuances displayed by markings that have been faked--pantographed, acid etched, laser cut, or hand engraved. These are stamped, and displace metal when applied. This raises the surfaces directly surrounding the markings. This interruption of the original grain of the metal induces the "halos" found to have developed over time around stapmpings that were executed after the rust bluing process on original guns. Since the guns never left the factory with anything more than the "Gesichert" filled in with off-white enamel, the stuff filling the markings can be a variety of things--basically whatever sticks in the recesses of the markings and helps them show up. Paint--either lacquer or enamel--is used. "Dial enamel" is wax-based and used to highlight recessed markings on dials...or whatever. One could also rub a white Crayola or a white lumber marker into a warm gun's stampings and buff off the excess with a soft cloth. Most techniques for highlighting are safe enough for the finish. What you have to be careful about is removing them. Absolutely avoid any abrasive methods, as well as techniques for removal using anything acidic, both of which will remove the finish. Organic solvents such as acetone should be fine, along with a soft toothbrush or the like. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

11-04-2021, 06:13 PM	#5
spangy Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 617 Thanks: 3,065 Thanked 1,057 Times in 429 Posts	As ithacaartist has pointed out only the "Gesichert" was factory filled. Other members here have called all other 'white' fills as putting 'lipstick on a pig' and in that regard I agree. If you must use a white filler for whatever reason the cheapest and easiest to remove later on when you have regained your senses is 'white out' typewriter correction fluid. To each his own but if Luger manufactures thought that white filled proofs would be a good idea they would have 'made it so'. JMHO __________________ Whoever said that "money can't buy you happiness" never bought a Luger. WTB - Take Down Lever & Trigger Plate (#90) for an Imperial Artillery.

11-05-2021, 08:57 AM	#8
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,909 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,110 Times in 1,510 Posts	Note that anything that fills the markings can also be obscuring the details of the markings themselves, and any manipulation that may have been done to them. It is very common for a person that restores Lugers to use an engraver to enhance or restore markings. This would be clear if you could see the profile and detail of the marking, and that detail would not be visible if covered with the residue of a lacquer stick or marking pen. Take photographs in indirect (shaded) sunlight with a camera that can be properly focused and which you can adjust for exposure and you'll get the best pictures. That's especially true in today's world of digital photography and high dynamic range sensors. Also, use care with acetone. It can dissolve or soften the bristles of some toothbrush construction as well as the shaft. Start with isopropyl alcohol. Follow cleaning with a preserving gun oil. __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

11-04-2021, 05:21 PM	#2
gunnertwo User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Nampa, Idaho Posts: 623 Thanks: 826 Thanked 930 Times in 363 Posts	It's called a "white stick" and can come in several colors. It can enhance markings but can also obscure original markings in determining originality or refinishing. I choose not to use it for the items in my collection. Welcome, great and helpful folks here. G2

11-04-2021, 10:00 PM	#6
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	Here in the New Collector area is a FAQ - check it out, has many questions

11-05-2021, 01:44 AM	#7
Vlim Moderator Lifetime LugerForum Patron Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 5,053 Thanks: 1,036 Thanked 3,988 Times in 1,205 Posts	White filling helps to create the contrast needed when photographing guns. Especially so in the older analog days.

11-05-2021, 10:44 AM	#9
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	I Use Laquer stick, easy on, easy off! https://www.amazon.com/lacquer-stick...lacquer+sticks Don't leave on for prolonged time as it can become permanent over time! Attached Images

11-05-2021, 12:27 PM	#10
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,242 Thanks: 117 Thanked 714 Times in 371 Posts	Welcome to the forum __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary

11-05-2021, 09:59 PM	#11
wlyon Lifer 2X Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere in Montana Posts: 2,636 Thanks: 3,174 Thanked 2,559 Times in 955 Posts	Welcome. Nice people here. Bill __________________ Bill Lyon

11-06-2021, 02:42 PM	#13
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	I'm still in Luger Love!

11-29-2021, 01:56 PM	#14
4 Scale User Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 544 Thanks: 194 Thanked 489 Times in 251 Posts	Gortz and Sturgess says the original fill material was wax. I find highlight material helpful for dressing up a shooter. It distracts from imperfections; the rougher the shooter the more it helps. For collectibles I don't use highlights.

12-06-2021, 08:13 AM	#16
schutzen-jager User Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: peoples republic of New Jersey Posts: 187 Thanks: 208 Thanked 187 Times in 86 Posts	welcome aboard = i use Craft Decor chalk writers - available at Dollar Tree stores - some people shy away from filled markings - these can easily be removed with plain water after pictures - Attached Thumbnails

12-06-2021, 10:18 AM	#17
Mac Cat Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 731 Thanks: 2,095 Thanked 610 Times in 329 Posts	I think I read that some people were using a white crayon a while back. Never tried it, but it sounds safe enough.

12-06-2021, 10:38 AM	#18
Proofed User Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Pa. Posts: 157 Thanks: 535 Thanked 338 Times in 90 Posts	picture taking I have found that if you are trying to photograph small details or marks sometimes they come out better if you back out a little with the camera/phone and use the zoom function to zero in on the desired spot, it works pretty well most of the time. try to prop your hands up or rest the camera to hold it steady while zoomed

12-06-2021, 11:02 AM	#19
Proofed User Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Pa. Posts: 157 Thanks: 535 Thanked 338 Times in 90 Posts	picture zoomed in detail [url]http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachment.php? 1912 erfort Attached Thumbnails

12-06-2021, 11:33 AM	#20
Proofed User Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Pa. Posts: 157 Thanks: 535 Thanked 338 Times in 90 Posts	sight pic This sight is on a 1912 Erfurt luger. in 1913 the hold open was added and acceptance marked at the location. At the same time the front sight was changed from a 100 to a 50. The witness mark can be seen that locates the blade on the right side. There is also an acceptance stamp from the Erfurt armory (that did the modifications as mandated). It is to the left of the blade and not very visible it would have been a good candidate for highlighting before photographing. If I do this I use a grease marker made to write on glass it comes off very easily and doesn't damage anything.