Help to prep my receiver for rust bluing

[MBiz]

Hello everyone,
I am preparing my 1905 Remington Autoloading Shotgun for rust bluing and I am encountering difficulties with polishing the metal. Following the literature, I should sand to 320 grits for a nice looking rust blue. I first bead blast with a 170/325 grits (which look like flour) than sand paper to 100, 120 and 150 grits. The curved surface being the difficult part to sand with sand paper, can I finish with a cotton wheel and abrasif compound?
Thank again for your appreciated advice.

Bead blast surface

150 grits sanded paper surface

 

[Sydney1942]

Hi--I polish to at least 400/600--use a hard rubber block to polish the
sides of the receiver-no polishing wheel as it will dish the holes
The better the polish the better the finish
I delude LMF by 50 %
Carding is done with a soft wire wheel
It should be carded until the color is just in the steel
Watch the corners
It may take extra coats and carding but worth the extra effort
Sydney

 

[oneadam12]

A hockey puck is your friend for this - use the edges carefully . 400 grit is as far as I go but not a mirror finish in the end.

 

[MBiz]

Hi--I polish to at least 400/600--use a hard rubber block to polish the
sides of the receiver-no polishing wheel as it will dish the holes
The better the polish the better the finish
I delude LMF by 50 %
Carding is done with a soft wire wheel
It should be carded until the color is just in the steel
Watch the corners
It may take extra coats and carding but worth the extra effort
Sydney

Thank you Sidney. English not being my first language, I don’t understand "dish the holes" and what is "LMF"

 

[Sydney1942]

Hi--- By dishing the holes I meant to say that a buffing wheel can hollow out or dish out
the hole and will look bad after bluing
L M F is a rust solution made by-- Laurel Mtn Forge
There are lots of solutions on the market but I have used this for a long time
Contact me if you need help
Sydney

 

[trevj]

Power tools are a fast way to make you wish you never touched the project.

Gotta put in the time with sandpaper. Make backing blocks out of rubber or wood. Spend the time and it'll look great.

Wet or Dry sandpaper, I like to use a small drop of soap in a dish of water to keep the paper from plugging up with the residue. Oil down the parts between work sessions. The soap helps remove that too, while working again.

Would suggest starting with 220 or 320 grit. If the underlying metal needs more metal removal, it will be apparent from the starting grit pass. Adjust grit as required. Just starting with the coarsest grit, usually makes you more work than starting with a finer one and then using just enough of a coarser grit to get the job done.

Having a backing block will allow you to go over screw holes without digging in around them. It will also help a LOT to make the surface look flatter. Shaping the backing block to match the curves, will allow you to apply pressure there while working.

Doing a decent job with a buffer is an art, and there are lots of ways that it can get all screwed up in a hell of a hurry. Doing a good hand sanding polish job is also an art, but you have a lot more time to see if things are working, and react if they are not.