Happiness is a new gun 2

[Bawanna]

Had to throw some oil on em this morning. Needs a bit more fine sanding but I think we're almost ready for the checkering. Another nice day here today so off to do outside stuff for awhile. Pretty much wiped myself out yesterday moving all that gravel, I hurt in places I forgot I had. Maybe that means I'm getting back in condition???

[jeepster09]

Looking good.

[dao]

Is that a linseed oil Colonel?

[dao]

I've been working on this Rock Island, gradually replacing parts for better ones, but also attempting to make it look better. Previously I had sanded it with 800gr paper because that has worked well for me in the past. Problem is that the surfaces on the slide and frame of this gun are just not flat. And there are very fine pits in spots on the frame as well. So yesterday I stripped it all the way down again and used 600gr paper on it. Looked better, so I let it sit overnight (exercising my patience muscle), and went back to it this morning. I couldn't really improve on what I achieved yesterday but it was still not what I has after, which was a satin finish. So I suddenly remembered I had some Scotchbrite left over from a previous project, that I cannot now recall the details of. But it required me to pick up some purple, automotive Scotchbrite. So I cut some small pieces out of one of the larger rectangles I have and started working on the frame, in the grip area, just in case it made a mess of things. But it didn't! So I did the whole gun with it.
I also did the outside of the Chen magwell, and I like that much better too. So what I learned is that Scotchbrite can put a nice finish on metal. I don't think I removed much material with it, so much as masking the very tiny pits and ripples in the flats by making continuous lines over the top of them. Much like matte paint does I guess. But without adding a whole bunch of ugly.
Putting three pics of the gun to show how it looks with light shining on it as well as without. Both sides of it are finished exactly the same.
The gun is never gonna be a silk purse, but so far it has run very well, and it's looking oh so much better than it did from the factory.
Oh, and that Dawson Precision extractor removal tool I bought works like a charm!

[jeepster09]

That looks good! Good job.

[Bawanna]

Is that a linseed oil Colonel?

It's Linseed but I think it has something added. It's called Original Oil Finish, I get it from Track of the Wolf.

[dao]

Thanks Jeep!

It sure didn't take you long to turn them out. Experience trumps all. Very nice Colonel.

[BirdsThaWord]

The grips came out nice & warm Colonel. You picked some nice wood to start with, with those darker lines running through the lighter area. I like them as is, but know you do some nice checkering, so they will likely improve. Is that a big chunk of antler/horn they are resting on?

[BirdsThaWord]

Nice work dao. That scotch did smooth things out. I was seeing vertical lines in your slide before which are now all gone. Plus, the magwell perfectly matching vs having that silvery look is a nice touch. Looks factory finished now!

[BirdsThaWord]

Been on the hunt for a full sized, blued/parkered 1911 lately, but have been very picky and very frugal. Super missed out on a great deal on another V10 doa referred me to where I saw his referral too late. Being off today, I cruised some pawn shops. Came home, looked at Armslist, and a local pawn shop I had not visited had one that caught my eye. Not what I was expecting to get, but got a 2 toned Tisas M45 Carry 4.25” in 45 acp. Have to go back tomorrow as I bought it too close to closing for the background check to come back in. Was $350 out the door, so could not resist! (Pic is from their Armslist ad). One little dot of missing finish on the frame (you can see it in that pic), but looks brand new otherwise.

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