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#362068 03/26/14 09:36 AM
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Ken61 Offline OP
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I just took a little two day trip with one of my sons to an area tech school to enroll him into a CNC machining program. He'll also be learning manual machining, so I'm hoping he'll eventually be able to help me set up a manual metal lathe that I inherited from my father many years ago.

I took the opportunity to visit several area gun shops to check for classic and antique doubles. At one of the stores I ran into several L C Smiths, most in good mechanical shape, but the receivers had actually been CHROMED, with the barrels worked over with cold blue. The crazy thing was that these guns were priced very high, as if they were 80% plus original condition. The shop owners actually considered the finishes to be a plus, rather than a detriment. When I attempted to explain the concepts of "original condition" and "restoration" they looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. According to my guide and cousin, those guns had been on the rack literally for years. What a shame.

Last edited by Ken61; 03/26/14 09:40 AM.

I prefer wood to plastic, leather to nylon, waxed cotton to Gore-Tex, and split bamboo to graphite.
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Agreed that the look is hideous but the gun may not have actually been harmed. Most old doubles that appeared "chromed" are merely polished, case-hardened steel.

Think about it....anybody can cold blue a set of barrels (again, not necessarily harmfully...and lots of hobbyists can actually slow rust blue barrels in the basement or garage. But who has the capability or gumption to chrome plate a receiver, especially if they're going to cold blue the barrels?

Butchery, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder.


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If they were not polished too much chrome plating could be removed and the gun returned to a decent state to recase color if desired. I have seen a few doubles which gave been nickel plated and a few with satin chrome. The satin chrome were sand blaster to create a mat finish which is like making a million pit on the gun.

The world is full of over polished guns and the best thing to do is just walk on by.

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I just would like'em to be priced realistically so I could buy'em.
What percentage would you rate a gun that has had its receiver stripped and polished? 15%? 5%? It has to greatly detract from book value, doesn't it?

I would buy and recase color these guns if they weren't priced so high..

Last edited by Ken61; 03/26/14 11:29 AM.

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Ken, take a good look at the locks, if it was chrome or nickeled you might see where some of the plating is lifting, and as stated some of the case colors by now are worn and the metal now has a satin look to it.

This is a 1927 FW Ideal Grade L.C. Smith that is nickel plated. I do believe it was factory done as the engraving is vey sharp and not filled in.


With some of these gun manufactures, you can never say never.

Last edited by JDW; 03/26/14 01:11 PM.

David


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Ken,
You don't have to wait for your son, to set your lathe up.In any city there will be some type machine or gunshop with a lathe, the owner of which will likely help you out. In the country, a lot of farmers and others have lathes and may help you.Failing that, good books on the subject are pretty cheap and can get you started. Just start making chips.
Mike

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Ken, the best book on the subject is "How to run a lathe" by South Bend, This has appeared over several decades and pick one that is closest to the year of your lathe. Even if you don't have a South Bend it will tell you everything you need to set it up and turn, mill, taper, thread, bore.

It is perhaps the best "how to" book I've seen on any subject.

Enjoy the lathe!

Note added in edit: The book is a paperback and quite cheap - new or used.

Last edited by Gnomon; 03/26/14 04:29 PM.
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I think maybe someone is responding to the wrong thread?

Anyway... I am just glad that I was not to blame for any of that "butchery" this time. I have polished a few actions bright. I think it is better than pitted or rusty metal. If there is patina then great it can stay, but I cannot live with corrosion. Until I either learn to case harden or a suitable alternative presents itself polishing is all some of us can do.

I just got a 20 gauge LC and the action was polished but the sideplates were blued. Now that was butchery. I don't think I had my coat off yet when I got it home before I took the polishing compound to it.

CHAZ



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Ken, as Gnomon has stated there are good books out there. If you are fortunate to own a South Bend, good for you. Fantastic lathe no matter how small.

After buying a book, and the South Bend one will most likely show you the different tool bits and how to grind them. The next thing besides tool bits is a good magnetic based dial indicator especially if you use a four jaw chuck. You will use this for many things, but the first thing is you want to check if the chuck has any run-out. A .001 or so is ok.
I have run lathes where you sat on the carriage and rode it along with the compound to a 9" one I use now in my basement. They all run the same.

If you don't have the booklet for it,. I'm sure you can find one online. Most compounds are set-up that 1 line is .002 off the O.D., some if you are very lucky will be 1 line is .001 off O.D. but you don't see these much.

Good luck and like stated, make chips, wear safety glasses and roll your sleeves up, and take off any rings.


David


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Originally Posted By: JDW
Ken, as Gnomon has stated there are good books out there. If you are fortunate to own a South Bend, good for you. Fantastic lathe no matter how small.

After buying a book, and the South Bend one will most likely show you the different tool bits and how to grind them. The next thing besides tool bits is a good magnetic based dial indicator especially if you use a four jaw chuck. You will use this for many things, but the first thing is you want to check if the chuck has any run-out. A .001 or so is ok.
I have run lathes where you sat on the carriage and rode it along with the compound to a 9" one I use now in my basement. They all run the same.

If you don't have the booklet for it,. I'm sure you can find one online. Most compounds are set-up that 1 line is .002 off the O.D., some if you are very lucky will be 1 line is .001 off O.D. but you don't see these much.

Good luck and like stated, make chips, wear safety glasses and roll your sleeves up, and take off any rings.
And also (1) If you wear a tie, make sure it is a clip-on with a quick release (2) Never ever leave the chuck jaw wrench in place and walk away- always remove it and set it aside and (3) Never leave a file across the ways of any lathe-- I have a Soutn bend with a 8" swing, 3 jaw chuck and a 30" bed- compund gearing, like the bigger LeBlonds I learned on in my late grandfathers tool & die shop "back in the day"--


"The field is the touchstone of the man"..
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