MADE A SIGHT JIG AND SOLDERED ON SIGHT-WHAT KIND OF FINISH FOR STAINLESS VAQUERO

[jspick]

I posted a thread a while back and showed two stainless 44 mag. Vaqueros I bought with the filed down sights. I received new sight blades from Ruger. I made a sight jig. Just making spare time to do it was the hardest part. The Brownell's jig that I copied with improvements turned out well. I made one end of the spring loaded pin slotted to hold the sight blade easier.

My question now is how do I refinish the barrels to match the ruger finish? If anyone knows the method I'd would appreciate the info.

 

[jspick]

Here are two more pics of how I used it. I also added a barrel clamp to my jig to hold the barrel. The Brownell's jig didn't have that.


As you can see the barrel is discolored from the heat. How to refinish it is my next question.

 

[NikA]

Polished or brushed finish? Brushed finish can be duplicated with gray 3M Scotchbrite pads. Probably want to do some blending of the solder job before finishing.

 

[jspick]

It is a polished finished. ha ha ha yeah I've already taken care of the solder on the sight blades. I've never had such a difficult time tinning something. The solder wouldn't take then it went all over. One of the vaqueros the blade dropped right into place when the heat was applied. The other had some wiggle room in the slot so I had to reheat it and set it right.

 

[willicd76]

Very nice work on the jig! If it's polished, some rouge on a buffing wheel in your bench grinder will take it to whatever polish you prefer. I like the brushed finish myself.

 

[contender]

Did you use any "heat sink paste" around the sight prior to soldering?

 

[jspick]

Thanks for the info. I will give it a try and see how I like it. I can always go with the scotchbrite if i change my mind.

 

[jspick]

No i didn't use any heat sink paste. Very little heat was needed and the jig base soaked up any heat going down the barrel. That is why there is only discoloration around the sight.

 

[ChrisRhodes]

Red scotch bright matches most ruger finishes. If it's slightly polished it's 400 grit on the wheel

 

[jspick]

I used the buffing wheel lightly and it turned out real well. But I'm not much for highly polished guns. I might just scotchbrite it.

 

[ChrisRhodes]

A scotch bright wheel for the buffer is a great way. Just keep all your lines going the same way.

 

[Hvymax]

I posted a thread a while back and showed two stainless 44 mag. Vaqueros I bought with the filed down sights. I received new sight blades from Ruger. I made a sight jig. Just making spare time to do it was the hardest part. The Brownell's jig that I copied with improvements turned out well. I made one end of the spring loaded pin slotted to hold the sight blade easier.

My question now is how do I refinish the barrels to match the ruger finish? If anyone knows the method I'd would appreciate the info.

A man without tools isn't.

 

[Hvymax]

Here are two more pics of how I used it. I also added a barrel clamp to my jig to hold the barrel. The Brownell's jig didn't have that.


As you can see the barrel is discolored from the heat. How to refinish it is my next question.

An oxy acetylene with a fine tip would have mitigated a lot of that discoloration but you have to be more careful and work fast.