1973 Speed Six Refurb

[RoninPA]

Here's my latest refurb job, Speed Six, 150-54402, 41 years young. Lots of pics taken but I filtered a lot out.
As received:






Disassembled, it still had the original disassembly pin (and I put it back where it belongs in the grip)


After blasting the parts that will be Cerakoted


Into the degreasing bath


After the bath, prepped to spray. I sprayed it with the color SOCOM Blue, in natural light you can see the color a lot better than in the pictures.


After curing, ready for final steps


Jeweled the trigger and hammer and put it back together. You can see where the pitting was but now that it is Cerakoted, it won't pit any more. Scrubbed the grips with Formbys Furniture Refinisher. Didn't need to do anything to the front sight.










It's not the prettiest girl at the dance but it will make someone a good utility gun that they won't have to worry about.

 

[Flatbush]

Ron, I think that is really cool how you can take these Sixes and fix them up like that. Wonderful. Some day can you maybe show an example of how you might work on a Stainless Six?
I have learned a lot from your posts, and come to appreciate the Ruger Sixes a great deal.
Thank you!
Flatbush

 

[RoninPA]

Here are two, they were from a prison system, I bought them a year apart and when I finshed the second one I noticed that they were consecutive serial numbers. In this case I got all the bad markings off and then blasted every thing. I masked off the cylinder so just the flutes were blasted, then built a jig to hold it in my drill press to polish the cylinder:



They looked like this at the beginning:

 

[Flatbush]

Very nice! Must admit I have gotten the Six bug in a small way.
Incidently, it was me who introduced myself to you via the Gunbroker system a few weeks ago.
Great work Sir!
Flatbush

 

[MnBulldog]

Nice Job Ron, the photos really show the painstaking process.

 

[rammerjammer]

great work

 

[ginzo]

Nice Job on both projects!!! How did you do the trigger and hammer to get that finish. That is very nice! :?:

 

[RoninPA]

ginzo, that is called jeweling or engine turning. You can get kits to do this from Brownells and elsewhere.

Basically you coat the metal with a grease that has abrasive material in it. You then have a very small cylindrical brush with short vertical metal bristles. You secure the object in a X-Y axis vise or in a jeweling jig on a drill press so you can move the piece exact distances when needed. The brush is chucked in the drill press and you lower it and press it into the abrasive grease. The more down force the deeper the jeweling. You can get different size brushes for different size circles and they also make pieces that look like long pencil erasers that have abrasive embedded in them and a special holder for it. With that type you don't need the abrasive grease if you don't want to use it, you just lower it and decide what you like then go to the next portion of what you're jeweling.

Probably the hardest part is getting the jeweling jig set up so you have good symmetry when you do the work, random swirls doesn't really look too good (IMO, YMMV).

 

[ginzo]

Well you definitely have the technique down Sir!! I'm gonna do some research with the great info you provided, but I still think that is going to a step above my pay grade. (If you know what I mean)?

 

[holo07]

I love what you have done I think it looks great and like you said it's one you don't have to worry about

 

[ginzo]

EXCELLENT WORK!!! I did the research, that DEFINITELY is above my pay grade!!!!! I am going to "dabble" some on scrap before I attempt that, but that is a gorgeous flourish that really makes it a nice piece.

ginzo, that is called jeweling or engine turning. You can get kits to do this from Brownells and elsewhere.

Basically you coat the metal with a grease that has abrasive material in it. You then have a very small cylindrical brush with short vertical metal bristles. You secure the object in a X-Y axis vise or in a jeweling jig on a drill press so you can move the piece exact distances when needed. The brush is chucked in the drill press and you lower it and press it into the abrasive grease. The more down force the deeper the jeweling. You can get different size brushes for different size circles and they also make pieces that look like long pencil erasers that have abrasive embedded in them and a special holder for it. With that type you don't need the abrasive grease if you don't want to use it, you just lower it and decide what you like then go to the next portion of what you're jeweling.

Probably the hardest part is getting the jeweling jig set up so you have good symmetry when you do the work, random swirls doesn't really look too good (IMO, YMMV).

 

[RoninPA]

Well, I just got a stainless Speed Six that needs fixing up. Might do something completely different to the gun this time, just not sure what yet but probably will be the cylinder (at a minimum).

Also have a Police Service Six that will need a Cerakote job. Might go two tone on it (frame one color, cylinder another).

I'll be sure to take before and after photos and post when appropriate.