Best way to buff out minor scratches on park job??

[Jordan85]

Well, I did it. I read all the posts about idiot marks and this and that, got my first 1911, and put a MINOR one on my during first reassembly. I think I can remove it pretty easily. Just rubbing it w/ my fingers has seemed to spread the material around a little more evenly.

I just was wondering what the best method to buff out this little area is. I don't want to do anything too major, or that will alter its appearance too much, b/c the rest of the park job is brand new. I just want to buff out this little scratch. To give you an idea of how minor it is: it can only be seen from certain angles, not directly head-on

 

[Lonestar49]

...

Dunno, we talking a scratch on paint or stainless polished frame?

You're the only one that knows where to look to see it, no one else is gonna look, nor care, nor should they or you if the gun performs..

Be kind to yourself, get, and move, past it.. It's no big deal, fixed, or not, the gun works, and ya know what ya did wrong and hopefully won't make the same mistake again..

Don't be one of those Porsche owners that gets their first imperfection on their perfect car, and the car become imperfect, no fun, and must be fixed before they can be "happy" again.. so that it goes as fast as it did, or corners as good as it did, "before the scratch changed or ruined its aerodynamics.."

I've got a small Idiot scratch on my Colt Defender, in silver/gray paint, and I laugh at myself, when I "focus" on it, and move on, knowing that it won't happen again with that gun, or any other 1911 I may get. But, I love the gun still and, it works fine and, no one has ever pointed it out at the range.

Really, only you and I know where to look, and focus on, and in your case, at the right angle.. lol

That's far better than my little scratch this long __ that wide..

A little touch up paint, a little mothers chrome cleaner.. it's easy, fast, and still waiting for me to act, but I moved on, and will wait for total frame or slide overhaul.. lol

Until that time, I'm happy, content, that I have a perfectly, reliable, working gun..



Ls

Here, look at the Defender, left center, and you can see it.. but the gun really looks great, still.. and works 100%

And actually, now that I look at it, again, there are a few little scratches in the chrome slide as well, but it will still stop the BG, and that is what I really love about any of my dependable, imperfect guns.

They all have their own distinct characters, as do we..

 

[strat81]

b/c the rest of the park job is brand new.

I put one of those on my STI Spartan (also parkerized) first time I disassembled it too. A little CLP has helped cover it up, but it is still there if you look.

Oh well, it adds character!

 

[rcmodel]

Try a Birchwood-Casey touch-up blue pen.
Or oiling it.
Other then that, there is nothing you can possibly do that won't make it much worse.

Parkerizing is rough due to two things.
First, the bare metal is sand-blasted to give the Parkerizing something to hold onto.

Second, the Parkerizing solution adds either manganese phosphate or zinc phosphate crystals to the surface of the metal.

Once the rough surface is disrupted or removed, nothing you can do will put it back, short of a total re-Parkerizing job.


rcmodel

 

[Jordan85]

Really, only you and I know where to look, and focus on, and in your case, at the right angle.. lol

LOL, that is the truth. But its was so perfect. I haven't even shot it yet, though I will have in about 3 hours. Still deciding what grips to put on it (see thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=341379). But I know what you are saying, I am that way w/ everything. NO NOT AN IDIOT. Just obsessive

 

[Jordan85]

A little CLP has helped cover it up

What is CLP?

Try a Birchwood-Casey touch-up blue pen.

Is this what you are talking about? http://www.ruggedoutdoorsman.com/servlet/the-7281/Birchwood-Casey-Presto-Gun/Detail

Or oiling it.

Just regular gun oil, like I use for the rest of my gun?

Other then that, there is nothing you can possibly do that won't make it much worse.

These are my sentiments exactly. The scratch is so minor, it is not even all the way through to the metal. I think w/ as nice as the park still is and as minor as the scratch is, I may just be working to highlight the scratch rather than conceal it.

 

[rcmodel]

CLP = http://www.break-free.com/

Any good brand of gun oil will work as well.

Yes, that's the right link to the touch-up pen.


rcmodel

 

[Jordan85]

So Rem Oil would work just the same, right?

 

[SuperNaut]

Just FYI

Jordan85, you may also want to check out this Park info from our own XavierBreath. 3rd entry down.

Doesn't help your current scratch problem, but it may help prevent future scratches.

 

[Jordan85]

SuperNaut, that is an informative article. I don't think I am comfortable disassembling my gun and baking it in my oven for half a day though. Are there any other options? If all the problem has to do w/ is oil, couldn't I just put a thin layer of rem oil on the outside of the gun whenever I get done using it? Maybe I should contact XavierBreath

 

[SuperNaut]

IIRC the general THR consenus was that XavierBreath went way above and beyond by baking. Most said that the oil will permeate the Park w/o heat. But hey, if it is worth doing, it is worth over-doing right?

 

[Joe the Redneck]

Don't worry, there will be more scratches to come. At least the first one is out of the way.

Don't sweat it.

Joe

 

[Jordan85]

But hey, if it is worth doing, it is worth over-doing right?

Unless over-doing ruins your brand new gun.... :banghead:

 

[Lonestar49]

...

Put 600 shots thru her, over 2 weeks, then call me if there's, still, a problem anymore with her..


Ls