1816 Restoration

[Ashland Grays]

I picked up an 1816 Conversion this morning for $200 yankee dollars. The hammer flops around and someone painted all the steel black. I've been stripping the barrel bands this afternoon.The paint did a wonderful job hiding the pitting and rust.The one bright barrel band I used a coarse wire wheel on. The other two were stripped using aircraft paint stripper.My question, I guess, is how to remove the pitting. It's pretty shallow. 14911492149314941495

[Rich Foster]

Just clean it up with some steelwool and oil it. I have seen some where it was polished out and it looked cheap. Leave it closed to original as possible. Good luck and if want to sell it I will give you 400.00 yankee dollars for it like it is. Rich

[John Holland]

The more you clean it, the less it is worth.

JDH

[Maillemaker]

The only way to remove pitting is to remove enough metal from the object so that the high points are the same height as the low points. For severely pitted objects, this can mean removing a lot of metal.

A word of caution: I can see the scratches in the work from your wire wheel. You are now going to have to polish away those scratches also. It's probably better to start with a less agressive polishing mechanism so that you don't end up making more work for yourself in the end.

I find the softer 3M polishing wheels can be nice for less-agressive sanding work.

Steve

[Ashland Grays]

The only way to remove pitting is to remove enough metal from the object so that the high points are the same height as the low points. For severely pitted objects, this can mean removing a lot of metal.

A word of caution: I can see the scratches in the work from your wire wheel. You are now going to have to polish away those scratches also. It's probably better to start with a less agressive polishing mechanism so that you don't end up making more work for yourself in the end.

I find the softer 3M polishing wheels can be nice for less-agressive sanding work.

Steve

Are the 3m wheels a wire weel also ?

[Blair]

Please????
Stay away from the wire wheels!
Wire wheels have been the cause of more destruction to historically authentically firearms than the 150 plus years of neglect, misuse and natural aging.
Just a thought on my part.
My best,
Blair

[Muley Gil]

Please????
Stay away from the wire wheels!
Wire wheels have been the cause of more destruction to historically authentically firearms than the 150 plus years of neglect, misuse and natural aging.
Just a thought on my part.
My best,
Blair


Don't forget the dreaded Dremel tool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blair]

Gil,

Thanks.
I didn't forget, just hadn't got that far yet:)
Hopefuly, wont need too

[ken s]

use only brass wire wheels. You can clean up the rust but do not use liquids... rust removing oil, soaked, sometimes works. rust raises up over the surface and can be removed. A type 3 restoration, with sanding, buffing, and wood work will make it look better, but will not increase value. The more you do, the lower the value. I've cleaned up many like it, and you have to know when to stop. Ken

[Maillemaker]

Are the 3m wheels a wire weel also ?

No. 3M makes a variety of different plastic abrasive grinding/sanding/finishing wheels.

Some are as agressive as wire wheels, others are quite soft.

Steve

[Ashland Grays]

1578157915801581

[Ashland Grays]

I buried the Dremel tool and wire wheels in the back yard and have been doing everything by hand with files and emory cloth.

I don't want to remove all of the pitting. The goal isn't to make it look brand new, just cleaner.

The trigger bow is pretty much beyond repair so I am waiting for a replacement from S&S.

The barrel is pretty much a sewer pipe on the inside so I'm thinking of either replacing with a Whitacre or relining and having them clean up the exterior pitting on the barrel and polish back to armory bright.

[Rich Foster]

I have a very nice original M1816 barrel dated 1838 if your interested. Looks almost unfired and you can screw the nipple in and out. If you plan to shoot it I would replace the barrel with a new one. The welded up cone on top the barrel that holds nipple on a original I would not trust the 175 year old weld. Rich

[Ashland Grays]

Rich,

PM sent.

Scott