Dremel for polishing?

[Guest Fenris]

I received a Dremel tool for Christmas and picked up the polishing kit from Lowes. I was wondering about the possibility of using it on a gun I have that suffered some fire/smoke damage before coming into my posession.

It's a Colt King Cobra 4". There are some very small nicks with black in them and some other surface marring. The gun shoots like a dream.

Anyone used a Dremel with the soft cloths or soft brushes to clean non-blued guns? Any tips or suggestions. I've tried almost everything else. I know enough to keep the brushes out of the cylinder and barrel.

[TripleDigitRide]

I've used a Dremel for polishing the black barrel on my XD. It now has a stainless finish. It would have been much easier with a full size polishing wheel, but it did a decent job.

I used Jewelers Rouge with the Dremel.

Oh yea, those little polishing wheels for the Dremel don't last long. Better make sure you have plenty.

[KahrMan]

I use my dremel to polish the feedramps on my autos. Use a little polishing paste or jewelers rouge and it works well.

The little wire wheels with a little oil are great for cleaning up old beaters. Dremels are great for various gunsmithing jobs.

[R1100R]

You need to be real careful. Take you time. You can really mess something up with a

Dremel. You might want to practice on some scrap first.

[strickj]

A Dremel will work but a buffer will work allot better,and not take nearly as long.

Also,not sure what kind of polishing kit you picked up,but unless its Jewelers Rouge,it will not give you a polished/mirrored finish.

Also note that any contact with blue with your buffing wheel,will remove or at least thin out the blue that it touches.

Heres how my 1911 turned out after polishing

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=83113#post83113

Edited January 1, 2009 by strickj

[Guest gcrookston]

I received a Dremel tool for Christmas and picked up the polishing kit from Lowes. I was wondering about the possibility of using it on a gun I have that suffered some fire/smoke damage before coming into my posession.

It's a Colt King Cobra 4". There are some very small nicks with black in them and some other surface marring. The gun shoots like a dream.

Anyone used a Dremel with the soft cloths or soft brushes to clean non-blued guns? Any tips or suggestions. I've tried almost everything else. I know enough to keep the brushes out of the cylinder and barrel.

Dremel sells a polishing kit. I bought one at Lowes. You can't polish a blued gun, but if it is Stainless or Nickel I recommend getting RYOBI "H" compound, it is specifically designed for Nickel to bring back a high-gloss finish. If you don't wish for a high gloss, there is a kit also available through Lowes with Brass, plastic and SS steel brushes for the demel that you can use to to create brushed finish.

I have only been interested in bringing back high-gloss finishes on old nickel platted S&Ws, and have not attempted to do a brush finish on SS.

I've had good success with RYOBI H on nickel, using the dremel with the polishing bits...

I did this scratched up model 29 with them.... (top)

Wish I had a before and after. There were heavy scratchings on the barrel, cylinder and a lot of corrosion/marring in the frame. Since this picture was taken I've gone over the frame again with the Ryobi and removed the clouding, using the 1" diameter wheels and heavy RYOBI coating, then a clean wheel.

Attack the gun in very small sections. I go after it in basically 1" squares. I finish one section (using a clean terri cloth towel to proof my work), then go after the next section.

Good luck to you.

Edited January 1, 2009 by gcrookston

[Guest Fenris]

Thanks. I bought that same polishing kit. What is the little jar of paste that came with it? Would it be safe for a first pass over the gun?

The gun is stainless, I believe. King Cobra with 4" barrel. Sorry, I don't know off the top of my head if those were nickel or stainless, but it looks like stainless.

[DaveTN]

The King Cobra was offered in Stainless or blue. (Although someone could have put a nickel finish on a blued gun.)

If it is stainless you can return it to new condition. However, besides a dremel you really should have a large bench buffer. The trick is to remove any damage and maintain a smooth blended surface. That is really tough to do with the small dremel. Any depression that is not blended with the entire surface will be really obvious.

Good Luck.

[Guest gcrookston]

besides a dremel you really should have a large bench buffer. The trick is to remove any damage and maintain a smooth blended surface. That is really tough to do with the small dremel. Any depression that is not blended with the entire surface will be really obvious.

Good Luck.

+1.