cwilliams

First off let me say I love it. Looks functional and best of all it looks home-made. I love it when I see people using tools they made themselves, usually better than store bought nowadays. Now I would love to see a few more pics maybe a side shot, is the part that swings around adjustable for different sized stock or pretty much set. Thanks for sharing. Chris

WHen I want a nice black finish I usually heat up to just above black heat and put in a 5 gallon bucket of used motor oil, I usually keep in for about 10 or 20 seconds and if you time it right the excess heat in the piece will burn off the excess oil as you remove your work from the bucket. I get a super nice black that many ask how I did it when I do this to my art pieces, I have also rusted pieces and boiled in water to turn the rust oxide black and that looks good too but the first way is the easiest. Chris

Looks good Dodge. Chris

Super nice Ed, real works of Art. Chris

If you polish the part very well and degrease it, next wrap it in newspaper dont touch it without gloved hands and visit your local gunsmith to have him hot blue it. Probably not cost much at all, just find out what days he hot blues and visit him and learn the process, I do it in my backyard but its not something if you consider to do yourself that you do inside. PS THe trick to the pearl look you want is polishing or bead blasting with very fine glass beads, the way the part is prepared determines how the black blueing appears. IE GLossy polished part= glossy black coating, Bead blasted with fine glass beads (ALmost polished)= almost polished black coating. Sand blasted finish (Matte look)= matte black. Many times I also use scotchbrite sanding disks for a brushed look to my blueing. Goodluck Chris

HDWarner You are a true Machinists geek, and I mean that in the best way. I have been meaning to do that to my old Peter Wright anvil for awhile, as it was very abused in its former life and my bridgeport is looking lonely. Chris

I use a lot of Phos copper rods when I join copper, its available from most welding supply stores. It looks like copper and might match your brass better than silver solder. Give it a try and see what you think. Chris

Definately have silver on the skin side, I would coat the damascus with several coats of a good high grade auto wax. Since I started to coat my carbon steel knives with car wax they dont rust on me like they used to. Not sure how long it would last in a jewelry scenario though. Probably better off getting stainless damascus if you can, or mokume gane (Non ferrous damascus). Goodluck Chris

Mechanical engineer Part time pistolsmith Knifemaker artist blacksmtih Last three lose me more money than I make but they are fun and keep me busy. Ol lady is happy I am at home an smiling so its worth it, in her eyes. Chris

Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about the assembly and machining (Checkering, snakeskinning etc) All were store bought components, I usually purchased Caspian oversized frames/slides and machined them to fit. Fairly straightforward stuff, not challenging enough, hence my new knifemaking addiction. Chris

Bipolar Its all my work, I used to build 1911's for fun. Now I got bit by the knifesmithing/blacksmithing bug. Dont do alot of gun building anymore. Seem to spend all my time making new tools for blacksmithing now, am making a rod parter now that can cut 1/2 rod. Hopefully it works. LarryNJR no problem glad you enjoyed them. Chris

I was fortunate enough to get in Clays power hammer class about a year ago or so. I am very very happy with my tire hammer. I have used two different 50lb Little giants and my hammer hits much harder than they did, I am very impressed with this design. I just last night forged 2" round to square for making a blacksmith hammer, I had to take off the lower die is all as 2" was alittle bit much for the hammer but it handled that size stock no problem once I removed the lower die, just used the lower anvil as a die. I probably push the design far more than I should but it keeps on running strong. I have been meaning to make shorter lower dies to accomodate thicker stock. One of these days. Attached a link of our build Blindhogg custom gunworks

WOw those are super nice. Chris

I keep a 5 gallon bucket of water that was mixed with a box of baking soda. I just drop in the knife to neutralize the acid. Next I wax it with a car wax as Edcaffrey mentions. Chris