Highlighting the Letters on the Receiver

[ppgcowboy]

What white is being used to highlight the letters? On a colt would your recommend it? Is there a white highlighter that should be used. Feed back please. On mine, some of the letters are white and a few are not. What would you do?

[Sig]

 

They were not highlighted from the factory, someone did that later. Brownells has suitable lacquer sticks to highlight, linked here. Probably should wipe off the old fill, and either leave it bare like it came from the factory or to clean it up before applying new fill, not sure what solvent to use to do that perhaps someone here can chime in on that.

 

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/engraving-tools-supplies/inlay-color-fill-sticks/lacquer-stik--prod7778.aspx

 

Did your Thompson transfer yet?

[Sandman1957]

Simple Green HD and a nylon toothbrush. Before you put the new paint stick on, wipe down the area with the Simple Green HD to remove any oil. apply the paint stick, and wipe off most of it as best as you can. It will be smudgy. Let it dry and go over it to remove any smudges. After it has dried you can oil the gun back down.

[ppgcowboy]

I started the form 4 Feb 9th, and it was returned after 2 months because my dealer did not sign the paperwork, I then got it back to them and they cashed the 2nd check on June 8th. The did not give me a control number to keep the paperwork moving. I did call the other day and they said the paperwork has not showed up in the system and that usually takes 12 weeks. From when I first started, we are at 4 months and counting. Oh, the joy. So until then, I still have to go to visit it at the shop.

[ppgcowboy]

Thanks for the replies, is there a good argument for or against the white letters?

Edited June 10, 2016 by ppgcowboy

[Sig]

It's a personal preference in my own humble opinion

The good thing is it is not permenant and can be undone.

I do not highlight but have seen many others that do

When I see highlighted engraving, I have never had the thought that someone should not do that.

[laurencen]

I use white nail polish, clean area well with alcohol and paint the white on, leave a short time and wipe off excess, finish with light wipe with acetone, do several times to build up thickness, my son uses red and green to highlight engraving, only used acetone on blued finish.

[Sandman1957]

It works great on blued finishes. Does not work well on parkerized finishes, because of the bead blasting.

 

I do it on mine to highlight the markings for display.

[buzz]

I think it looks kind of cool but is maybe more trouble than it's worth.

 

I would stick with the non-permanent version like the china pencil method

[warren]

The old way to do it was to use linseed oil and white lead powder.

Nowadays you cannot find white lead unless you know someone who has an old machine shop as white lead was also used as a lubricant on dead centers.

I found some white lead powder at an art store in the USA (I'm not in the USA) and had a chum forward it. It is now considered a hazardous material in some places

You wipe the markings with a rag with some linseed oil and then press in the white lead powder into the lettering or if you have lathe lubricant you can skip the linseed oil part and rub it in then clean the surface.

Also, most decent art stores have, or can order, what we call a forensic marking pencil. Similar to the same thing Brownells sells at 1/4 the price.

Get the "heritage white" if ordering the forensic pencil as the colour is muted down a bit and looks better than the stark glaring white. With the powder and the linseed oil, the oil mutes the colour to a much softer tone

Edited June 11, 2016 by warren

[OCM]

ppgcowboy-

 

Don't know about an argument for or against but I prefer the original look, white makes it look maybe restored, to me anyway.

This one is original but notice the select fire has red nail polish on it. This is an Indiana ex-police weapon. ( heart of Dillinger country, of course ) .

Gijive told me this wasn't uncommon to do this on law enforcement weapons , make sure it's in the correct position for proper use.

 

OCM

 

[timkel]

White china pencil(wax pencil). Rub on, rub off.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/timkel24102410/stuff/TompWhiteLtrng001_zps2063224c.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/timkel24102410/stuff/TompWhiteLtrng002_zps667d62d1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/timkel24102410/stuff/TompWhiteLtrng003_zpscaf5bd75.jpg

Edited June 12, 2016 by timkel

[ppgcowboy]

Thanks for that demonstration. Looks easy enough.

[buzz]

some guys can do an awesome job with a china pencil but I never really got the knack down

 

supposedly you want to put some oil or WD40 on the rag for the "wipe off" part of the process

[richard w.]

I like the Brownells lacquer sticks linked earlier.

 

Degrease with a toothbrush and ribbing alcohol, rub the paint stick hard over the stamping, then use a rag lightly dampened with oil to clean up the highlighting.

 

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/3824EF51B0F6DE6/standard.jpg

[MG08]

As noted - it is a personal choice. I like it on some arms. The Brownells sticks are easy- Break free is a solvent for them and will remove the white . Even on parkerizing, you can use it, and just clean off around the lettering with break free or oil. There are other colors available - I use the black on SS guns to make caliber model and SN easier to read, and it looks sharp. But that is me.

[68coupe]

Bump to top, to pair with a current discussion.

[Doug Quaid]

there are two threads on this now

most guys use a "china pencil"  

also known as a grease pencil.  you can get them in various colors

you rub the engraving, and then remove the excess with a rag that has a little wd40 on it

to get it off, just spray it with WD40 and rub it gently with a soft toothbrush