Paint for Safety
 

Does anyone know where to get paint for the "Gesichert" on a PO*?

Bryan, This paint, originally applied at the factory, was an enamel. It is not a white but a cream color..beige one might call it.

I suspect that if you had a few colors of "Testors" modeling enamel paint you could make up the right color with a little mixing.

Thanks for the reply, I will wait and see if someone else knows of a supplier before I try my hand at mixing paint, not sure if I could pull that off :)

Testors has a color called "Light Ivory", which I have used on a few guns. It may not be 100% correct, but it's close enough for me.

Lacquer Stik will work
 

Here you go. This should do and comes in many colors.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7...QUER_STIK_reg_
Cheers, Bill

white stick from Brownell's.

Howard, From a technical point of view... a grease pencil approach to replacing the missing enamel paint on the Gesichert safety marking area is abhorrent.

In the restoration work I do I strive to be as accurate and original as I can possibly be. Any other approach is alien to me.

The Gesichert safety marking was originally painted with enamel and that's what should be used.

I have been put in my place, and shall remain.......

Howard, I am not here to put you or anyone else in their place..It's just that many people don't know what was in there to begin with. If I were trying to accurately restore a pistol to original specs I would use enamel paint.
yes, white stick from Brownell's would certainly work and make it show up but to what end? I am the type of collector who wouldn't do that but it may be OK for others. It's not permanent so no real damage.
We don't know what type of collector Bryan is so your idea may be as good as mine for him.

No "places to be put" here...just an exchange of ideas. Thanks to both of you.

Can you explain *how* it was applied??? In the past, I've tried dabbing it in the stampings and then tried to wipe off the excess...Doesn't work...the rag pulls up *all* the paint... :mad:

Rich, I would guess a squeegee approach would be best. I had an extensive conversation with a Luger restorer who does this and that's how he did it. I wouldn't get too agressive with residual paint left behind but let it stiffen up and peel or scrape it (gently with wood or plastic)when it's dry. Just be sure to squeegee off the letters leaving them full of enamel. A rubber spatula perhaps?
If I were doing it I would remove the safety lever for a clear flat area to work. The fellow I know did a spectacular job, matched the color exactly too. He did this after bluing..

One other approach I might consider if I were doing it is a hypodermic needle. Use a very fine needle and gently ease the paint into each letter. Might work better than the squeegee method..

A fine tipped camel hair artists brush works well for applying enamel. Application is very precise and the brush cleans up well for reuse later.

Charlie

I've noticed that the paint on older guns is noticeably yellower than that on newer guns. It's my belief that they were all originally white. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Regards, Norm

Enamal done correctly!
 

Hello to all, as with everything that concerns Lugers.. replacing the enamal in the safety area, is not an operation that can be done correctly without a little learning curve and patiences / practice ...:jumper::jumper:... The enamal (testors plastic model paints) can be mixed correctly to obtain the exact shade of off white needed.. you just have to test a few combinations, and let them both dry & age a'bit.. To apply, you can just fill in the recess, and then wait a'bit, (hours, days???) then mop up the residue, using thinner or acetone dampened cloth... :jumper:... not too much wiping, as it'll all disappear... now... you really have to wait a'bit, (might accelerate with heat) for the enamal to cure... I'm talking months!!!!:eek::eek:.. Then try to wipe it out of the recess with anything... almost bulletproof!! ....:eek::thumbup:.....I believe the originals were filled with white and red lead, art based filler for these types of applications... But I certainly could be wrong, as I can't really back it up with any printed resources.. best to all, til...lat'r....GT

Wow, thank you to everyone for there replies. I would like to restore the gun to original specs. So with that said does any one know where to purchase the enamel paint and in what color?

Bryan

hobby store..
 

Hi Bryan, any toy store hobby shop... it's just testors enamal model paint... The ivory suggestion has merit also, and as inexpensive as the paints are... you might want to try it also.. I used white and yellow... and just used drops for trial and error... (example: 20 drops white, 1 drop yellow, mix, mix, mix!!) etc... I think originally they just used white.. the off white you're trying to replicate is just a century of aging!....let us know how it works out... remember, time and patience... :jumper:...best to you, til...lat'r...GT
Oops! almost forgot! You really have to pre-clean the area to be filled.. acetone works well...

GT..Good advice! I have painted metal parts here in the shop and it essentially dries enough to handle it in 24 hours but it's still not dry! A thin coat here in the dry desert might be a week or more before it's very dry and longer than that for any kind of use. If you were to make it thick enough to fill the letters..you are probably right..could take one heck of a long time!

I've gone the testors route on various firearms before. It is tedious and requires trial and error as well as lots of patience . The trick is to do it over and over again until you build up the paint in the recessed area. You put paint on and then wipe off the extra which pulls up some of what you don't want pulled up. Let it dry and repeat until you get the height that you want. The good part is that it's just paint on metal and you can't really screw anything up. If you get too sloppy, a squirt of carb cleaner and a rag makes it like it never happened.

Ah! That aspect of the process has never been mentioned (in my readings). Thanks! :thumbup:

I asked this question a few years ago and was told to buy some yellowish / white paint from Hobby World or whatever it is called. I think the white was called, either antique white or antique cream or something to that effect. It gives that aged look instead of the brand-new cream white that was probably original. Ed

There is a product called "Rub N Buff" which is available at craft stores. It is enamel in a tube, and comes in paste form. It comes in assorted colors, but the perfect color for use on a Luger (or P38 for that matter) is called "Antique White." Just rub it over the letters to be restored, let it thoroughly dry, then remove the excess with a tissue dampened with alcohol or acetone. The only problem is finding the stuff.

Sorry fot the late reply to this thread but Rub N buff products, if anyone is interested, can be located at: www.rubnbuff.com, but there are quite a few links so it may take awhile to locate the one you want, good luck.
Lon

Here's another late reply: I build plastic model cars now and then, and one trick that's mentioned quite frequently on the discussion forums is to put your painted parts in a food dehydrator. From what I have heard, the enamel will dry hard enough to polish in a day or so, and this should be hard enough for most purposes. Granted, I have never tried this myself, but many model builders swear by it so I'm sure that you can do the same thing with a Luger frame. Then again, the paint is is a recessed area where you can't really touch it, so it's difficult to damage it even if it's not completely dry.

I might also add that the Testors enamel is a bit too glossy for my taste, but a quick and careful application of acetone (just a few drops that you dab off immediately) will knock the sheen off of it and make it look more "aged".

I have been told (without being able to confirm it myself) that the original specification for the Gesichert inlay is white sealing wax.

--Dwight

Home Depot has a very large assortment of color chips that are free. I have been able to closely match the safety color with these samples. They sell a very small container of paint that is made from the samples. I think it cost $3.00 or so.

Mike

I use ground up Mongolian musk ox horn, mixed with the honey from Madagascar bees, male only (extremely rare). Let it cure for 100 days and administer it with the brush of the rare Arctic red fox. Let it sit for 30 days then place it in an oven at exactly 420 degrees for two hours and then you can't tell it from the real thing.

Harry

Harry's finish ...
 

Ahaaaa, I see you build violins!......;)..... best to all, til...lat'r...GT...:D

Unicorn horn is much preferable to Mongolian musk ox...more durable and better color. I have used up almost all of mine.

We must always strive for perfection..being human we often fail at this effort but because we do..we come out much better than if we strive for half assed.

Fail once, fail better the next time...!:) (By the way, I was just kidding about being almost out of unicorn horn...I have quite a bit of it stashed away in Sherwood Forest)

If at first you don't succeed, give up you are just wasting your time !! Skydiving is a perfect example !!

Harry

I myself like to use white fluorescence paint so I can see
Gesichert in the dark then I know when the saftey is on or off
at night.This way I won,t shoot myself accidently.It is better to
be safe than sorry.Hope this helps.
Thanks George:D

I do not work on Lugers but on many other guns I have used nail polish for various lettering or sights. I have used white for the markings on M1a rifles rear sights. I have found it best to fill the lettering with a toothpick dipped in the nail polish or sometimes you can use the little brush. Don't worry about excess. Let it dry and then get a Q tip dipped slightly in acetone or nail polish remover and gently take off the excess. You must change Q tips a lot. Once you get the hang of it it is easy.

I hope everyone realizes that the foregoing discussion only applies to collector grade Lugers in which we are trying to duplicate the appearance of the original white lettering. As for shooter Lugers, a much more attractive appearance is achieved by painting the lettering a bright yellow, fuschia, or lavendar. I believe a special line of these designer Luger colors is available from Martha Stewart.