First Attempt at Strawing

Revolvr · 02-12-2006, 05:35 PM

I've been learning various finish techniques - rust blueing, temper bluieing and strawing.

I had a 1923 DWM Commercial that had been previously hot blued sometime in it's past, and all parts were blued. So I decided to experiment with strawing.

Dug around the web for information, but probably the most concise instructions for the DIY'er came from PoliceLuger on this forum - much appreciated!

This attempt came out slightly darker than I wanted, almost golden brown. I may re-do it later. I found it is difficult to see just when to remove the heat. Just having instructions on paper isn't enough, it still takes skill and practice.

-- Dan

Revolvr · 02-12-2006, 05:38 PM

A pic

Herb · 02-12-2006, 05:50 PM

Not bad at all for your first try. You are right in saying that it takes skill and practice, I've done about 5 Lugers so far and each one takes different times, I guess it is due to the different hardness of the steel bewtween the differernt models. I tried fire bluing a couple of weeks ago on two grip screws, they came out great till I put oil on them then they turned a little too dark, I'll try it again soon.

Rod WMG · 02-13-2006, 02:00 AM

Don't monkey around too much with this stuff...look what happened to Herb!

Pete Ebbink · 02-14-2006, 12:17 PM

Hi Dan,

Great results for just starting out...

If I am not mistaken, I think the DWM folks applied some blueing solution to the checkered section of the TD lever and magazine release button and to the grooves in the thumb safety lever after strawing to darken those tectured areas...

policeluger · 02-14-2006, 12:34 PM

Pete...where did you hear such, how would one blue the deep area of TD and safety and not touch the straw....I am very interested in finding out the truth here....and Revolvr, thanks for the kind words, glad I could help but remember the cost for the instructions were a Coke!

Herb · 02-14-2006, 12:42 PM

Howard, when I do those parts I remove the old bluing with 1500 grit sandpaper and don't touch the knurling on the TD and mag release. After they are strawed those parts are still dark. If you dip them to remove the bluing you can't do that.

Pete Ebbink · 02-14-2006, 01:15 PM

Hi Howard...

I think Herb has the sequence right and I was wrong...but the area is darkened, nevertheless...is it not ?

But on original lugers, I do see those patterned areas as darkened...I do not think this is just age...as I think it would go grey (if only strawed...) and not the darkened blue...

Here is a photo from a Simpson LTD offering...compare it to the result's Dan got with his 1st. strawing attemps...

Revolvr · 02-14-2006, 01:39 PM

In looking at various photographs of Lugers, I think the darkness of the checkered areas is partly due to the strawing process and partly due to lighting.

When I look at original finish Lugers, the strawed parts usually appear completely strawed though the checkered areas appear darker, especially the mag release.

A lot of this is due to the lighting and photography. I offer three examples, the first from Joe Salter, the second is my Luger in natural light with a bright background, and the third is my Luger again on a dark background with a flash.

In the right lighting my mag release looks almost black. With the flash on a dark background it looks bright gold.

Revolvr · 02-14-2006, 01:40 PM

Now on a dark background close up with a flash.

Revolvr · 02-14-2006, 01:41 PM

Now, same weapon, natural lighting, brighter background.

policeluger · 02-14-2006, 02:32 PM

Its years for rust/dirt/stain and what else, after 30 years of doing this I take the deep checkered/groved areas and with a small Dremel wire wheel brush clean out these areas prior to straw....comes out beautiful...but then Herb everything I do comes out nice

...they were never blued prior to straw, but some old storys never die.

Herb · 02-14-2006, 06:14 PM

Howard, the only ones I do this to are the shooters that someone else has reblued, including the parts that should be straw. So far I haven't had the opportunity to try it with an originally finished part.

policeluger · 02-14-2006, 07:34 PM

Try it with a re-blue, works nice

Pete Ebbink · 03-08-2006, 11:37 AM

This photo of one of Dan Metz' lugers sure looks like it has bluing in the checkering...

policeluger · 03-08-2006, 12:32 PM

OK Pete, first why would one take the steep/time to blue the area inside the deep recesses of the checkered part, clean the blue of the areas that were over worked/splashed with blue solution and then straw it....I bet that if you took the safety lever off the gun the back would be just as straw color as the front, but what you are looking at are the raised points that are smaller/thinner than the mass of the lever body and took on a darker color before the heaver/thicker mass of the lever reached the straw color....so it got darker faster

02-12-2006, 05:35 PM	#1
Revolvr User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	First Attempt at Strawing I've been learning various finish techniques - rust blueing, temper bluieing and strawing. I had a 1923 DWM Commercial that had been previously hot blued sometime in it's past, and all parts were blued. So I decided to experiment with strawing. Dug around the web for information, but probably the most concise instructions for the DIY'er came from PoliceLuger on this forum - much appreciated! This attempt came out slightly darker than I wanted, almost golden brown. I may re-do it later. I found it is difficult to see just when to remove the heat. Just having instructions on paper isn't enough, it still takes skill and practice. -- Dan

02-12-2006, 05:38 PM	#2
Revolvr User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	A pic Attached Thumbnails

02-12-2006, 05:50 PM	#3
Herb User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Utah, in the land of the Sleeping Rainbow Posts: 1,457 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Not bad at all for your first try. You are right in saying that it takes skill and practice, I've done about 5 Lugers so far and each one takes different times, I guess it is due to the different hardness of the steel bewtween the differernt models. I tried fire bluing a couple of weeks ago on two grip screws, they came out great till I put oil on them then they turned a little too dark, I'll try it again soon. __________________ Utah, where gun control means a steady trigger pull

02-14-2006, 12:42 PM	#7
Herb User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Utah, in the land of the Sleeping Rainbow Posts: 1,457 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Howard, when I do those parts I remove the old bluing with 1500 grit sandpaper and don't touch the knurling on the TD and mag release. After they are strawed those parts are still dark. If you dip them to remove the bluing you can't do that. __________________ Utah, where gun control means a steady trigger pull

02-14-2006, 01:39 PM	#9
Revolvr User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	In looking at various photographs of Lugers, I think the darkness of the checkered areas is partly due to the strawing process and partly due to lighting. When I look at original finish Lugers, the strawed parts usually appear completely strawed though the checkered areas appear darker, especially the mag release. A lot of this is due to the lighting and photography. I offer three examples, the first from Joe Salter, the second is my Luger in natural light with a bright background, and the third is my Luger again on a dark background with a flash. In the right lighting my mag release looks almost black. With the flash on a dark background it looks bright gold. Attached Thumbnails

02-13-2006, 02:00 AM	#4
Rod WMG User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Edge of Texas Posts: 514 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Don't monkey around too much with this stuff...look what happened to Herb!

02-14-2006, 12:17 PM	#5
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Hi Dan, Great results for just starting out... If I am not mistaken, I think the DWM folks applied some blueing solution to the checkered section of the TD lever and magazine release button and to the grooves in the thumb safety lever after strawing to darken those tectured areas...

02-14-2006, 12:34 PM	#6
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	Pete...where did you hear such, how would one blue the deep area of TD and safety and not touch the straw....I am very interested in finding out the truth here....and Revolvr, thanks for the kind words, glad I could help but remember the cost for the instructions were a Coke!

02-14-2006, 01:15 PM	#8
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Hi Howard... I think Herb has the sequence right and I was wrong...but the area is darkened, nevertheless...is it not ? But on original lugers, I do see those patterned areas as darkened...I do not think this is just age...as I think it would go grey (if only strawed...) and not the darkened blue... Here is a photo from a Simpson LTD offering...compare it to the result's Dan got with his 1st. strawing attemps...

02-14-2006, 01:40 PM	#10
Revolvr User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Now on a dark background close up with a flash. Attached Thumbnails

02-14-2006, 01:41 PM	#11
Revolvr User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Now, same weapon, natural lighting, brighter background. Attached Thumbnails

02-14-2006, 02:32 PM	#12
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	Its years for rust/dirt/stain and what else, after 30 years of doing this I take the deep checkered/groved areas and with a small Dremel wire wheel brush clean out these areas prior to straw....comes out beautiful...but then Herb everything I do comes out nice...they were never blued prior to straw, but some old storys never die.

02-14-2006, 06:14 PM	#13
Herb User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Utah, in the land of the Sleeping Rainbow Posts: 1,457 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Howard, the only ones I do this to are the shooters that someone else has reblued, including the parts that should be straw. So far I haven't had the opportunity to try it with an originally finished part. __________________ Utah, where gun control means a steady trigger pull

02-14-2006, 07:34 PM	#14
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	Try it with a re-blue, works nice

03-08-2006, 11:37 AM	#15
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	This photo of one of Dan Metz' lugers sure looks like it has bluing in the checkering...

03-08-2006, 12:32 PM	#16
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	OK Pete, first why would one take the steep/time to blue the area inside the deep recesses of the checkered part, clean the blue of the areas that were over worked/splashed with blue solution and then straw it....I bet that if you took the safety lever off the gun the back would be just as straw color as the front, but what you are looking at are the raised points that are smaller/thinner than the mass of the lever body and took on a darker color before the heaver/thicker mass of the lever reached the straw color....so it got darker faster