new to me Luger-it needs help!!

[sovblocgunfan]

Jerry,

Thanks for the reply. I got that one out w/ no problem. Left the little microscopic pin about 1/3 way out so I wouldn't lose it!

The pin I'm talkign about is part number 8 on the attached exploded view:

http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/luger08.jpg

I can't get the pin out so I can separate part numbers 6 and 9 for detail cleaning.

[policeluger]

One end of the pin is as best I can discribe it is hammered into a small dia head, not sure which side was always done, but it should drift out the other side easy....let us know if we can perhaps provide more/better help.....

[policeluger]

OK Jerry beat me to the draw, but that pin will have a very small head on one side, so small a head that it would hardly matter as it would drift through either side is needed to...

[sovblocgunfan]

OK, thanks, guys. I noticed a couple of other pins on this pistol are the same way. Guess I will just follow the drawing and start hammering away from the starboard side...

[policeluger]

let us know...

[sovblocgunfan]

Update:

Last night I decided to move on and start electrolysis for rust removal. Photos will be posted in the album when time permits. Catalyst media was 3 tbsp baking soda (heated to 450 deg F for 10 minutes, to change it from sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate) dissolved in 2 gallons of tap water. Anodes are rebar. Source is an electric car battery charger set at 6 volts. Time in tank = 3-4 hours (magazine body was only in for about 20 minutes).

Results were excellent for rust removal. The steel magazine body came out clean as a whistle and only required a few strokes of 0000 steel wool and a clean dry cloth to make it ready for bluing. I will most definitely be cleaning up the rest of the magazine parts and putting them back together for use.

I also put the frame, barrel/slide, and rear toggle in (coupling link pin still in place, thank you). As expected rust removal was very good where exposed. Post-dip clean up with steel wool was more difficult due to the number of nooks and crannies but again provided acceptable results. The bore has also started to clean up-lots more brown gunk came out and I am seeing lands and grooves that are a tad better defined than they were before. I suspect that with further cleaning geared toward copper and lead removal this will improve. Balance of small parts will not be subjected to rust removal as they are all relatively rust free after initial pre-dip detail cleanup.

Goal number 2 is chrome removal. I was interested in whether or not the formula above would remove the chrome plate as many have speculated this process ruins chrome-lined bores. I can now confidently report by way of observation that the chrome plating on these parts was not affected in any way by this process and remains intact and shiny. Although the difference in hard chrome bore lining and shiny decorative chrome plating is understood I would submit that the comparatively mild (slightly alkaline) electrolysis process above will not affect either chrome format.

My next step will be to change the catalyst media to muriatic acid or other suitable chemical to remove the chrome plate.

Final step before bluing prep will be to subject all parts necessary to a final detail cleaning and degreasing.

As this process continues I am becoming further convinced that rebluing will be the preferred finish. Again, any assistance is appreciated in finding a list of which parts are blued, which are strawed, and what remains in the white. Research on this site hasn't come up with much that is definitive (not flaming!), but I think this would be sticky material if it could be had.

Thanks for your interest and input,
Justin

[sheepherder]

I'm no expert, but you didn't say whether it was hard (industrial) chrome or decorative chrome. Dec chrome is a 3-step process (copper, nickle, chromium) whereas hard chrome is chromium only (different alloy from dec chromium).

I've had dec chrome removed by a professional plater; the three metals take different acidic solutions to remove the different metals. Hard chrome can be a real bitch to remove, without damaging/removing the parent metal.

Don't ask me how I know.

[sovblocgunfan]

Dealing w/ decorative chrome here, not hard chrome.

I also think the decorative chrome was not applied well to begin with. Where it has flaked away no copper or nickel is visible, and I see remnants of bluing. New areas are peeling away in small amounts with little effort.

I may be hardheaded but I will be attempting the dechrome myself. Risk is low, potential for success is good and I have a solution for the waste.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by sovblocgunfan

Dealing w/ decorative chrome...I will be attempting the dechrome myself...

It may be total BS, but I've read that immersing the part/soaking for a week in Coca-Cola will remove chrome and/or rust...

I'm looking at various sites that recommend ways to remove the chrome...Sounds like it can be done at home...or more properly, in a well ventilated garage...outside...with goggles, respirator, and rubber gloves...

I do Parkerizing in my kitchen, but I don't recommend it...but then, I'm a bachelor, and my stove is a tool, not an appliance...

[sovblocgunfan]

Did you see the Mythbusters thing too?

I know whatcha mean! All my work is being done outside, due to complaints from family members. Yes, the dechrome is going to be a little nastier than the derust, but like I said, I have a plan for it.

I also have a parkerizing project coming up soon-an 18.25" riot barrel to match my shotgun.

Anyway, film at 11...

[sovblocgunfan]

More pics posted in the album: http://forum.lugerforum.com/album.php?u=6789

It's basically the electrolysis tank (simple set up, really) and the mag body. I can post a photo of the frame if you wish, but for the post part it's now as clean as the mag-it just still has the chrome on it!

Anyway, will keep posted as to progress.

Justin

[sovblocgunfan]

Update:

Based on a trial run with the dechrome process (using an old car part I had lying around) I have decided to take all parts to the chrome platers and have them strip the parts to bare metal. My results were less than satisfactory, and created a significant mess to clean up on the part. The car part still retained chrome and I had too much difficulty with the electricity-too much current, hard to control correctly, etc. It also took way to long to get the poor results that it yielded. I tried it, didn't care for it, but am willing to try it again if another opportunity presents itself.

So, I am going to take a little time to get the replacement springs on order and pick out which bluing I want to use-I am just about convinced that bluing is the way to go on this gun, but am still worried about corrosion under the chrome. Perhaps I can live with it if it's not too deep by putting an emery cloth or emery paper on it to smooth it out if needed.

[sovblocgunfan]

I can't seem to get good photos of what the inside of this pistol is supposed to look like. Everything I can find has nice, pretty photos of the exterior of the pistol-very little shows individual or semi-hidden parts and I can't get a good fix on how this thing is really supposed to look. I know I can't make it perfect, but I want it respectable, so I want it reasonably close to original-looking. I have questions:

I can see from several photos what parts are supposed to be strawed. Not a problem.

Is the entire frame (inside the barrel channel and out) supposed to be blued? Or am I looking at bluing the outside and leaving the inside in the white?

Recoil spring linkage-blue or in-white?

Toggle Section-all blue, including recoil link? All blue inside and out?

Upper frame-blue on inside, or in-white?

Thanks!

Justin

[sheepherder]

...???...

I get an error msg when I try to view any of your pics...

vBulletin Message

postino, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?

2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

I normally wouldn't mention it, but one pic was featured in the bottom-of-the-page previews, and it looked like you had stripped the frame...but impossible to tell without seeing it...

[Ice]

Originally Posted by sovblocgunfan

Is the entire frame (inside the barrel channel and out) supposed to be blued? Or am I looking at bluing the outside and leaving the inside in the white?


I disassembled my 1917 Erfurt. The entire frame inside the barrel channel and inside the magazine well is in the white.

Recoil spring linkage-blue or in-white?

In the white.

Toggle Section-all blue, including recoil link? All blue inside and out?

All blue inside and out except inside the firing pin channel. The recoil link is in the white.

Upper frame-blue on inside, or in-white?

Upper frame in white on inside; bottom of frame rails in white. The recoil lug and the front of frame is blued


A hot salts blued Mauser would be blued inside and out.

Hope this helps.

Charlie

..

[sheepherder]

This member seems to have dropped off the face of the earth...(abducted by aliens perhaps???)...Albums all restricted; no contact info whatsoever...In fact, the only info left in his profile is his first name...

Anyone know what happened to sovblocgunfan??? Was he successful in restoring his Luger??? His album pics show up in the Random Pics occasionally, but the albums are still restricted...