Kaiser 0 Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 So I love the look of a polished bolt carrier... I have never been able to find them sold as is for any caliber AK. I would love one for my AK 7.62 by Vector... and if possible one for my Saiga .308. Ive seen compounds online that remove the blue finish on rifles but I would assume I would have to keep it lubricated to keep it from rusting once I remove the protective coating.. But it would be easier to just purchase one, so what are your opinions about this? Would it just be more worthwhile to purchase or to do it myself, and how well do those compounds work to remove the finish? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MD_Willington 11 Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 Could probably use flitz to polish it up without any problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kaiser 0 Posted April 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 Flitz seems to be a metal polishing compound, the thing is my bolt carrier still has the dark finish on it... so would it be easier/cheaper to use chemicals to remove that finish then polish it with Flitz or to just purchase a stainless steel bolt carrier? Also has anyone ever seen a polished bolt carrier for sale on any site? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pointer 21 Posted April 29, 2007 Report Share Posted April 29, 2007 I use a Grizzly buffer for polishing bolt carriers and motorcycle parts.For a blued bolt carrier i start off with a fine or medium wire wheel until color is removed.I then work down thru polishing grits "cakes" or "sticks", usualy start with black then to white.This beats the hand polishing all to hell,but there is a trick to it that comes with practice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted April 29, 2007 Report Share Posted April 29, 2007 Tricky part is getting the brush marks all pretty even or as smooth as possible. I had pistonring8 beadblast all of mine, and left it at that satin finish. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aurbis 1 Posted April 29, 2007 Report Share Posted April 29, 2007 How much did that run you, dinzag? Er, or what did you trade him for it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Some venison sausage, bacon wrapped backstrap steaks & some other things. Vjor can do it too. My father-in-law has a blasting cabinet & setup now too, but he's busy golfing a lot lately. (being retired & all) I'd suggest PMing either one of 'em. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kaiser 0 Posted May 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 Thanks Dinzag, ive sent them messages and hopefully they can assist me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aurbis 1 Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 Can I just use an aircraft-grade stripper? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shaneman153a 39 Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 I used the bits that came with my dremel xpr. I used the round "sanding" bit that has the texture of hard rubber to strip the paint off, then polished it with the compound that came with the dremel. The "rubber" bit gets you about 90% of the way there, then you use the cloth polishing bits really lightly at a medium speed. Link Dinzag said, the tricky part is getting the brush marks going the same direction, and this is tricky with a 1/4" X 1/4" footprint on the polishing wheel. Just don't be afraid to screw it up, and if you do, send it off to a forum member. Also, that weird "rubber" bit is great for polishing trigger groups. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
drooling idiot 1 Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 not mine but very pretty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shaneman153a 39 Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 not mine but very pretty. My dremel-foo is not quite THAT strong, but I'll get there someday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vjor 2 Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 (edited) Your guys really into Chrome looking and SS bolt carriers I see. Here how to do it the easy way, Get a fine wire wheel for the drill and I semi course wheel, install semi course wheel on drill start to take the paint and phosphate of bolt carrier, will take you like couple of hours or less, once you got the damn thing clean of paint and phos use the fine wheel to give you a finish like SS, now come the interesting parts, you going to have to paint it with some transparent paint, like transparent duracoat, like that it don't rust or becomes dull. Now look I say fine wire wheel, don't go getting a side grinder and a super course wire wheel or you going to live marks all over the part and gauges like crazy. If I was you I will do just the bolt carrier, leave the bolt itself alone the way it is, black like it is. Now if you have a bench grinder, well get fine wire wheel for it and and semi course one, makes life a lot easier. How I know that, you have to polish metal to blue it, sand blast live things grey colored metal, unless you get really fine glass beats and other stuff, but if you want look alike stainles steel, the wheel, the wheel the wire wheel boss !!!! Hey my 2 cents worth of crap, from your Spanish friend vjor. And I mean fine wire wheel! Now if you gents want to get into buffer wheels and all kinds of stuff and make things look like real chrome, thats a different post on another life. Edited May 6, 2007 by vjor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Genocide 0 Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 Your guys really into Chrome looking and SS bolt carriers I see. Here how to do it the easy way, Get a fine wire wheel for the drill and I semi course wheel, install semi course wheel on drill start to take the paint and phosphate of bolt carrier, will take you like couple of hours or less, once you got the damn thing clean of paint and phos use the fine wheel to give you a finish like SS, now come the interesting parts, you going to have to paint it with some transparent paint, like transparent duracoat, like that it don't rust or becomes dull. Now look I say fine wire wheel, don't go getting a side grinder and a super course wire wheel or you going to live marks all over the part and gauges like crazy. If I was you I will do just the bolt carrier, leave the bolt itself alone the way it is, black like it is. Now if you have a bench grinder, well get fine wire wheel for it and and semi course one, makes life a lot easier. How I know that, you have to polish metal to blue it, sand blast live things grey colored metal, unless you get really fine glass beats and other stuff, but if you want look alike stainles steel, the wheel, the wheel the wire wheel boss !!!! Hey my 2 cents worth of crap, from your Spanish friend vjor. And I mean fine wire wheel! Now if you gents want to get into buffer wheels and all kinds of stuff and make things look like real chrome, thats a different post on another life. Thanks Vjor, I'm going to try it out this week sometime. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aurbis 1 Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 Done. Took less than an hour thanks to my dremel and a couple of attachments. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Combat Medic 5 Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 isn't there issues with the amount of metal you are taking off the bolt? it would seem that modding something so critical in the weapon. would make you have feed issues and stuff... have yall had any problems? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5 Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 isn't there issues with the amount of metal you are taking off the bolt? it would seem that modding something so critical in the weapon. would make you have feed issues and stuff... have yall had any problems? I would think rust would be the eventual culprit...? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Genocide 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 I would think rust would be the eventual culprit...? I keep WD-40 handy at all times and I believe most plan on coating it with some clear Duracoat or Gunkote. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 NO NO NO WD! It absorbs moisture. Use it only to keep a wet gun from rusting untill you can clean it. Use synthetic motor oil. It will coat and penetrate the metal. Makes it easy to clean because it holds metal and hydrocarbon particles in suspension. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aurbis 1 Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 I took NO metal off. Only the exterior paint, a miniscule layer. Also, the areas that I worked on have no significant impact on the function of the rifle. I touched no part of the carrier that comes in contact with the reciever, nowhere near the underside of the carrier, and no part of the gas piston. Everything that was polished pretty much stands alone. Rust may be an issue here with the salty, humid air of Florida. How would a thin coat of petroleum jelly or mineral oil work? Maybe a clearcoat? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shaneman153a 39 Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 (edited) I only polished the part of the carrier that shows through the hole. I did it as described above, and I've had zero reliability issues, and no rust. And I'm terrible about keeping oil on weapons. I can say for sure that it suffered two six-month periods without being fired or cleaned, and I prolly didn't oil it prior to. Don't be scurred. Shane Edited May 8, 2007 by shaneman153a Quote Link to post Share on other sites
busy_squirrel 1 Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I did these tonight. Not real experienced with the dremel but not a problem really. Wanted to try the safety as well. Safety takes almost twice as long as the bolt carrier, and you gotta have just the right shaped bit. When I get finer pointed bits I'll hafta get a few little spots that I couldn't get but hopefully they don't show in the pics. I like it but now I'm too jazzed to crash for the night yet so I'm posting this now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vzagumennyy 0 Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 yeah, i'm planning on gold plating the face u see and not touching the moving parts. i have to nickel plate the thing first, i'll post pics as soon as i'm done. i have polished an entire double barrel before to look just ss...but rust IS an issue...so yeah plating or coating is a must. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobAsh 582 Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 Any industrial plater can do hard chrome, which is what I would recommend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kaiser 0 Posted May 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 Any industrial plater can do hard chrome, which is what I would recommend. You know any good ones willing to do the job? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobAsh 582 Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 Call around in your city. It's not unusual for a plater to do one-off jobs. But do all your guns at once- the price will probably be the same whether it's 1 or 5 pcs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
devin_c1 2 Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 any body try a paint stripper it wouldnt leave any marks and should have a smooth shinny surface then dura coat and done. now i wish i would have pick up those cheap bolts from a dealer who was going out of buisness could have experimented on them .day late and a dollar short again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MD_Willington 11 Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Call a shop that does hydraulic pistons, most larger cities have a place that will do hydraulic pistons. The city where I lived previously had serveral industrial machine shops, they built logging trucks and heavy machinery for forestry, mining, fishing and related industrial machinery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shadowwolffe 0 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 robar np3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Any motorcycle shop worth a dime knows where to get decent chrome plating done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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