Defarbing an Enfield....

[Archie R. Lib]

Gents -

I have poured through threads until my eyes were blurry trying to find a step-by-step for defarbing. I've been saving up to send my Enfield to Mr. Watts at BR, but decided in the meantime to do some minor work myself and kind of limp it along so that I could at least tote my AS P53 to an event without total embarassment. I don't have another to use at this time, so this one is my only choice....

Therefore, I rely on those here with much more experience than I in the fine arts of CW arms modifications! I may not be bright, but I am willing.

The detailed modern stamp removal, authentic mark stamping and rust blueing process are out of my league I believe. I am comfortable with my abilities to do the wordwork/reform of the stock (thanks to some of the posts I've discovered). Also the refinish woodwork and some of the less skilled metal work, and the installation of the replacement parts (escutcheons, swivels, etc.) - also thanks to the posts from those of you with experience doing this. I have a photograph of a particular rifle that fits my impression, but am at a loss with some of the details of the work involved.

In particular, I would need to strip the blue and brighten the barrel, lock plate, and bands. I do not know how to do this. Your suggestions or guidance with this process, or with any other of those I mentioned would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[Brandon]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Removing the bluing is very simple. Buy a gallon of vinegar and fill your bath tub with it, take the barrel, bands, lock plate off, disassemble everything as much as you are comfortable with doing and place them in the vinegar and let it sit for about 30 mins. After you let it sit, take everything out and polish everything and it will wipe the blueing right off. This will be the first thing you will want to do no matter what because if you are going to remove the modern stamps you will have to take the blueing off anyways.

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Thanks Brandon. My wife will love the vinegar in the bathtub.

Do I use 0000 steel wool to strip & polish or any particular polishing tool?

Also, once the blueing is off, any particular treatment I need to give the bare pieces or just keep them clean and let them patina?

Thx.
R

[Brandon]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Hahaha I'm sure she will. and I used a dremel tool with the polishing wheel, and 0000 steel wool. Make sure you wipe all the parts down really well with a rag with gun oil to keep it from rusting. And patina comes fro metal aging. Part of a soldiers job is to keep his weapon clean and functioning so your new mucket should not have a patina on it, but it should rather be clean. Todd Watts or someone else that does defarb work can reblue the musket for you properly if you do not want it bright.

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Many thanks pard. Off to buy vinegar.

R

[gsusat]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Another though would be to remove only the upper half of the bluing leaving the bluing on the underside of the barrel. I kept my bluing on my Enfield until it started to wear and then I used the steel wool and polished only the top- and left the rear sight blued. But with changing the marks on the barrel you probably need to remove the blue. A number of original gun I have examined have the browning under the barrel. I have not disassembled that many Enfield to see if that holds true for them as well.

Just one man's opinion....

[Boucher42]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

I have 2 original Towers, (1860,1861 dated) One retains all blue and the other everything but the barrel is still blue.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Hallo!

"One retains all blue and the other everything but the barrel is still blue. "

You are not saying that the brass buttplate, trigger guard assembly, nose cap... the color hardened hammer and lockplate... and the ramrod... are blued, are you?

;) :) :)

Curt

[dixieflyer]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

OK, I'm coming back to this after being absent since then end of the 90's. Who is "Mr. Watts at BR"?

Thanks in advance!

Warren Dickinson

[Enfield]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Of the original Enfields entered in my database (over 300), most have iron metal parts that are either all dark (either still blued, or turned brown) or all bright (that is, all the iron parts had been struck bright). Few have blueing on the barrel beneath the wood, but struck bright on the outer surfaces. I can't recall that I have ever seen an original that had the blueing taken off the barrel, but not taken off the rear sight as well (or any other iron part, for that matter). Not to say there weren't/aren't any like that, but it would be unusual.

However, this lack of originals with the blueing gone off the top of the barrel but still on the bottom, could be because many, many Enfields still held by the US government were reconditioned to be sold as surplus in the 1870s, and this "arsenal reconditioning" normally included striking all the iron parts bright. That's why so many originals seen today are bright - they weren't necessarily that way during WBTS service, but they're bright now.

So it could have been far more common during the war, for a soldier to polish the rust off the outer surfaces but not the bottom of the barrel.

FWIW ...

Geoff Walden

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Well, the process is continuing. I am typing as my barrel takes a bath in vinegar. I may be without a wife in the next few minutes.......LOL.

George - thanks for the thought, but I would prefer to go ahead and remove it all from the entire barrel, trigger, rear sight. The photograph of the original I am trying to replicate has this done; however, the bands retain their dark color, as does the lock and hammer. I am trying to get better photos of the lock to see if this is just age patina, or if it kept its casehardening color. It is an interesting rifled musket. Then later I can send it in to Mr. Watts for some actually talented finish work. He will need to redo the barrel anyway.

Warren - sorry for the cryptic writing. Mr. Watts at BR is Todd Watts, at Blockade Runner. He does a magnificent detailed and authentic defarb on these, as well as other muskets, rifles and rifled muskets. You can find many, many posts regarding his work in the forum.

Thanks guys. Back to the bath.

[dixieflyer]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Thanks Rich. I have been out of the loop for the last 10-12 years. I'm catching back up to speed.

Warren Dickinson

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Well Warren, you're probably still ahead of me! Great that you came back. This hobby definitely gets in your DNA.

The barrel, rear sight, and trigger are done. They are polished up (not too bright, mind you) and struck, and oiled. The stock is finished formed, and I've just put my second coat of leather dye/thinner mix on it. Hopefully by tomorrow or Sunday I can get a couple good coats of boiled linseed on it and seal it up. My escutcheons came in today so they will go on when it's done. It should be a pretty serviceable "partial defarb" for this Tar Heel until I can get it to Todd and have it done up right.

Gents, thanks for all the help. Here's at you.

Time for a nice libation (or 2, maybe 3) and a cigar.

[Brandon]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

One reason I suggested the vinegar is it doesn't give a super bright finish like you get you get if you were to use bluing remover. Therefore it appears more like the originals that i have seen that had actually seen service and that had lost their bluing due to polishing. You will find that if you decide to have your enfield reblued properly as Todd Watts does, It does start to come off very easily once you try polishing and scrubing it after an event where it gets a little moister on it.

Another tip since you are working on the stock as well, you will need keep going over the stock once you stain it with the leather dye and the linseed oil. The stock will be sticky and will turn your hands brown for a bit until you get the excess dye off and you seal it good. I recommend taking a block of beeswax and going over the stock with it, just rubbing it. It is a natural sealer and will help water proof it a little better.

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Defarbing an Enfield....

Hey Brandon you are right about the barrel finish. It is exactly what I was looking for. Not mirror bright, just with a touch of patina - a good "used" look. Not old, but used.

Thanks for the beeswax tip. I had planned on finishing it with the hand-rubbed linseed and then a little carnuba. But I like the beeswax idea better. I've got a pard who has some so I'll snag it this weekend.

When it's done I can post some pics for you to peruse and critique.

As always, everyone's suggestions are welcome. Thanks again guys.