Chrome & Blue Receivers, Barrels, All Gun Parts
INTRODUCTION
The following is a very descriptive written explanation of the basics of weapon refinishing offered to our consumers. It is designed to answer a high percent of the questions you might have about what we do. First, we do industrial Chroming. Not Harley Davidson Bright, nor any of the softer flow coverings. You have all seen them chip and peel after time or turn color. Actually a precision firearm done that way could be dangerous to the shooter. This is alchemy whereas the finish bonds with the metal, it just doesn’t lie on top.
We have taken great pains to explain why we are different and offer more than just metal plating. It also serves to save you money and time. Few companies tell you what they really do; we have no reluctance in keeping you informed. We feel we offer the best bang for your investment. Honesty and being up front is the directive at Clay Sports International.
The Crew are a highly skilled, labor intensive shop team happy to answer any questions that you may have. Since plating and hot bluing processes are time intensive, please allow us 24 hours to get back to you. The Phone is better than email if you have many questions. The Shop has very highly skilled technicians who strive to accomplish standard plating & Bluing jobs in two work weeks which makes us very fast along with our industry competitive pricing.
The Shop is unique in that they do not do bumpers, motorcycle parts, faucets or other household items… with the exception of and occasionally, the shop will refinish golf clubs for custom putter builders. Golfers are like shooters in that they appreciate the high quality refinishing that the shop requires and accomplishes.
SURFACE TREATMENTS
Your gun’s final appearance is based on two factors. The surface treatment it receives and then the exterior top-coat or plating. These exterior coatings are either “Plated” or “Applied” finishes. Plated finishes are just that. Metallic particles applied through electricity to bond to the basic metal or alloy of the firearm. Applied finishes are sprayed above a pre-bonding layer onto the firearm and cured or hardened by heat. It’s that simple….if you’re an alchemist. We have the only shop equipped to refinish with this process.
All of the Shop’s plated finishes are available in three levels of surface texturing, or luster. Matte, Brushed, Brushed flats/Matte Rounds. Bright Finishes are available on a case by case basis, and require extended lead times and are more expensive. Due to the tight tolerances of firearms, the shop must prepare the part prior to plating to the level of polish we want after the plating is applied. The plate will look similar to the finish below. The Brushed Chrome is exaggerated for explanative purposes.
Plated finishes of any kind offer the greatest wear resistance and a very high degree of corrosion resistance. The finish is the final covering of metal that resides on the surface of the firearm or golf club. Whatever the metal surface looks like before plating, when plated, it looks the same. So we first create a surface, like matte or brushed or high polish and then we plate and the plate takes on the characteristics of the metal.
Most plated finishes have hardness ratings greater than the base metal they are applied to and offer superb corrosion resistance in the 100 salt test level. Preparation: The Shop uses both chemical, of quality you don’t normally find in your garage and manual methods such as buffing and sanding to prepare the metal for finishing.
We have to remove the old finish and make sure the surface is properly prepared to accept and bond to the new finish. The plated finishes like chrome easily restore the dimensions lost from the removal to insure proper function.
Proper preparation includes the texture, acidity, or neutralization, cleanliness, flaw removal, parts fit, and a hundred other things….
MATTE FINISH
First the Shop strips off the old finish. The normal procedure is to remove flaws prior to final blasting. We use a mixture of fine and medium glass beads for our matte finishes which adds to the otherwise flat look of bead blasting.
In other words, you cannot plate firearms as you would plate a bumper. Bumpers are dip-dunked plated using multiple-layers of soft plate to fill the flaws which cuts down on the hand labor involved in getting to your final finish.
The Shop’s standard Matte finish is used on certain areas of guns for glare reduction as with the top of the slide on a .45. Also it is very popular on smaller concealed weapons. It’s very durable, just not as pretty as the brushed look.
BRUSHED FINISH
Brushed finishes are skillfully created by the application of a 400 greaseless grit and buffer wheel combination applied by the technician. If you were to look at it under a powerful magnification, it would appear similar to the picture.
Only our most skilled technicians do the brush finishes. It is our most popular. Most of the actual gun finishes are the brushed chrome look. There are combinations available of some surfaces brushed and other parts of the same piece matted. Brushed finishes have a brighter sheen but are not as reflective as you might think. Brushed finishes are applied after flaw removal and preparatory bead blasting have been performed and have a subdued luster.
