filling in roll marks

[Hank93]

I have seen this topic discussed elsewhere, and have seen different suggestions for what to use when filling in roll marks. Evercoat metal glaze, JB weld, and Devcon steel epoxy have been mentioned. Im curious to know what y'all prefer, if you know of anything better, or have any warnings against any of these. I am planning to fill in the roll marks on a Caspian 1911 slide on a 1911 I built in gunsmithing school.

On a side note, I talked to a gunsmith in Louisiana (Mr. Eduardo Chahin) who mentioned he used Devcon Plastic Steel Putty (A) when installing barrel liners.

 

[ghostdncr]

I've always used a stippling technique with a rounded punch to collapse the lettering in on itself, then filed, stoned and polished the surface smooth. I've never found anything that would stick sufficiently in such an application, much less match the exact shade of the parent metal, so I just removed the markings altogether.

 

[Hank93]

I should have mentioned that the 1911 I plan to do this to will be duracoated.

 

[ghostdncr]

The fellow who taught me the stippling technique was firearms engraver John Madole, of Campbellsville, Kentucky. Another technique he taught me was dovetailing lettering and lines to receive gold inlay. If I were going to try filling the roll marking as you described, I'd do the undercutting as John used to and turn out a first-class job that would never flake. Having done both methods to some extent, I find the stippling version to be MUCH easier!

Hey, John's Google-able! https://www.google.com/search?q="jo...HIDA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1137&bih=538&dpr=0.9

 

[freekforge]

I was taught to use a punch like mention above it seems to work really well

 

[Chance]

Use the durafill material from the guys that make Duracoat

 

[philbert001]

Use the evercoat metal Glaze, after blasting, then us whatever you prefer as a primer, or your duracoat will soak in, and you'll be able to see it. I imagine Durafill will be sufficient as primer, but doesn't have enough body to actually fill the rollmarks, unless you want to spray it and sand it off 30 times, until it's filled!

 

[Chance]

Durafill is made for filling dents and dings. It has mm ore than enough body to fill roll marks.

 

[philbert001]

Durafill is made for filling dents and dings. It has mm ore than enough body to fill roll marks.

Durafill is for minor pits and scratches and such. It's just primer.

 

[Chance]

Philbert001...beg to differ.

Pushing close to 60 Duracoat projects so far. Durafill is exactly that, a filler. Have successfully used it to fill things like gouges from punches where someone missed the front site. Much deeper than a roll mark.

It is not a primer......

 

[Chance]

Just an example of severe pitting and the after product.

 

[philbert001]

I'll take your word for it. From my experiences with "Sprayable" fillers, they are just heavy bodied primers. The thicker you spray them on, the higher the likelihood of the solvent pushing them away from the substrate.

I don't see severe pitting in your before pic. I see a rusty barrel, before it was even stripped! The pits are 2-3 mils deep, at best. Easily filled with 2-3 coats of most direct to metal primers, then sanded level to the barrel. I see an after pic, that doesn't even showcase the repaired area in the before pic.

I have firearms with rollmarks easily 1mm deep, by 2mm wide. I wouldn't try to fill those with spray filler/primer, unless it was 1-2 coats at a time, and allowed a full dry cycle and sanding between each set. That would just be a waste of material in my book!

In the end, we are all just advising the OP as to our preferences. I have about 20 years of experience refinishing and repairing metal. You may have refinished more firearms than I have, but I have undoubtedly refinished far more metal than you have! Anybody who thinks you HAVE to use firearm specific coatings, is misinformed, or is falling for every commercial they see!

I use automotive products on firearms, because I use them on cars, and I guarantee that paintwork for life! Steel is steel, as far as adhesion goes!