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Blued Parts

Enjoy ...

It starts here .... with completed, machined, heat treated, detailed, clean parts ...

You see a set trigger housing, cocking lever with components, cocking wheel, and front barrel clamp. All machined from steel. In fact - there's four different steels used in just the parts you see here. I don't mean different sizes ... different "alloys". Chosen for different purposes.

Thru a long nasty process, the parts are boiled in strong cleaner, rinsed, boiled in a super saturated salt solution, rinsed again, boiled in clean water, soaked in water displacing oil, cleaned, and then hand rubbed. Simple.

 

A bunch of you liked the cocking wheel with it's detail work. Here's the pic I promised. It turned out very nicely I think. ;?)

 

I've also had alot of requests for the side view of this recent Bison project.

I'm glad you enjoy the detail. One of my waiting Bison owners calls this look ... "Barnes Backwoods Baroque". I like that. When the trigger components, barrel, cocking assembly, hammer, wheel, etc., are installed, it will all come to life.

Here's a "many times actual size" - up close look around.

(Forgive the paper towel dust fragments from wiping off the oil...)

Anything you see here, is NOT by accident. Every line, squiggle, flute, recess, and detail ... each are carved into the solid steel by hand held tools.

This might be a good moment for one of those "Coffee Brief" thought moments ... ;?)

Can you appreciate why it's necessary to "celebrate" various "phases" of the construction of projects such as this? I mean ... if myself (and the client) could ONLY be happy when the shipping crate were screwed shut and I waved good-bye at the post office ... it would be a very, VERY long and miserable time in between those moments. Doing this sort of work requires you put your soul into it. It requires that you can have moments of "satisfaction" within the process as well.

I know it's stressful to wait for work to be completed. I hope readers can put themselves in my place as well. I have to feel "good" to do this sort of work. Not simply physically, but also mentally. That's why it's appreciated (and more effective) when folks write and pleasantly chat about odds and ends. Some of my oldest orders are with folks who exchange friendly e-mails, without even mentioning their order. They haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten. I've gotten out of bed, every morning for the last thirty two + years, and realized that a whole group of people wanted their projects yesterday. ;?) I can't live in a perpetual state of agitated frustration, and do this sort of work. I have to take it as it comes. Knowing it will be done (and stay done) when it's correct.

So ... yippie!!!! This stuff is blued!!! Whoopie, this deserves a big ole cuppa coffee!!! ;?)

End Coffee Brief ... haha

And these tubes and barrels are also done. Zzzzowl-wheeeie!!! All machined, detailed, and now blued. Several folk's projects there as well.

Found I'd prepared this pic too - alittle different view.

I'll keep you posted. We'll assemble this beast soon and make the stocks.