Okay, so I only took a few pictures during the body treatment phase and they all look like poop.
So you get this:
I pretty much followed Sidkit's instructions. I used a brass dremel wheel, though I only have a 2-speed, so I just used the slower setting. Then switched to the sandpaper, though the finest grit I could find was only 600. I had a hell of a time getting it to the way I wanted it, but I finally tired of working on the darn thing and said "it's good enough". Washed it off with Acetone which brought out a TON of impurities or whatever. Almost turned the whole thing black. Lots more cleaning, buffing, some more sanding, etc.
I think there was some super-fine steel wool in there somewhere, too.
Then it was all Blue Wonder, just as Sidkit mentions. I had let the pistol air out for a few days after the final Acetone cleaning, then started applying the bluing solution. I heated the parts with a craft heat gun and applied as directed. I wasn't really wowed with the darkening, so I REALLY soaked the thing, being sure to get it into as many grooves as I could.
Did that about 4 times.
Used the whole freakin' bottle.
Then rubbed the developer on and let it dry. Rubbed developer on again.
No gun oil or anything.
After the bluing process, it was Rub n' Buff #76371L - Grecian Gold for the accents. Applied a little more than I had planned, but the stuff is so cool - I'd never used it before.
Then let it sit for, oh, a week or two, before looking at it again. Seems to have darkened up a bit. I don't know if the RnB oxidized or something, but I really love the look now.
Still debating about what to do for the knobs. I have the brass ones produced for the resin kit, but I just don't like the brass color.
For the grips, again, it was I think 400-grit sandpaper placed at the top and dragged down in one direction, pressing very firmly as to create as deep a groove as possible. Then I would sand very lightly to take the burrs off, then make grooves again. Basically just trying to create a realistic looking grain. I'd never done it before, just something I figured I'd try on the junk grips.
After the grooves, it was India Ink which produced a really dark color as seen here (comparing to the original color of the grips):
Another shot of the India Ink undercoat:
Then it was rubbing on alternating coats of Liquitex Acrylic "Yellow Oxide" and "Raw Sienna". (I think there may have been a smudge or two of "Crimson" as well when I was experimenting - you can see it a little in one of the grips - happy accident!) I was rubbing it on with my fingers and really working it in, applying the paint, then gripping the grips as one would normally, rubbing in and wiping paint off as I went, occasionally sanding a bit on places I knew would be 'wear spots'.
Then came a little bit more India Ink, this time applied to my hand and then rubbed in.
Here's a picture with the browns on the napkin at about 90% complete:
I know...weird...but it seems to have worked!
Thanks for reading - hope I helped!
