How 'bout some stainless mag bling?

[Spider-TW]

Bringing the bling on the stainless bodies!

I need some daylight for a better set of pictures, but here's my first attempt at jeweling, engine turning, or damascening a stainless mag body. I figured I would start on a standard body before I tried a minimag body.

I started on the valve end, after practicing. I still got into a fight with the abrasive tool early on. That particular tool part now looks like one of Maghog's SP works of art.

The pattern change at the valve end is kind of creepy in the dark. Since the reflections change differently than the rest, it gives it some movement.

[WUNDERWAFFEN]

Thats pretty cool!

[georgeyew]

Indeed, that does look very cool!!!

[Ruler_Mark]

very hot

[MoeMag]

I like.

Who did your feedneck? luke? Thats pretty classy.

[chafnerjr]

That's damned sexy

[luke]

I thats cool, I never thought about do that to a mag body before. Did you use a drill press, mill or hand drill? What kind of tooling did you use?

[Smoothice]

where do I send mine?

Seriously you better patent that before SP does...

[spectre184]

wonder that would look with a matching dye SS barrel

[Chrome]

Almost looks like carbon fiber.

Okay, now a barrel and the valve. . .

[Spider-TW]

That is a Luke's vert feed neck mod, with a 05 ego feed neck. There's a shim of 0.023 (0.024?) brass between the body neck and the feed neck. Very nice fit.

I used my drill press and a Menck damascening tool from Brownell's. I think MidwayUSA has them also. I'm not sure it was the right choice. Brownell's also has some metal brushes and compound that I would be tempted to try. The Menck tool tended to bind up and took a lot of stopping for adjustment.

I made a traversing rack just for mag bodies out of , uh , hardware. Well, the base is two feet of 2x6 and two pieces of bed frame. The rack is two , oh bother. Let me get a couple of pictures.

[Smoothice]

Let me get a couple of pictures.

Get us some prices too...for your services.

[zondo]

Get us some prices too...for your services.

+

wonder that would look with a matching dye SS barrel

=

ME!

[luke]

That is a Luke's vert feed neck mod, with a 05 ego feed neck. There's a shim of 0.023 (0.024?) brass between the body neck and the feed neck. Very nice fit.

I used my drill press and a Menck damascening tool from Brownell's. I think MidwayUSA has them also. I'm not sure it was the right choice. Brownell's also has some metal brushes and compound that I would be tempted to try. The Menck tool tended to bind up and took a lot stopping for adjustment.

I made a traversing rack just for mag bodies out of , uh , hardware. Well, the base is two feet of 2x6 and two pieces of bed frame. The rack is two , oh bother. Let me get a couple of pictures.

I was thinking that a milling machine with a rotary table and tail stock would work perfect.

Would you by chance have a link to the tooling? (OK I know I'm being lazy. )

I would love to see your set up!

[Spider-TW]

I was thinking that a milling machine with a rotary table and tail stock would work perfect.

Would you by chance have a link to the tooling? (OK I know I'm being lazy. )

I would love to see your set up!

Yes, a mill would be perfect. You will see why I didn't offer to show you my setup...

I'll be re-mounting the spring/worm gear before I do another body. The slide works very well, it's a 3/8-16 all thread with a coupling in the sprocket end block. Two turns is 1/8". The sprocket turned out to be almost the exact angle (28 teeth) needed to get 1/4" on the body for two turns on the "drive".

It all bolts through the body, so I will have to make some modifications to do a valve. I hadn't really thought much about a barrel, but I do have a 32 degrees 14 inch stainless with no marks on it....I would have to do half and flip it around. That would be interesting.

I picked your vert feed because I could get around the stack with the tool. A power feed would leave more unturned space.

The body below is mounted just for orientation. You start turning with a POLISHED BODY. The more the mirror, the better. The jeweling doesn't cover up as much as you might think. There were a few wheel marks on my body, so I started back on 320 grit sand paper and brought back to 1500 grit a few times. Getting from 600 grit to 1500 grit paper is a pain. I had to get my dremel and polishing compound out to get the mirror back on it. That effort was probably a waste considering my tool problems later, but it was good practice.

It took a few hours for me just to do the turning. With a real shop and some practice, it might be profitable. Since I'm in my garage, the fall and winter will be good for me to do much more. It takes too much attention to do while hot and sweaty. I can count to four really well now.

The tool is here.

The base is lag bolted to the drill press table.