Club Obi Wan

Here is the recipe for reproducing the Inglis finish devised by Parker ( now the Pyrene Co Ltd , High Wycombe England ) and recommended by the FN team to Inglis during the early stages of manufacture . This is known as Parkerise P Number 41( I think the 41 refers to the date i.e. 1941- the Number 41 = black shellac ).

RaiderZee wrote:OK, gun guys, best guess: Indy's Inglis HP has what type of finish?

1. Parkerized matte grey
2. Parkerized matte black
3. British foreign service "stovepipe" black paint
4. Reblued

If you've got more options, throw 'em out there.

RaiderZee

Hi Dan ,

I hope you received the info O.K. ? If you have any problems I will talk you through it .
When drilling the frame , you will need to clamp it horizontally . The back strap of the frame should be 19mm wide ( or thereabouts - same as the front part you have already measured ). The width of the frame at its widest part ( the magwell) should be around 25mm or thereabouts ( sometimes as much as 1" [25.4mm - I think at some stage they used imperial spec steel from the U.K. in the frames ] . You will need to shim the back strap by the difference ( around 3mm - 3.25mm) in order to get better support when drilling the hole , as the wide part for the mag well is very narrow and too weak to clamp properly without the shimming .If this is not done the frame may not be completely horizontal .
If you have a marked difference in the above dimensions , please let me know .

Here is the recipe for reproducing the Inglis finish devised by Parker ( now the Pyrene Co Ltd , High Wycombe England ) and recommended by the FN team to Inglis during the early stages of manufacture . This is known as Parkerise P Number 41( I think the 41 refers to the date i.e. 1941- the Number 41 = black shellac ).
The recipe has been modified for home use .

1/2 tea cup or small spirit glass full of Phosphoric acid
1/2 tea cup or small spirit glass full of Manganese dioxide powder
Distilled water ( enough to fully cover frame and slide)
1 ball or biscuit of fine steel wool ( wood workers - acts as a sort of leveller )

1 small tin of black shellac

Always wear protective eyeshields and gloves etc .
Ensure everything is spotlessly clean and fully degreased ( I use Micro cleaner used for surgical instruments but almost any cleaner/detergent will work ) . The slide and frame can be lightly sandblasted for that dull 'Inglis' look .Store cleaned parts in paper towels ready for use . Always wear gloves when handling anything .
In a large Pyrex saucepan or enamelled steel saucepan ( do not use stainless or aluminium - the pan must be glass or glazed ) put in enough distilled water to fully imerse parts . Add ACID TO WATER ( never the other way around !) down a GLASS rod or tube or spoon . Stir in the Manganese dioxide powder with the same rod or spoon . Bring solution to a very slow rolling boil . Add the steel wool . Suspend the parts by clean - grease free fine steel wire tied through the part where the finish will not show (like the firing pin hole in the slide , and a grip screw hole in the frame ) and suspend without touching the pan or steel wool in the solution using bamboo skewers or sticks laid across the top of the pan . Slightly agitate as you do so to ensure no air bubbles are trapped inside the parts -try not to splash the solution . Leave to soak in the slow boiling solution for around 20 mins or so . Take out and rinse with clean boiling water - NOT the solution . Leave to dry ( very quick if water is boiling !) .
If the finish is not even the parts were not properly degreased or the solution not fully mixed .
When fully dry lightly spray or rub with black shellac evenly on the finished parts and leave to fully harden in a warm environment ( or as recommended on the tin ) then remove suspension wire . Depending on the the sand blasting , the parts will resemble the finish of an original Inglis HP , a dull almost satin black .


I get my chemicals from Rose Chemicals in Tottenham , London , but they should be available almost anywhere in your neck of the woods , try the local DIY hardware store or chemist .

Cheers
Malcolm