Tomenosuke Kit Arrived with pics

[phase pistol]

Nobu at Tomenosuke tells me it was polished ("burnished"). Didn't say anything about plated.

Karl

[hirohawa]

[DaveG]

Polishing and burnishing will yield two very similar, but subtly different finishes. In both cases you need to get the surface really smooth with multiple sandings of progressively finer wet and dry sandpaper. It looks the mold seams and knock out circles were all sanded out on that blaster.

For polishing an appropriate metal polish is then used, either by hand or with a soft cotton buffing wheel. You can get a mirror finish this way, if you've wet sanded fine enough (4000 to 6000 grit).

Burnishing is a technique often used in finishing jewelry and is done by placing the wet sanded part in a vibratory or rotational tumbler polishing machine along with stainless steel shot in a variety of tiny shape; spheres, wedges, pins, all about the size of BBs. Water and soap is added and the machine set in motion for several hours. Vibratory tumblers work fairly fast, 1 to 2 hours, rotational can take 8 to 12. As the stainless steel shot (which has a very smooth surface and is very hard) tumbles over the part it microscopically compresses the surface of the metal, closing up the micro fine sanding scratches, and creating a very shiny surface. The resulting finish can also be mirror like t he polished one but the difference is that the burnished surface has microscopic spherical dents which reflects the light a little differently than a polished surface and it almost appears to shimmer. It can be spectacular! Also the outer surface of the burnished part has been work hardened by the shot and is slightly more resistant to scratches.
_________________
Dave

"I just want to say people... Get A Life! Move out of your parent's basement! It's just a movie!"

[racprops]

OK One last time.

A real Bulldog nor one of my models will fit.

SO my Suggestion is to have the Bulldog parts Nickel or chrome plated to get a bright silver finish. (Or just aluminumized)

Or less good: painted.

Rich
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I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[andy]

I think they are just talking about the cast metal parts of the Steyr, Grip frame, butt plate and side covers, and not the bulldog. It is too bad they couldn't sneak some metal onto that part of the kit, at least the parts that show, but I guess most of it is covered. I don't don't know what Japanese laws are like now, but after what they went through before being raided and all, I think they may be trying to be extra cautious now. I was comparing it to my Hartford today, which has even less metal in it, that this one. It did have a silver painted revolver in it though, but not a CA Bulldog. I agree that having it at least silver colored would have been nice. It is just hard to fake metal, and make it durable. Chromed plastic usually does not look at that good, and doesn't look like aged steel much either. The flat black at least can pass for it. Some Rub N' Buff or graphite will go a log way to make it look like real metal though, and probably why those parts were made the flat black as well, to be a good surface for those finishes.

I will likely polish my kit to get something like this, but I do like the idea of keeping this a non-weathered looking "As-New" version of the gun. I can only hope they do the clear version of the grips at some point too, but I would kill for a set of tortoise shell ones

Andy

[cratercritter]

Hmmm.... I reckon TOMENOSUKE will issue this highly polished, "SILVER" version with colourless grips as a special issue variant. Hoping this will be so.

[joberg]

Oh God, I'm soooo behind in terms of getting a gun If real life stops throwing me stuff that I have to pay for I'll have to buy at least 10 different guns related to BR

And now Tome will issue an all chromed one AAAAGGGHHHH, THE AGONY!

[cratercritter]

.....and the ecstasy.

Please Tomenosuke.

[phase pistol]

AFAIK, this polished gun is a one-off, but if there is enough demand, who knows.

The burnishing does sound kind of labor-intensive though so I don't know if a run of these would be cost-effective. It's up to Shinji-san if they were to make these or even to make the clear grips available. I have no inside info on that.

K

[racprops]

Here is an idea.

Perhaps they will be willing to offer new amber and clear set of grips at a very nice price.

That way we could order the one or both and make everyone happy.

Rich
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I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[Skin-Job]

Rich,

Don't know about the clear, but I've already asked about the amber.

No, was the very firm answer. No plans to make grips available.


Karl

[racprops]

Sad that is.

A) Because someone might mold and recast the grips and B) They will come out slightly less perfect and slightly smaller.

Can we get their permission to do them??

AS I have plastic to do both amber and clear I would consider doing them with permission.

Rich
_________________
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[Skin-Job]

I've considered it myself, but the issue I have is with recasting someone else's work.
I won't do it and I won't buy a recast. I wouldn't expect anyone else to buy one either.

If I were to look at doing it, it would only be with a new set of original grip master patterns.



Karl

[andy]

Hmmm...could be cool.

I know DaveG had talked about recreating them in CAD and having them cut, so they wouldn't be recasts, over at the RPF. I know he would also have the ability to make wood ones as well. Still, I really want a Tortoise shell or marbled set. Pearl would be cool too...well since we are talking about it anyway, I thought I would offer up the ideas

Andy

[Skin-Job]

If a news set of masters was made, then a number of moulds could be made off them, and many kinds of clear/translucent grips could happen.

I always fancied a pair of fused, cracked amber grips like Sankara stones

Since Dave G was first to mention making new grips, I'm going to see what he wants to do before doing anything about this.


Karl

[andy]

Maybe we could do a contest to see who makes the best custom grips for these, and open it up to everyone?


Andy

[Skin-Job]

Nice idea...

How would everyone interested get a mould to use without recasting the original grips?


Karl

[racprops]

Great I will then bow out.

I made the offer as I know how hard it is to match the color and as I also have found a great clear plastic as well, and it can be colored to almost any color.

If Dave G. does not have the plastic I could do the runs...from his molds.

Just putting it out there.

Rich
_________________
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[racprops]

That is the problem, perhaps with the clear cast grips people could paint them to get effects.

Rich

[Skin-Job]

OK Rich,

I understand your viewpoint.

Personally, I'm going to wait until we know what Dave G's up to.
There are always possibilities with this kind of thing.

I'm still waiting for my Piss Yellow grips to arrive, so I can see the flaws discussed earlier.

Karl