Back from Blasting. P1796 Restoration.
Posted: 19/12/18 (12:42pm)I got the scabbard and hilt furniture for the P1796 back from the media blasters yesterday. I am not going to be doing any more work on the sword until the New Year but I thought that it might be interesting for you to see what steel that has been cleaned by media blasting turns out like.
The first time that I had something blasted, I thought that the guy had painted it with grey primer.
As you can see, the blasting gets to the bottom of any pits and removes all rust, paint and yes, patina. I would not usually use or recommend blasting but on something that is heavily pitted, and if the customer requests it, it is a quick way to clean up the piece prior to re-polishing.
Once polished, the steel will again be bright and shiny and as the customer requested, the colour and polish on the hilt will match that of the scabbard. After polishing the pitting will of course remain but as long as the metal is regularly cleaned and polished with Renaissance Wax, the rust will not return and the pits will merely be testament to the age and authenticity of the piece.
I photographed the blade alongside the scabbard and as you can see, it also requires a good clean and polish. I would never recommend having a blade media blasted. In this case, I will hand polish the blade, beginning with 240 grit and working my way up to a 600 grit finish. This will not remove all of the tarnish but it will remove some and lighten the rest, improving the overall look.
