I just picked up an old Winchester Model 50. It has an aluminum reciever in real good shape. I wonder what your thoughts are on engraving some scroll work, no game scenes or anything fancy. What is it like to engrave and are any special treatments or techniques required, graver types, finishing, etc?

I thought I'd try it and if it don't turn out good I can throw it in the garbage or melt it down into a B**wiser can. Have any of you done aluminum recievers? Thanks

Tim Wells
5/11/2006 6:43:52 AM

Tim
I have done a few aluminum/alloy receivers over the years. I'm not too crazy about how they cut but they are doable. At least the ones i have toyed with. I never did the frame you are concerned about but The few pistol frames cut a little muddy and soft. These were S&W's. You can leave them alone after engraving or give them a very fine brushed finish. One handgun I did had a metalife plated slide and they electro nickled the frame to almost match the slide. It actually looked good when done. I think I did do a few Game heads on the aluminum also. Hope this helps you out a bit.
Marty

Martin Rabeno
5/11/2006 7:42:00 AM

Tim,
Like Marty I have not done this particular action but have done several others and have done Winchester floorplates made from alloy.
The alloys can be much like steel and vary a lot but most cut OK. What I have found that many of them are "grainy" for a lack of a better term. Trying to cut fine detail for scenes or shading seems to be a bit difficult. It more or less "chips". If you stick to just scroll work, you should have no problem. I didn't use any special tools, sometimes they do tend to get a mild build up on the points.
Hope this helps.

Rex Pedersen
5/11/2006 8:48:35 AM

Gents, that is kind of what I was after, mainly just the pitfalls of doing these and what to look out for. I tried to cut a piece of scrap here at the F22 Raptor plant and it galls some, probably 7075 T3.

No telling what that Winchester is made of. I thought about doing some larger scrolls with adequate shading but not too detailed like Rex mentioned in case it turns out to be grainy.

I have a bezillion pictures of engraved shotguns but not one of them aluminum. My initial idea would be doing these with a lot of bright cuts and maybe relieving it some and blackening it. What do you think?

Tim Wells
5/11/2006 1:12:30 PM

Blackening the background that is...

Tim Wells
5/11/2006 1:13:40 PM

I think you won't have any problem with the shading as you mentioned. You may have some problem trying to make bright cuts depending on the alloy. It may cut bright like silver or it may gall and never be bright. Relieving the background will be a snap however. It sure comes out a lot faster than steel!


Rex Pedersen
5/11/2006 4:19:09 PM