doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Magnificent Black & White Damascus Source Found

We've got a quality successor to Oscar.

Here in NE Oregon, Doug Ranes in Banks at 503-357-6302

Doug started by experimenting with the usual formulas and pollishing techniques and has turned it into a science. He is used by Keith Kercher. Best part, he is not back logged. Call the guy. He is REALLY good!
Pete

Thanks Pete. Could you post an image of his work?
Exuberant journalistic hyperbole aside , there are several fellas doing wonderful 'black & white' now, and I'll add Doug's name to the list here
https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_192fcpp4khn

On my map, Banks is in far northwest Oregon!! Northwest of Portland on U.S. 26.

I'll get him to take some photos. He is thinking about doing some sections of cut barrels and sending a sample to the potential customer. I saw about a dozen guns he has done in numerous kinds of Damascus and twist, and the blacks are black and the whites are white. Superb work!

Pete, how are his prices? I have a couple Lefevers that need refinishing.

I believe the complete process with prep is $420.

Here in the middle of the country [ Michigan ] Brad Bachelder does excellent work. He's done a number of SxS's for me,about the same price, and didn't take too long. Also does case colors and stock repair or refinishing. His number is 1-616-459-3636 - closed on Mondays. Paul

thank you pete for the kind words I do have some pics I will email to you never have got the picture thing on here figured out

I've not seen this gentleman's work but I did find out the hard way that there are a few questions to ask of a barrel browner that might be helpful to sort out before the work begins.

1. Do you guarantee a particular loss of wall thickness with your process or do you measure the walls before and after, documenting both?

2. Do you polish the barrel flats after browning, or leave them browned?

3. Do you remove the bead before browning so as to get a consistent finish, Or do you leave it on with a resulting slight inconsistency of finish where carding wasn't able to get into the area near the bead?

4. What color is the finishing process in the last step? (if not black and white) Will a coating occur to make a more brown or plum color?

5. Are all exposed surfaces of the breech face polished, or left browned?

Again, I don't know the person being referenced in this post but I wish I had gone over the above 5 questions before I had work done by a "noted" barrel browner. Had I known I needed to specify certain details, I surely would have.

I am going to send off a set of barrels today to Doug. With his permission I will post before/ after pictures.

Rookhawk, as per your questions in the above post, #2, should the barrel flats be polished or the same color as the finish? And #5, should the breech face be polished or the same color as the finish?

thanks, redoftx.