28-2 Blueing

[rosewood]

Have a 28-2 that the blueing has been damaged. Story is it was blood on the gun that removed the blueing. I did the typical degreasing with carb cleaner and then acetone and even tried alcohol. This thing doesn't seem to want to take cold blue. At first I thought maybe the gun was a blackened stainless, but not sure they even did that on models prior to 1986.

Any idea what I need to do? Maybe disassemble and boil the frame in water? I tried warming up part of it with heat gun and then wiping with alcohol but only could get a dab of blueing to take. Makes me think there is something soaked in the metal that is repelling the blueing.

Thanks,

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

Pic added,

Rosewood

 

[stansdds]

Ewwww! The blueing on that Model 28 is toast. Not sure why the metal will not take cold blueing, it is carbon steel. This is one time when I will say that there is no harm in refinishing.

 

[kraynky]

Maybe you should try bead blasting it, maybe that would prep the metal to accept bluing. Which cold blue are you trying? Not sure it would make a difference, just thinking out loud here.

Have you considered a cerakote type product? Looks like someone lost a lot of blood.........

 

[rosewood]

Maybe you should try bead blasting it, maybe that would prep the metal to accept bluing. Which cold blue are you trying? Not sure it would make a difference, just thinking out loud here.

Have you considered a cerakote type product? Looks like someone lost a lot of blood.........

Yes, I may go that route.

Birchwood Casey.

Cerakote may be an option also. I have a kit and paint gun, but haven't tackled my first project yet. Need to get on my trial run on a gun magazine to learn the process.

Rosewood

 

[2152hq]

No matter what caused the blue removal,,blood, possibly in combination with a blue removing substance used to wipe the blood off.
Maybe a chemical on the owners hands transfered to the gun removed the bluing,,,,
the surface needs to be cleaned to bare metal either by polishing or a bead blast.
Then you can apply what ever finish you want.

 

[chief38]

If it were mine and otherwise in good mechanical condition, I'd send it to a professional bluing shop. Not only that but even though the original OEM finish was a satin blue - I'd have it done in a deep polished blue such as the M27 is done in.

To cold blue an entire revolver is almost futile and even if it were to be done, cold bluing is not durable and would soon wear off.

 

[rosewood]

If it were mine and otherwise in good mechanical condition, I'd send it to a professional bluing shop. Not only that but even though the original OEM finish was a satin blue - I'd have it done in a deep polished blue such as the M27 is done in.

To cold blue an entire revolver is almost futile and even if it were to be done, cold bluing is not durable and would soon wear off.

I thought a little touch up would make it look better, but looks like it is going to take much more.

It belongs to a friend that does not have the funds to pay for a professional blueing job, so if anything is done, it will fall on me.

Thanks,

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

No matter what caused the blue removal,,blood, possibly in combination with a blue removing substance used to wipe the blood off.
Maybe a chemical on the owners hands transfered to the gun removed the bluing,,,,
the surface needs to be cleaned to bare metal either by polishing or a bead blast.
Then you can apply what ever finish you want.

I tried a little steel wool over part of the area, but it apparently didn't do much to prep it for blueing.

What kind of bead blasting media should I use? I have the secret sauce for the 3rd gen autos, but maybe it is too matte for this gun?

Thanks,

Rosewood

 

[kobsw]

I tried a little steel wool over part of the area, but it apparently didn't do much to prep it for blueing.

What kind of bead blasting media should I use? I have the secret sauce for the 3rd gen autos, but maybe it is too matte for this gun?

Thanks,

Rosewood

Some steal wool are impregnated with oil so it doesn't rust.

You'll need to clean the surface with denatured alcohol, but you will get less than desirable results trying to cold blue that much steal.

Maybe just go to white on the whole gun and keep it oiled.

My .02,

Kobsw

 

[rosewood]

Some steal wool are impregnated with oil so it doesn't rust.

You'll need to clean the surface with denatured alcohol, but you will get less than desirable results trying to cold blue that much steal.

Maybe just go to white on the whole gun and keep it oiled.

My .02,

Kobsw

I am aware of the steel wool and degreased again after using it with alcohol.

I have complete rifle barrels that came in white that I did cold blue on and they turned out great.

Thanks

 

[stansdds]

Yes, I may go that route.

Birchwood Casey.

Cerakote may be an option also. I have a kit and paint gun, but haven't tackled my first project yet. Need to get on my trial run on a gun magazine to learn the process.

Rosewood

I am not a fan of painting revolvers. Coatings like Cerakote and Gunkote work very, very well on shotguns, rifles, and semi-auto pistols, but with the very tight tolerances associated with most revolvers, coatings can create problems. I would cold blue before resorting to a coating with a revolver.

 

[rosewood]

I am not a fan of painting revolvers. Coatings like Cerakote and Gunkote work very, very well on shotguns, rifles, and semi-auto pistols, but with the very tight tolerances associated with most revolvers, coatings can create problems. I would cold blue before resorting to a coating with a revolver.

I spoke with my buddy and told him the options and he liked the cerakote idea. Still kicking it around. I was thinking of taping up the moving parts and just painting the exposed parts. However, I will need to do the same before I bead blast it so I don't remove blueing from those areas.

I still have a gun magazine to experiment on, then a 1911 that needs to be done before I will even attempt a revolver. I will have to see how those projects go before I decide if this is a good route or not.

I would really like a Ferritic Nitrocarburizing type treatment, but it seems like too much risk and hassle to apply that in a home environment.

Rosewood

 

[JOliver]

I have reblued several Smiths over the years and the 28 is the hardest one to get it to look "right" or to duplicate the factory satin finish.
I agree the pictures look a little rough especially to try and get cold blue to blend. I will say if your playing with cold blue I have several in my arsenal and I've never been properly trained on how to apply it but I have done some dynamite jobs over the years. If you're playing with cold blue try you some different brands, I like the super blue that birch wood makes but I have had guns that wouldn't take it. I use many to get it to "stick" I will also use a small torch or a cigar lighter to heat the area up as that seems to help especially on small screws then I burnish with steel wool or a wire wheel slowly kind of like the rust blue technique.

I don't like the spray finishes either as they look good if you get lucky and your not going to use it but for what they cost and time I think you could send it off.
I don't recommend trying to blend them with the old finish that's left either, I think if you try that you'll see that it will look worse.
If it were mine and keep in mind I haven't had the best luck with 28s, I would sand/ polish the old finish off and do the whole piece.
I would strip what is on there off, polish the gun out and then knock it back down with some 400-600 grit and stuff away from the edges.
I have a guy in Florida - George Roghaar that dips (hot blue)mine after I do the finish that usually charges somewhere in the $100ish range. George also does full polish jobs and many other refinishing processes very reasonable but if you do the polishing and finish work he is cheap IMHO.
You do have to have some experience on where to get the raw finish on that model to know what the blue will look like afterwards.
Good luck with that as I have done many for friends and some at my cost but I like to help them out when I can and I enjoy a good project.
Also it's a good time to redo the action and slick it up, I have had very few complaints on the ones I have built over the years.
Some of my favorite Smiths were some ugly guns when I started.

 

[TAROMAN]

The only "cold blue" that I have had any success with is Blue Wonder.
It's a kit that uses heat. I use a heat gun.
And, it doesn't stink like Birchwood.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Wonder-Gun-Kit/dp/B07DWF61DT[/ame]

 

[MygunisaS&Wrevolver]

Just a thought, pretty time intensive but you can do it yourself. I would first bead blast the entire gun with Brownells 270 grit glass beads with the blaster set at 90 to 100 PSI for a S&W satin finish. Then rust blue the entire gun. It is a fairly long and demanding process and I think there is some threads on the forum about this process and would give you the full info. I think the finish would be pretty comparable to the original model 28 and much more durable. Good luck!