BEEN PRACTICING MY COLD BLUING

[chief38]

I am no new comer to guns, maintenance and/or repair work but have never had great luck with cold bluing after many many repeated attempts. I've tried all the tricks and procedures but still could not get cold bluing to last very long. Yea, it holds up OK if not handled often, but on a gun that is routinely shot - I never had great luck.

I recently built a few tools made out of steel and I figured what a perfect way to give cold bluing one last shot. I super cleaned the steel with B-C cleaner before doing anything at all. Then I heated it up with a hair dryer as hot as I could, followed all the manufacturers instructions (used Birchwood-Casey Permablue), and applied 4 coats, rubbing gently with 0000 steel wool as suggested between coats. I washed the tools with fresh water when done, dried and applied some oil. Initially it looks good but we'll see how well it stands up. Since it is a tool it will get handled often, so I'll find out if I have improved my technique.

I understand that cold bluing is nowhere near as durable as hot bluing but many of you guys here always say what a great bluing job you get from cold blue - so I have given this "the last old college try". Got my fingers crossed!!

 

[Dave Baird]

Good luck!!! I gave up after numerous tries but I'm too fickle to take the time. I wish you luck!!! Let us know.

 

[Drm50]

I’ve used 37 different brands using 53 different methods and it all comes out the same***********. I’ve only used it for touch up on garden variety guns. Wouldn’t touch a good gun with it. Rather leave it be or spring for a blue job.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Cold blue works the best on a finely bead blasted finish, cleaned with Acetone. Let the blue dry out good, then gently oil and let it sit for a week or so.

It's hard to get it to work well on a polished surface.

You might try doing the bead blast on one of your tools.

 

[chief38]

Cold blue works the best on a finely bead blasted finish, cleaned with Acetone. Let the blue dry out good, then gently oil and let it sit for a week or so.

It's hard to get it to work well on a polished surface.

You might try doing the bead blast on one of your tools.

The finish wasn't bead blasted but I did put a fine brushed finish on the work. Acetone was used right before I used the Birchwood-Casey cleaner. I did not touch it before applying the blue - I wore latex gloves so northing got contaminated. I oiled the parts and they're sitting on my bench for a while - we'll see........

If this doesn't produce better results than I've experienced in the past, I am going to try "blueing with a torch".

 

[Walter Rego]

I have found the biggest determiner to how well cold blue works to be how well the kind of steel that it is being applied to works reacts with a particular cold bluing formula.

In other words, some types of steel alloys simply resist cold blue, and some cold blues work better with a type of steel alloy than another but the results may be different with a different alloy. I think steels with a high Nickel content are the most resistant but that's just a guess since I don't know the composition for sure when it doesn't work.

And even if the cold blue sticks well to the steel and is wear resistant, it often shows because the wear to the section that you want to touch up is often a different polish than the rest of the gun. Like trying to touch up a bit of holster wear on the muzzle or end of the barrel.

The best results I have experienced have been when I fix buggered screw heads, Brownell's Oxpho Blue paste generally gives excellent results on the types of steel used on most gun screws. Other parts of the guns ? Not so much.

Also, be careful regarding the advice to warm or heat the part, if you get it too warm the bluing solution will "flash" off before it gets a chance to start the chemical reaction that gives the blue or black color.

 

[chief38]

The best of the lot are IMHO:

1) Birchwood-Casey Permablue
2) Brownell's Oxpho paste
3) 44-40

 

[dfariswheel]

My best is Brownell's Dicrophan T4.
Unlike the others, T4 is a BLACK color that much better matches today's hot salts bluing used by manufacturers.

After cleaning and cleaning and cleaning, I liberally spray the part or area with denatured or 91% alcohol, then warm with a hair dryer.
If it's too hot the chemical drys before it can work properly.
After a minute to work, flush with hot water, then spray with alcohol again, warm again, and apply more.
For some reason the alcohol seems to prep the surface better then even Acetone.

I never dip a part in the bottle. I pour out what I need into a cap, then apply it with a clean brush, like a solder brush.
I pitch any unused chemical to avoid contaminating the whole bottle.

I've found that most cold blues will start to puddle up after a couple of applications, but T4 doesn't.
It's the most durable cold blue I've ever tried.
Years ago I used it to blue a Marlin 39-A trigger and unlike any other cold blue, it's still totally black and unworn after years of shooting and handling.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The only cold blue product I will use is Brownell's Oxpho Blue.

No special prep needed. No stripping necessary. Just apply the produce, rub it in with some 0000 steel wool and then apply a good gun oil to stop the process. No stink, no discoloration, no fuss.

 

[Drm50]

The finish wasn't bead blasted but I did put a fine brushed finish on the work. Acetone was used right before I used the Birchwood-Casey cleaner. I did not touch it before applying the blue - I wore latex gloves so northing got contaminated. I oiled the parts and they're sitting on my bench for a while - we'll see........

If this doesn't produce better results than I've experienced in the past, I am going to try "blueing with a torch".

I just finished a sight blade for a S&W 1905. Gun has been reblued and is in nice shape. I didn’t want to cold blue sight and was going to send it off for hot blue. Being impatient after making 2 brass and 3 steel sights I decided to use torch and linseed oil quench. Worked fine on part that small. You have to keep temp just under red hot, before quench. I’ve blued a few small tool that way, that I was able to bring to even temp. Made screw drivers for scope bases out of spade bits for wood. Still kind of small. My gunsmith use to hot blue tools for machinists. Especially remember Starret combo squares. I can’t keep even heat on a 12” bit for square

 

[Rule3]

Brownells - Introduction to Cold Blue Finishes - YouTube.

 

[shovelhead]

Oxpho Blue paste is mine of choice.

I reblued a circa 1941 Winchester 94 that someone had removed rust with a scouring pad. The gunsmith at the shop I worked at disassembled it.

Piece by piece I blued it sometimes multiple times to get the finish look8ng acceptable. Used cotton balls to apply the bluing and polished it with 0000 steel wool that I pre cleaned with alcohol.

It’s not perfect. It looks blued but not a perfect blue, I describe it as a worn appearing blue.