Opinions on cold blue touchup/repairs

[Sebago Son]

The smell is a dead give away. No one hoping to preserve a collectible gun should ever use it.

 

[mreed911]

Lots of good advice here - I'll just say that after using Birchwood Casey Bluing Paste for quite a while, I finally gave BlueWonder a try. I just got the small kit in the mail the other day and wanted to test it on an old lever action I've got that has no historical value. Following their cleaning instructions (solvent to degrease, steel wool, dry paper towel) and application instructions (heat metal to 140-150, "hot to the touch but not scorching, then apply small coats), I'm pretty pleased. I'd post pics, but I didn't take any since it was just a test spot. Two coats delivered a nice, consistent blue... surirpsingly more consistent than the BC bluing paste - but I need to go back, re-prep, and add more coats before I get the finish I want.

 

[SWOH]

I second the Oxpho Blue and degrease with alcohol - use solvent alcohol, methyl or ethyl, not the drugstore isopropyl, which is diluted with water. Follow the application instructions, neutralize with alcohol, rub with 0000 wool, repeat, as many as 11-12 times until you like the result (and probably no change), and you will get a pretty good match to S&W 1960's-1980's blue.

You can find 91% isopropanol at drugstores. Any alcohol, even Everclear, that's above 90% should work pretty well. You almost never can find absolute alcohol outside of a lab.

 

[Imissedagain]

We use Naphtha to degrease metals before applying cold blue, and for other tools.
Also use it for removing old key oil on musical instruments.
1860 Grenadilla Clarinet keywork.

Denatured alcohol, 30%, and sweet almond oil, 70%, for cleaning the wood.

 

[Jaco1234]

Degreasers: carb cleaner, brake parts cleaner, Dawn dishwashing detergent with very hot water. Acetone, denatured alcohol (labeled fuel at Lowe's).
Blueing: Brownells, I have used Vans, and Birchwood Casey.

 

[Max242]

The only thing I would add is that I have found ordinary lighter fluid to be a very good "degreaser". Use a white rag and keep applying and wiping with a fresh spot on the rag until you don't get anymore color, then it's pretty clean and degreased. Degreasing properly and a little heat is the key to getting as good of a cold blue as you can.

Never thought of using lighter fluid. I'm a stamp collector and we use that for watermarks. Today was a good day. I learned something.

 

[bedwards]

I've used lighter fluid and Coleman fuel to clean before I blue something but also on electronics that need cleaning. No residue that I can tell.

 

[msinc]

Never thought of using lighter fluid. I'm a stamp collector and we use that for watermarks. Today was a good day. I learned something.

Thank you sir, I am glad I was able to help. I have used every brand of cold blue out there over the years and Brownell's Oxpho Blue or Blue Wonder seem like to me they work the best. I have a hot blue tank and also Parkerize. Lighter fluid is also a very good cleaner/degreaser for cosmoline, which is typically found built up on parkerized military guns. Several guys have remarked about alcohol {above 91%}....most paint stores carry "denatured" alcohol but I have also ordered 99.9% Isopropyl from Amazon. It is made by Quality Chemical in Miami, Fla. www.qualitychemical.com. While lighter fluid works better to clean and degrease for me, the 99.9% alcohol is what you mix with lanolin to make spray on homemade sizing lube.
Here is one other little tip I stumbled upon....when you have parts or a certain steel that just seems like it doesn't want to turn blue or turns splotchy when it tries, clean it off and wash it with either Zud or Bar Keepers Friend. These are scrubbing powders that contain mild acid and very lightly etch the surface so it will take the blue better. If all that don't do it you had better find someone with some Oxynate number 7.......best of luck!!!!!!!