Question How do I restore the luster of aging blue

[Trapper406]

Do any of you have a trick -process -voodoo you use to restore bluing that seems to fade with age? I do not want to refinish just buff or wax or whatever I can do to nip and tuck an old war horse.

thanks in advance for any comments

 

[MetalMan]

I have found Renaissance ("Ren") Wax to be just the ticket for what you are trying to accomplish. Some here may also suggest Johnson's Paste Wax.

In any event, try and clean off any surface oils or grease beforehand and simply go to work on polishing up your blued gun. Some folks use a solvent - alcohol, acetone, or the like - but I have found that just thoroughly wiping the gun with a clean cotton t-shirt is sufficient prep for the wax to do its thing.

Whether you have wood or rubber grips, I also take these off and wax the frame underneath but don't buff the wax off from this area. I also put a light coat of wax on the the inside of the grips before re-attaching to the frame. A bit anal perhaps, but this works for me and seems to do a good job in preventing water from being trapped under the grips; especially useful for EDC guns subject to exposure to high humidity or to conditions leading to condensation.

BTW - Some "before" and "after" photos are always appreciated here.....

 

[italiansport]

Ditto on Renaissance Wax.
Jim

 

[jebstuart]

My method is exactly as MetalMan describes. You may be surprised.

 

[chief38]

Trappwer406:

Just note that many Smiths were NEVER finished in a high luster blue! Many older guns were finished to sort of a satin blue and are just not meant to shine like the top of the Chrysler Bldg. Do your due diligence before trying to shine it up!

 

[Targets Guy]

Ren wax seems to work for me. Don't know if there is anything better.

Before


After

 

[Targets Guy]

This one from 1914



after Ren wax

 

[Ron M.]

Yep, Ren Wax is amazing. One 200 ml jar will practically polish a Sherman tank...a little dab does it and a quick hand buffing with a soft cloth. I cleaned up a CZ50 with RW that I put on consignment...just about plotzed when the guy behind the counter pulled out a tube of Flitz and wiped off the Renaissance Wax.

 

[hardcase60]

Metalman is dead on correct. On a gun of less than 80%, using only my bare finger tips, sometimes I will use small dabs of Flitz and gently rub around then wipe off. This a subjective procedure that has been argued round to square on this forum and others. If done, being very very careful is the trick as IT WILL remove the bluing. The reddish brown staining on the cloth is not just dirt and grime but also the bluing. Then, I'm one of the crew that does use a solvent before applying the RW. Couple of tricks I like is using a hairdryer to gently warm the gun right before applying the wax. This completely dries up any solvent and makes applying the wax smoother. Use a cotton cleaning patch to apply said wax. When the wax dries then I don the cotton museum gloves and buff with a soft cotton cloth. DO Not use the wife's/girl friends underwear, that never ends well. The gloves prevent any oils off the hands from leaving streaks on the gun. I do two coats. Telling me I'm anal does not offend me..............They are my guns and even the beat up shooters deserve to look as nice as possible. Best of luck, hardcase60

 

[oddshooter]

Another vote for Renaisance Wax. Cleans, waxes and polishes.

Used by every major museum on everything.

Wood loves ren wax.


Prescut

 

[Warren Sear]

Keep the Flitz away from any blued finish. It permanently removes bluing and is not needed. Wax it, and then forget about it. Anything more does damage, not "restoration".

 

[markeb]

^^^^^ Amen what he said. Don't ask me how I know. Clean and wax it.

 

[DWalt]

Most everyone recommends Ren Wax. Truth is, about any good paste wax (like Johnson's) will work every bit as well - and is far less expensive. In the post-WWII period, most S&Ws had a more satin matte finish. A light use of something like Flitz polish may also help, as would brass wool with light oil as it will remove light surface rusting.

Not long ago I cleaned up a Winchester Model 61 .22 rifle for a friend. It had sat around unused for many years, and was very dull and franky crappy-looking. I went over the metal with brass wool and oil, cleaned everything off (wood and metal) with mineral spirits, and waxed everythng with Johnson's paste wax. It looked better than it did any time after it left the factory. He was dazzled. I did get a lot of light surface rust off the metal with the brass wool.

 

[BruceM]

Truth is, about any good paste wax (like Johnson's) will work every bit as well - and is far less expensive.

The truth is that high quality paste waxes which are known not to have any abrasives in them will do a good job. It is equally true however that if any good paste wax which is actually cheaper than RenWax were really just as good as RenWax, all the museums would be using it instead of RenWax.

It's easy to make generalized statements when you're not responsible for maintaining the condition of rare and many time irreplaceable artifacts.

Just think about it!



Bruce