# cold blueing question !!HELP!!



## gonehoghutin (Oct 7, 2010)

any body give me some advise on this blacking/blueing?? i just can't get it right keeps coming out (splotchy) i am bout to give up and go to the good ole spray paint lol  its on a sig p6 that i have completly rebuilt but it has holster wear  i wanna start from scratch   or tell me how to polish it


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## raghorn (Oct 7, 2010)

Preparation is the key, you have to remove "ALL" traces of oil and really polish out the area for cold blue to come out evenly colored. It can be done but not without a lot of elbow grease.


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## atgolfer (Oct 7, 2010)

check youtube; there are several good videos on cold bluing.


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## SiRed94 (Oct 7, 2010)

If you already have all of the old finish off sand it with 1000 grit and then clean it really good with alcohol.  Let it dry and then put some blue on a rag/cotton swab and rub it into the metal somewhat firmly.  Then once you cover the area, rinse it with cold water.  Dry it with a separate cloth and if you see any splotchy look rub it with steel wool until it disappears.  You may have to repeat the process 3-5 times to get it darker.  Just to forewarn you, it is extremely difficult to get completely consistent results with cold blue.  Sometimes it is just inconsistencies within the metal that causes different looks in areas.  So if it keeps looking splotchy in the same exact spots after several treatments you may have to just leave it.


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## SiRed94 (Oct 7, 2010)

But if this is a carry gun, you may want to scratch the blue idea.  Because it will wear vary quickly.  And if you don't wipe it after handling, it will rust from the oils on your hands.  Cerakote or Duracoat would go a lot better with that particular gun.


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## WGSNewnan (Oct 8, 2010)

polishing is the real key to a good blue job. be careful using things like brake cleaner etc when trying to prep for blueing. some will leave residue. i prefer to use straight lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol. also use a good cold blue and not the off the shelf variety. most are used for touchup and not refinishing. see brownells etc for a quality product. midway has a couple youtube videos on reblueing also.


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## Gunplumber Mike (Oct 8, 2010)

Most of the cold blues are just washes that don't really have protective attributes as far as the steel is concerned.  Some do manage to look okay for a while but you do need to keep them oiled.  A true hot blue causes the bluing salts and the iron molecules in the steel to swap some electrons and become physically bound together making the iron less available to mate with the elements and become red rust.  If you got the $60 to spend this would be worth it.

The best blue available to the DIY'er is Belguim Blue, available at Brownells.  It requires soaking the part in hot water and removing it and immediately coating with the bluing compound.  Repeat with steel wool.  Keep up the process until you are happy with the finish.  This is the method used to blue Lugers and Browning A-5s in the old days.  If you look at one of those guns they will have a tough outer finish and be bare on the inside.  If you use this process do it outside as the bluing chemical includes mercuric chloride.  Mercuric chloride was used in the old days to make felt hats (think Stetson or Indiana Jones) and resulted in most hatters going crazy, resulting in the phrase "mad as a hatter".  My wife reports that some of us old gunsmiths are know to have "dain bramage --- I can't decide if she's pulling my chain or what.


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## deputyatnight (Oct 8, 2010)

I use G96 (I buy it at Bass Pro Shop) to blue things.  I boil small parts in water to get them hot and apply the solution while the part is hot, after placing them on paper towel to drain for a few seconds.  For bigger parts, I use a heat gun to get the part hot.  The bluing seems to work better when it is applied to a hot surcace.  It may just be that the heat is evaporating any residual oils or cleaning products, but whatever the reason, it seems to work better for me.


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## Wild Turkey (Oct 8, 2010)

Ive had great luck by glass blasting the metal prior to cold blueing. Most machine shops have the machine and will do a gun for $20.00.
It really preps the metal to accept chemicals.

Also blast my stainless rifles to give a nice no glare matt finish.


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## deputyatnight (Oct 8, 2010)

Wild Turkey said:


> Also blast my stainless rifles to give a nice no glare matt finish.


Have you had a problem with every branch and blade of grass rubbing onto the barrel and becoming a permanent part of the finish?


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## monkeytoys (Oct 8, 2010)

gonehoghutin said:


> any body give me some advise on this blacking/blueing?? i just can't get it right keeps coming out (splotchy) i am bout to give up and go to the good ole spray paint lol  its on a sig p6 that i have completly rebuilt but it has holster wear  i wanna start from scratch   or tell me how to polish it



out of curiousity, how many times did you apply the cold blue?  the more you do it the better it looks.  I did a ruger blackhawk.  i honestly thought I had messed it up.  i spent 4 or 5 hours, but i applied the cold blue about 20 times.  It still didn't look that great.  It was after midnight so I decided to stop.  I put oil on it to stop it.  wow the oil really brought it out.  so i assume that you probably only applied it a couple of times.  I was using the birchwood casey kit with the stripper, degreaser, and blue with an applicator.  I also did it by applying it to small sections at a time.  applying the blue for no more than 30 seconds, rinsing it and carding it with degreased steel wool. drying it and starting over with the blue again.  it's very labor intensive.  and like someone else mentioned, it will look splotchy at first because some parts will take it better than other or more of the blue sat on that part.  even after 20 coats, it didn't look real blued to me.  oiling it to stop it really brings it out.   of course your mileage may vary.


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## gonehoghutin (Oct 8, 2010)

i gave up  lookin to have it dura coated or blasted  and start from scrtch   its my carry gun so just wanna protect it from rustin and wearing


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## gonehoghutin (Oct 8, 2010)

how bout the brownells alumi-hyde II


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## weagle (Oct 9, 2010)

Oxpho Blue Cream is the stuff to use.  It doesn't take any special metal prep, looks great and gets darker as it ages.  Just clean off most of the oils with simple green, buff the oxpho blue on and wipe it off with a paper towel.  repeat 4 or 5 times and you are good to go.

Weagle

This barrel had some of the bluing removed from some unknown chemical.  






Apply a little Oxpho Blue






You'd have to know where to look to find the repair


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## Wild Turkey (Oct 11, 2010)

No problems with staining or marking on blasted stainless steel. My 270 has been that way for 20 years.


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