# In the middle of a cold blue project. HELP!!



## AbnormalEKG (Dec 27, 2013)

So, I'm in the middle of attempting (for my first time ever) to re-blue a single shot .410 . At start, it was down to no finish at all. I am using a product called "Perma Blue". According to the directions, I'm supposed to apply the product with a saturated cloth, and allow it to work for one minute, then rinse with cold water, and wipe dry. It says to then repeat that process until the finish is satisfactory. Ive repeated that process now 10 times, and cant see a bit of difference from when I started. Anybody got any experience with this? Am I doing something wrong, or am I just impatient? Any help would be appreciated.


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## hayseed_theology (Dec 27, 2013)

I have a little experience, but there are people with far more knowledge than me so hopefully they will weigh in too.   Cold blue is better reserved for touch up than a complete re-blue.  I learned that from experience.  The results are rarely satisfactory.  I have used Perma Blue and have been very underwhelmed by its performance.  I think Oxpho Blue is a better cold blue, but it is not close to a factory hot blue finish.  Guns are made with varying combinations of metals and certain metals take cold blue better than others.  It may be that the particular alloy used in your .410 doesn't respond well to Perma Blue(or any cold blue).  Prep is very important when blueing.  What kind of prep did you do?  Did you use the Birchwood Casey Blue and Rust remover?  Did you use a good degreaser?  You should notice a difference on the first application, successive applications will be far more subtle or even imperceptible.  

Once you get it figured out, here are some more tips: For better results, you can also try heating the metal with a hair dryer or heat gun before application.  Brownell's even recommends applying Oxpho Blue with 0000 steel wool.   And, I think some people do over 20 applications with Perma Blue to get it real dark.


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## GranCazador (Dec 27, 2013)

clean your metal. apply blue. wait 30 seconds to a minute. rinse with water. lightly buff with steel wool and oil. repeat.


_Posted from Gon.com  App  for  Android_


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## leoparddog (Dec 27, 2013)

hayseed_theology said:


> I have a little experience, but there are people with far more knowledge than me so hopefully they will weigh in too.   Cold blue is better reserved for touch up than a complete re-blue.  I learned that from experience.  The results are rarely satisfactory.  I have used Perma Blue and have been very underwhelmed by its performance.  I think Oxpho Blue is a better cold blue, but it is not close to a factory hot blue finish.  Guns are made with varying combinations of metals and certain metals take cold blue better than others.  It may be that the particular alloy used in your .410 doesn't respond well to Perma Blue(or any cold blue).  Prep is very important when blueing.  What kind of prep did you do?  Did you use the Birchwood Casey Blue and Rust remover?  Did you use a good degreaser?  You should notice a difference on the first application, successive applications will be far more subtle or even imperceptible.
> 
> Once you get it figured out, here are some more tips: For better results, you can also try heating the metal with a hair dryer or heat gun before application.  Brownell's even recommends applying Oxpho Blue with 0000 steel wool.   And, I think some people do over 20 applications with Perma Blue to get it real dark.



This ^^^

Get some Oxpho Blue, serious degreaser, a heat gun or use the Mrs' oven to get it warm.  A small bottle should do one whole gun.
If you can't find it at a local Gun Store order it from Brownells.


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## Whiteeagle (Dec 27, 2013)

I clean and de-grease with denatured alcohol, heat barrel with propane torch(NOT red-hot), apply Perma-Blue with cotton ball, leave on full minute, rinse, heat, re-apply, rinse and dry then check to see if another application is needed. Oil real well and let set for 8-10 hrs. and bluing will darken real good. Been doing this for MANY years.


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## killitgrillit (Dec 27, 2013)

Whiteeagle said:


> I clean and de-grease with denatured alcohol, heat barrel with propane torch(NOT red-hot), apply Perma-Blue with cotton ball, leave on full minute, rinse, heat, re-apply, rinse and dry then check to see if another application is needed. Oil real well and let set for 8-10 hrs. and bluing will darken real good. Been doing this for MANY years.



Just Besure you use 100% cotton balls!!!  Many come with lotion and or lanolin in them and that will screw things up in a big hurry


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## AbnormalEKG (Dec 27, 2013)

I appreciate the feedback, guys. As for the prep I did, it could be wrong, but I did the best I could, with what I had. The gun was pretty rusted to begin with. My step-dad had kept it out in a barn for a couple of years, and the moisture had done quite a job on this thing. To remove the rust, I stripped all the furniture off, then soaked a towel with WD-40, and wrapped the whole gun with it, then stuck it in a plastic trash bag and left it there for about 3 days. When I took it out, I wiped it down, and got it as clean as possible, then used more WD-40, and started out with some coarse steel wool, then moved on to some fine steel wool over the whole thing, and got every bit of the rust off. Then I hosed it down real good with brake cleaner, wiped it dry, then used some Hoppe's gun oil on a rag and applied a light coat to everything. This was a couple of weeks ago, and it has sat in the corner in my bedroom since.
Today, when I decided to start on the blueing process, I stripped it all back down again, and used the brake cleaner to get all the oils off of it. I wiped it down real good, and let it sit out on the counter for awhile to make sure it was good and dry, then I started the blueing process. I probably repeated the process, as directed about 20 times. There is some difference, but not much at all.


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## Supercracker (Dec 27, 2013)

95% of problems encountered with cold blue will be because of inadequate or improper preparation. 

As much as you soaked it with oil, I would soak it in warm degreaser for a night before I tried to blue it. 

Soak it, then wipe it down, warm it again to thin any residual oil left and wipe it again 2 or 3 times. Just a tiny little bit of oil left in the microscopic crevices of the metal can mess up the blueing. 

Warm the metal for blueing, but not too hot. (better for it to take twice as long to get good results than to have to strip a blotchy job off and restart. 

Oxpho blue works better than Perma blue. Mark Lee Express Blue works better than both (IMO)

When you're done with the refinish warm the metal when you oil it down. Trust me, it will make a difference. 

Then take pics and post them on the interwebz.


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## GranCazador (Dec 28, 2013)

it could also be your metal. not all blues work on all metals. i also recommend the oxpho from brownells.


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