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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Cold Blueing Today


drgoose

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  • 1 year later...

I highly recommend Brownells Oxpho blue (creme)

 

It is very forgiving of oils on the metal, although I try to clean the metal very well with lacquer thinner or alcohol.

 

I apply with 5-0 steel wool.....and keep applying it over and over until I get the depth I want.

 

Then the special trick...find some of those old brown handtowels you used to get in school...the really rough paper ones.

 

When you get the blue the depth you want, spray oil on the metal and rub down the metal with the paper towels.. Brilliant!!!

 

if you are touching up a restoration, the above will do. A complete reblue will work good too. The 5-0 steel wool will hlp you get and even coatt hat blends together.

 

This technique will also work with other brands of blueing, but I like the creme blueing since It doesnt run.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I know we are bringing up an old topic. I've had excellent results with Birchwood Casey's Super Blue on especially on Mausers. I've also used it on an old Winchester and Sears 22's. Cold bluing I've discovered never penetrates well and darkens highly polished metal like a S&W revolver.

 

My method varies a bit from Tackleberry's. After I blue it I leave the metal bare and oil free for a few days. Seems to darken and take a bit better. After a few days if I'm satisfied I oil it up but usually blue it again after polishing it up with degreased steel wool. I've never used the crème type. I usually wipe the liquid on with cotton balls held with needle nose pliers and dip small parts in a glass bowl with the liquid bluing. I haven't tried it but have read here and other groups that cold bluing takes better when the metal is heated up with a hair dryer. I get the best results degreasing with laundry detergent and hot water after using anything from gasoline to mineral spirits. Small parts I degrease in boiling water with a short squirt of automatic dishwasher detergent.

 

I learned unfortunately the hard way to use rubber gloves. The liquid bluing leaves a stench in my fingernails I can't scrub away that takes 2 or 3 days to go away.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was glad to see and old topic on cold bluing back up. AzRedneck hits on something that I found works "heat". It doesn't seem to mater where it comes from a, torch, hair dryer, or hot water. I have been using boiling water. Clean and drop the parts in boiling water. Let cool and dry a couple minutes then apply the cold blue. Then back in boiling water to remove the cold blue solution. Let cool down awhile and steel wool. Repeat until you get the uniform color you want. I get a very good looking finish this way. I use Casey's Super Blue or Perma Blue.

 

Now that you spent hours filing, sanding and buffing, why not rust blue your baby. If you do all your metal prep, you can get a cheap deal on Hot Bluing.

 

A few pics of a Turk I am working on. It was in bad shape as seem in the bolt shroud. The projects goal is to improve my metal working skills. At times I wanted to go the J.B. weld and spray can route. The receiver was sanded to 400 grit and cold blued.

 


post-7696-0-40024000-1394986524_thumb.jpgpost-7696-0-03414100-1394986573_thumb.jpg

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Files on the flats and dremmel in the hard to reach spots. Still have to bevel the sharp edges. I have 4 mausers in the works, A 93, 2 turks, and a 98. My budget won't let me do anything more then prep work. Have been out of work for 3 months with a broken ankle. Next week will be starting back to work. It will take some time to build the mauser fund up again.

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