describe so-so
Blueing on a gun is much like to paint on a car. The smooth even finish is almost always due to the prep work on the underlying metal.
Hot bluing is the best.
Hot Blueing or Cold blueing... Hot blueing does a much better job, but requires a good dedicated setup. ( usually easier to have it done by a gunsmith).
Keep in mind that if any screws or parts aren't removed oil will seep out after cleaning. You don't need to remove the barrel, just clean that joint over and over until any seepage is removed.
Hot bluing is definitely the way to go.
Of course, it’s a dirty, corrosive business. I’d send it out to a shop that specializes in it.
This is supposed to be a good manuel.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=364524
This might be worth a try.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=958388
Like others have said, Hot bluing is what you want. Now, if you cant or dont want to pay a gunsmith to do it.. I have had some seriously good luck with a product called blue wonder
http://www.bluewonder.us/ Its very simple to use, the biggest part (as with any refinishing job) is prep. you have to get the gun 100% clean no finger prints, no rust, no oils.
I also do my own parkerizing here at my house.. its a MUCH simpler process than bluing and gives a nice flat black long lasting finish.
I can’t name any offhand but there are some spray on finishes available now which are supposed to be reasonably durable and easy to apply.
I am sure Brownells would have them.
I have had pretty bad luck with cold blue except oddly enough, the very first one I did. I had a Colt Challenger (a slightly cheaper version of the Woodsman) which was mechanically excellent but most of the bluing was worn off.
I bought some cold blue, read the instructions and it came out fine. I am certain that the steel used in the gun was why it worked. I later traded it to a gunsmith for a near new 03A3 Springfield with a Redfield receiver sight, a sourdough front and a thousand rounds of Lake City, Match.
The guy I traded it to was a gunsmith and he did not recognize it as a cold blue until I told him. He then smelled it and then recognized it was. He said I did a great job on it, but actually it just happened to turn out right.
I just looked it up and one finish which you simply spray on and bake in an oven is Brownells’ Gun-Kote.
It is said to be much more durable than blue.
I make a living doing bluing and other gunsmithing/gunbuilding. There are some processes that can be done at home without huge investments. Research the different processes and figure out what works for you. Any cold bluing from a bottle is crap.
Brownells has a cold-blue product called Oxpho-blue.
Not as durable as hot bluing or rust bluing, but it is very simple to apply. Just keep putting on coats until it is dark enough for you.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1072/Product/OXPHO_BLUE_reg_
There are several types of bluing. I’ll give a brief overview.
Rust bluing is the oldest type of bluing around. Using a bluing solution to rust the outer surface of the metal, the technique requires hot water, bluing solution, and time. Basically, you dip the part, let it rust for a bit, brush it, repeat a few times. See Cold blue below...
Belgian bluing is similar to rust bluing but is quicker and doesn’t rust the metal as much.
Fire bluing is considered the most stunning and beautiful finish you’ll ever see on a gun. There are two techiques for fire bluing, one that involves dipping and one that does not.
Hot blue is a couple of different techniques. One “table top” version is simply a hot acid bath dip that blues the metal. Another is again, a hot acid bath dip that is part of a multi step process, you dip, then dip to get tone.
What you are doing is cold blue. Few people do cold blue correctly and most companies that make cold bluing solutions really don’t explain what has to be done well. Most of the time they promote the product as a touch up.
When you cold blue a gun, depending on the solution you are using, you’ll put 1 part solution to X part of pure, clean filtered water. Tap water will not work. You dip the gun in and let it sit for approximately 3 minutes. pull it out and let the gun hang in the air. A thin film of surface rust will appear. The time it takes is totally dependant on the solution you use. If it’s uneven or splotchy, you’ve got contaminates on the gun or in the solution. If it’s pretty even, the wipe it off with a clean dry rag. you’ll see a faint darker color under the rust. Make sure you get all the rust off and I mean all the rust. Then repeat the process. You’ll keep doing this over and over until you get the desired depth and color. Note, if you want a nice glossy reflective finish, metal preperation is a must. you need to have a nice polished piece to get that finish.
I usually farm my bluing out here. We parkerize on site as it’s an easier and more resilant finish. Parkerizing also works quite well with hard water.
If you’re using perma blue, be aware that cold blue is tedious and slow. The finish is usually as you say so-so. You can make it look REAL nice but it’ll take you a few tries. The biggest thing to do before applying the bluing solution is to rinse the gun and parts in acetone to remove all traces of oils and dirt.
Hope this helps some.
Bump for Blueing reference.
I have done several. I bought a house where the guy left a few guns in the crawl space to keep the guns away from the kids. The guns were slightly rusted and somewhat pitted. Using the blue/rust remover with 0000 steel wool takes away the old bluing and rust and leaves the metal in the white. Degrease the metal and do a cold reblue. That and finishing the stock makes the guns look like new.
For the more inexpensive end of the spectrum, I’m going to put in a good word for Duplicolor 1200 Degree Auto Paint. It’s a ceramic rattle can spraypaint available at autoparts stores for about $9 a can. I finished a home AK build with it a couple years ago. It has worn very well and still looks great (for a Romanian AK).
Refinishing is all about the prep and degreasing. When you think you’ve degreased enough, do it one more time. This paint requires pre-heating the part, spraying, and then baking for an hour in an oven. Part of your refinishing cost will need to include sending your wife or SO to the mall or a long movie so you can air out the kitchen before she gets home. 8^)
bluing bump.