Anyone had trouble getting outer's cold blue to 'take'?

[flying pig]

Working on an old rifle of mine. I plan on doing a nice rust blue on it down the road but am trying to get it ready before the season opens here. It has a rough finish on it the old blue is patchy to say the least. I rubbed out a bunch of surface rust and minor pitting with 600grit then proceeded as per the instructions. The bluing solution doesn't seem to react at all in some places. What did I do?!

 

[M77]

If cold blue doesn't "take", it is usually a metal prep issue (even though you clean it correctly). Clean metal is critical. You must use clean gloves and change them often (surgical type are good). Any skin oils or contaminants from your work area will give you grief. I have found out the hard way that if it looks clean, clean it again and again anyway. If you set the blue using oil and have to start again cleaning use very hot soapy water and you must change out your soapy water often. Oils stay separate...right down to the molecular level. After using the stripper, sanding and soapy water wipe it down with alcohol using clean, untreated towels. I also warm up the part to help the bluing solution penetrate a little better. Metal prep and cleaning IMO is 90% of your project.

One of my projects: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...Ruger-M77-International-given-a-second-chance

If you look at my photobucket album pics you will see a Winchester bolt rifle I did for a friend as well. This one I had tons is prep/bluing issues with. Solved by cleaning and cleaning and more cleaning.

 

[flying pig]

Weird thing is its the places that were in the white that wont take and it wasn't worn off in those places, more like something was spilled on it that ate it off. Think I may try cooking those areas with a little propane torch and see if that helps.

 

[gunrunner100]

Think I may try cooking those areas with a little propane torch and see if that helps.

Careful with the heat. Too much forms water droplets on the metal from the humidity in the air.
As M77 pointed out, surface prep is the biggest battle.

 

[sunray]

"...may try cooking..." Won't help. Just degrease the steel properly. Mind you, cold bluing is not a great finish(better than nothing), isn't made for whole firearms and will give different colours on different steels.

 

[flying pig]

No, but it only has to work for a little while. I have a few projects to practice rust bluing on over the winter and next summer and then I'll be giving this one a nice rust blue. Cold blue is just to hold it over until then.

 

[gunrunner100]

"...may try cooking..." Won't help...

I disagree. I've done many over the last 25 years and have found that warming the metal does help vs cold metal. While I do agree that any cold blue is not a permanent finish, it can help bond to the metal with a gentle application of heat.

 

[Ian Robertson]

I have at least three different makes of cold blue. When one won't work I try another. They seem to like different alloys.

 

[supernova]

Brandon, degrease it and rinse it with clean water multiple times. I use bottled water rather than Wembley's tap water. Forget trying with dirty water. Are you using an Outer's kit or just their solution? If you have the kit, be liberal with the degreaser and really scrub the surface, then rinse and repeat. Make sure the surface is dry before applying the bluing. I go through several pairs of gloves just getting the first coat of blue on. I use a little pressure and wipe it in good which can sometimes get those spots that don't take. It will never turn out as good as hot bluing but if you're over-liberal with every step it should turn out with an even finish.

 

[bearhunter]

I have at least three different makes of cold blue. When one won't work I try another. They seem to like different alloys.

X2 on this. There are some out there that require a nitre blue, similar to the Kreighoff blues used on Mausers, to give them that deep black finish.

Usually the parts are difficult to blue as well.

I came across several trigger guard/floorplate/spring/follower assemblies in a box at a Kamloops gun show, around 5 years ago. They were very nice, no rust or pits. The blue was worn off and they needed to be polished. They were also very cheap.

I tried at least 3 different makes of cold blue, then a popular hot blue that didn't take either. Finally, I found an old book with the Nitre Kreighoff recipe. It was slow to say the least but it worked and worked very well.

It turned out the parts were from Mexican Mausers. Lovely things and extremely well made. They also were hard as the hubs of hell and took a lovely polish. The kicker, was that like the receivers, they had a high nickel content.

 

[Cleftwynd]

What is the rifle? Some rifles in the past (Remington) had blued stainless barrels. Most people had no idea as the bluing usually makes you think it isn't stainless.