Cold Blueing Not Turnning Out

If you use steel wool, make sure that you degrease it as well. It seems to have small traces of oil in it that will contaminate the metal if used before the blue.
Most single shot receivers are forged steel and don't take BC bluing that well. I have used the Oxpho-Blu with mixed results.
 
I've used perma blue and found super blue seems to take to different metals. Steel is much more uniform than it was in the good old days.I've seen cooey model 840's that would cold blue 10" down the barrel and then not take from there to the reciever. Same with some mossbergs.The instruction on the bottle of bluing says it will penetrate grease and ooil. B.S. The metal and as stated elsewhere, steel wool or anything else that is going to touch the bare metal has to be degreased, degrease and degrease again and the don't allow anything to touch the steel until after it's blued.Heat, even from a propane torch, seems to allow the bluing deeper into the metal.As well , don't contaminate the bluing solution,by using the same patch or swab for each application. Change after each coating.
 
stencollector said:
My opinion of Birchwood Casey is that it's crap. I have a gallon of their ultra blue somewhere in the garage which I will never use. I actually bought 2 gallons at the time, and I was pulling my hair out using the first gallon.

I use Brownell's Oxpho Blue, which is about as good as you will get with a cold blue. And there is no need to be preheating the metal either, it colors the guns I refinish a coal black in about 2 seconds.

No cold bluing is going to be as durable as a hot blue. Cold bluing is also very susceptible to not giving a good finish on metal which has gone through heat treatment, or has had localized heating from the machining process.
Click to expand...

X2 -pick up some Oxpho blue you will be glad you did
 
I went thru hell trying to blue an old shotgun , and finally got it very close to the old original blue ..... 1 bottle of perma- blue later alot of cue- tips and patience.... it literally took almost an entire day to do this ..... put the solution on and constantly swished it over the area with the cue-tip.... 1 small area at a time! Never again ! i'll go get my rifles parkerized from now on.
 
greywolf said:
Well the videos look cool , if it really works that well you'll have me sold! So next question is , since i'm in MB where can i buy it and try it ? I have never seen it anywhere.
Click to expand...


I think its good stuff and it worked just like the videos for me. I usually have a knack for screwing up any process like that but I was amazed with the results I got.

I had a hard time finding it too. I eventually found some at Epps.

Since then I had a buddy grab several kits from a walmart in the US.
 
I have tried 2 mossberg bolt action shotguns (model 185 an 195)
I truly believe that a big component of how well it blues is the quality of the metal. These are low quality shotguns and the blueing was patchy and irregular. I had excellent results on a 1977 Win model 70. Used ???Hoppes blue, (orange box??). I prepped all surfaces really well, heated them with a heatgun, and the shotguns looked like complete sh**it. It wasn't hard to tell which metal was better. The Winchester looked like it just came off the factory today, and the mossbergs looks like they came back from WWII. Same cleaning technique, same blue, same heating, TOTALLY different results.
 
You mentioned you have some cooeys you may be bluing soon. Just a heads up: Most cooey shotguns have an alloy trigger gaurd and an alloy action release lever that dont take cold blue very well(and can melt in a hot blue tank). Also the reciever is usualy case hardened and comes out with a redish shade (at least when you hot blue it)
 
Last edited:
I think ill try to clean one up with some acetone first. But of course keeping in mind what i have learned so far. My next project gun is so badly discolored even Tremclad would look better.:runaway: Ill keep yas informed.:wave:
 
cold blueing

i've been blueing a few cooeys for about a year now. i'm not one to follow the rules, so with that said hears what i have done and it turns out everytime.
1) don't use steel wool if you can avoid it...used 3m scotch pads (availiable at your local automotive paint store...napa etc.)
2) do not clean and degrease your parts until your done handling them. and when you degrease them and after...wear nytrile gloves through the whole prossess to keep your skin oils from getting on your parts.
3) i did not use that cheap degreaser you get in the kits...i used a a automotive oil and degreaser (napa again) by dupont (used as a wash for bear metal on cars before painting).
4) poor some in a metal coffee can and put the parts in it and let them soak ...swishing it around every few minutes...you will see the cleaner getting black. leave it in the stuff for about 1/2 hr...pull them out and let air dry.
5) test a small internal part 1st...i used Oxpho blue ...apply to part and walk away...leave it on until it STARTS TO DRY ...NOT COMPLETELY...(not their 60 seconds)...leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes...come back and wipe with a rough paper towel...if it's not dark enough repeat this step.
6) on the barrel and reciever use a old tooth brush with uniform straight stroaks...(do the whole barrel at once...do not do it in sections)...once again walk away....come back and use paper towel to rub the crap off....repeat...this always has worked for me and i get consistant dark blue results. as this stuff is chemically reacting with the metal.
7) once you have achived the shade you want, finish with rubbing in some spray silicone (napa)...brings out the luster. then before you reassemble the gun use a silcone cloth (available from most gun stores) and rub all the parts...
8) reassemble gun

i hope this helps someone out there....this is only my way that i've did it and it seams to work for me
thanks
zeek
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom