Hot Bluing a Dominion Arms 1911

[TrevorF]

My Gunsmith polished off all the original finish and has tried at least twice now to hot blue it but both times the finish isn't completely taking. The man has hot blued many guns and this is the first time he has run into this. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Trevor

 

[Al Flipo]

Type of steel and the heat treatment....?

 

[TrevorF]

At first cold bluing wouldn't react either. Then with more attention to remove all of the original finish it started to work. Seems like every time it comes out of the tank it's a bit better but never fully blued.

 

[ted_dent]

I hate to drag out the old saw about polishing a turd but maybe you should think about Cerakote or something similar unless you just have to have a polished blue DA.

 

[MET]

I have had no issues using Birchwood Casey's Superblue cold bluing on a Norinco 1911 that still had the original blueing on it.

Strange that hot blueing won't penetrate.

 

[ssapach]

I had some issues with bluing a Ross action as well as an old Webley. The bluing didn't seem to want to stick.

I let everything sit in the bluing tank longer and also let the temperature go higher. Higher as in push it to the max right in and around 295-300F. So I'm honestly not sure if it was the extra time or extra temp that got the job done, or the combination of both, but I know that eventually everything took the bluing.

 

[sealevel]

i would say leave it in and let the temp come up even as high as 315. i just blued an old martini that would come out all blotche so i left it in tell it as 315 came out good .

 

[tiriaq]

Blasted and Parked a Norinco 9mm. Easy, and finished nicely. An appropriate finish for a serve type pistol.

 

[TrevorF]

This was a two tone blued and grey. Not sure what the grey was but it's almost uniform now after the 3rd attempt.