so in preparation for a re-blueing job I just polished a blued action to a mirror finish, and the final look after running 2500 paper over the metal for 45 minutes is to die for. I know some guys have polished actions before and then not had them blued to protect them, so what wax did you use to keep the moisture out and how did it stand up against the test of time?
preserving polished metal
- Thread starter yodave
- Start date
Mightymoose410
Regular
- Location
- Beautiful Vancouver Island
Tagged for interest as I have asked the same thing my self
Brownell's offer a solution called 'Hold" ... it protects the polish job and removes very easily with no after effects when you blue...
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-finish-surface-protection/hold-prod1071.aspx
I still have a gallon jug of it from when I used to blue...
Where are you?
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-finish-surface-protection/hold-prod1071.aspx
I still have a gallon jug of it from when I used to blue...
Where are you?
If it's a part that slides around in something else and which you use regularly and clean regularly with solvents then I'd suggest you simply oil it like you oil the rest of the gun. The waxes are great for things you want to protect in a "dry" manner. But wax and oil don't really mix well on any single item since most oils will dissolve most waxes. So you may as well just oil it all anyway.
The Renaissance and other waxes is great for display items. But in that case the whole item inside and out gets the same wax treatment. But a regular use firearm that needs oil on many of the parts to work well might as well be oiled all over since it's far easier than using wax on some things and oil on the others. And the wax won't do well if it gets onto an oiled area or if the cloth used to apply it becomes oily at all.
Now if you want to use two different protective oils that's another issue. I've found that Fluid Film seems to resist being wiped off the metal from handling far better than do some of the usual gun oils. That Boeshield might be in the same camp too. So it's not a bad change from lubricating oil and grease on the insides to FF or some other "oil" on the outside. At least they are all compatible oils in that case.
As for raw steel that is oiled staying nice looking? Well, I've got items in my machine shop I made over 25 years ago that look as good now as they did the day I made them. And all they have ever seen is some light oiling to keep them that way.
The Renaissance and other waxes is great for display items. But in that case the whole item inside and out gets the same wax treatment. But a regular use firearm that needs oil on many of the parts to work well might as well be oiled all over since it's far easier than using wax on some things and oil on the others. And the wax won't do well if it gets onto an oiled area or if the cloth used to apply it becomes oily at all.
Now if you want to use two different protective oils that's another issue. I've found that Fluid Film seems to resist being wiped off the metal from handling far better than do some of the usual gun oils. That Boeshield might be in the same camp too. So it's not a bad change from lubricating oil and grease on the insides to FF or some other "oil" on the outside. At least they are all compatible oils in that case.
As for raw steel that is oiled staying nice looking? Well, I've got items in my machine shop I made over 25 years ago that look as good now as they did the day I made them. And all they have ever seen is some light oiling to keep them that way.
