Win 94 disassembling,bluing, finished

[Potashminer]

Nice job, I’m just wrapping up a ‘75 vintage 94 as well. Stripped the majority of it back to the white and cold blued with Super Blue as well, luckily the receiver took the bluing well. The gun is reassembled and I’m just refinishing the stock, it’s a good friends rifle and the exterior was in real rough shape when he got it, internals and the barrel was in nice shape thankfully. Someone stored it in a soft case in a seacan for god knows how long, lots of exterior rust. I’m going to post some before and after pics when the wood is back on.

A "head's up", maybe - I have used the Brownell's Oxpho and the Birchwood Casey "Super Blue" - at the time I thought they did a great job - 3 or 4 years later, very noticeable that they are fading away - an M1917 rifle that I did 10 years ago - sections of it now look like it never had any finish to it. As if that "cold blue" stuff needs to be re-coated every year or two to keep looking good??

 

[45C]

A "head's up", maybe - I have used the Brownell's Oxpho and the Birchwood Casey "Super Blue" - at the time I thought they did a great job - 3 or 4 years later, very noticeable that they are fading away - an M1917 rifle that I did 10 years ago - sections of it now look like it never had any finish to it. As if that "cold blue" stuff needs to be re-coated every year or two to keep looking good??

More than likely you are correct, but it’s cheap , so a touch up every few years isn’t that bad.

 

[Butcherbill]

A "head's up", maybe - I have used the Brownell's Oxpho and the Birchwood Casey "Super Blue" - at the time I thought they did a great job - 3 or 4 years later, very noticeable that they are fading away - an M1917 rifle that I did 10 years ago - sections of it now look like it never had any finish to it. As if that "cold blue" stuff needs to be re-coated every year or two to keep looking good??

We shall see I guess, my buddy doesn’t hunt and isn’t all that active of a shooter so I don’t think it will see much hard use. If it does need a touch up he knows where to find me, I’ll be happy to do it if it needs it.

 

[Potashminer]

Butcherbill - none of the examples that I was thinking of, were ever taken from their storage / cupboard - they faded just from time - not from use.

 

[Potashminer]

In October 2020, I started a thread about a Mauser receiver that I was messing with - has simply been on my work bench since then - I guess a sign of the pace things actually happen here - any ways, the original thread is here - https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1971999-Parker-Hale-Soldered-scope-bases

This is the picture of that receiver with Birchwood Casey "Super Blue" applied - note front receiver ring



Same receiver - same jig - same place - hope that I got the lighting the same - from 10 minutes ago - again note the front receiver ring. Bluing is going away - so, since Feb 2020.

 

[Butcherbill]

Butcherbill - none of the examples that I was thinking of, were ever taken from their storage / cupboard - they faded just from time - not from use.

I get it, like I said he knows where to find me if it needs touching up. I told him it wasn’t a replacement for hot or rust bluing and he understands this, he wanted me to try and save it and this was an acceptable alternative to bead blasting it and ceracoating or painting and baking it. If it fades he will either live with it or ask me to touch it up.

He’s pretty happy just to not have an orange rust bucket and know that it’s safe to shoot.

 

[Why not?]

I guess he should be! Great job, and cheap.

Ted

 

[45C]

Yup, looks awesome!

 

[ShawnRich]

I get it, like I said he knows where to find me if it needs touching up. I told him it wasn’t a replacement for hot or rust bluing and he understands this, he wanted me to try and save it and this was an acceptable alternative to bead blasting it and ceracoating or painting and baking it. If it fades he will either live with it or ask me to touch it up.

He’s pretty happy just to not have an orange rust bucket and know that it’s safe to shoot.

On projects like this and the other refurbishments that I have seen are you all sanding to the finish? If so, what is the grades of sandpaper you are working from and to? I would guess 180 to 600 but thought even the 180 initially may leave too deep of scratch marks? If the action is taken apart, is it ok, bad, or "forbidden" to sandblast the worst rusty areas? I have some barrels that are pitted and wondering if sandblasting would be better?

Great projects with great results!

 

[Butcherbill]

On projects like this and the other refurbishments that I have seen are you all sanding to the finish? If so, what is the grades of sandpaper you are working from and to? I would guess 180 to 600 but thought even the 180 initially may leave too deep of scratch marks? If the action is taken apart, is it ok, bad, or "forbidden" to sandblast the worst rusty areas? I have some barrels that are pitted and wondering if sandblasting would be better?

Great projects with great results!

I started with 0000 steel wool and oil, then I went to a brass wire wheel on a bench grinder for any rust that was leftover. Was pretty apparent after the steel wool that I’d be stripping it right down to the white, for sandpaper I used 120, 150 and finished it with 220grit. I used wd40 as a lubricant while sanding, receiver was sanded with the paper wrapped around a file to keep it as flat as possible.

I thought about sandblasting it and if the pitting was worse I probably would’ve gone that way, a blasted finish would be more of a matte blue which would likely hide pitting well and blasting would get into all the nooks and crannies easily. I was trying to keep as much shine as I could, 220 gave it a nice level of shine without too much of a polished look.

 

[ShawnRich]

Great! Thanks. After posting, I figured what do I have to lose, so started a bit with a 220. That seemed to work pretty good, but the one I started on is not my worst.

On my others, I may have to be more aggressive, as you did starting with the 120...or just go to sandblast. I guess it will be a trial and error.


Thank you

 

[Butcherbill]

Great! Thanks. After posting, I figured what do I have to lose, so started a bit with a 220. That seemed to work pretty good, but the one I started on is not my worst.

On my others, I may have to be more aggressive, as you did starting with the 120...or just go to sandblast. I guess it will be a trial and error.


Thank you

If they are anywhere as rusty as the one I dealt with you can’t make it any worse by sanding or blasting lol. Good luck with it!

 

[FatCatsDad]

I've had a tube of Birchwood Casey cold blue cream for years.
I find it works best if I hear the metal gently with a heatgun