Brownells sells the DICROPAN IM that's a modern version of the rust blue. Easy to do sort of like cold blue except after the solution is applied the part is put in boiling water for a few minutes. Taken out of the water and vigoriously rubbed with 0000 steel wool. What's left that the steel wool can't remove is the finish. Repeat several times carding(rub with steel wool) after each application/boiling water bath till darkness is satisfactory.
Dicropan IM is a professional type bluing. Degrease well and follow the directions and it's hard to not do a good job. It is much more durable than cold blue and not much more difficult to do. You do need a pan or tank to boil the water and immerse the parts. Browells sells that too.
The DICROPAN IM gives that cool custom gun rust blue that's shiny(if the parts are polished before hand)and gives that real nice BLUE/BLACK of a custom job.
Put it on the parts like cold blue(solution looks like cold blue but isn't) and immerse in boiling water,remove,card with steel wool,repeat, ect.ect
I like it. I work on cap&baller revolvers for people at times for a hobby(could be a full time job if I was not so old tired and beat to hell and not healthy)and because of the "alloy" the steel is made of the Dicropan IM comes out real well but not perfect. (Looks perfect in the light of the kitchen but shows a little blotchy under the blue/black out in the full sunlight)Looks like an authentic somewhat old(like a 5 year old gun used in the field) finish. It shows the blue in the black like the old timey finish on the cap&baller Colts and Remingtons. Anyone I ever did their cap&baller revolver with this ....they loved it.
It's actually a rust blue like is put on custom guns by the professionals. Durable,beautiful,easy. What more can a person want for a bluing that can be a professional finish and be so economical and look that good and be done with such a minimal amount of accessories.
Beats cold blue all to hell.
It's big step above cold blue since it's a pro type bluing and lasts and is easy. A person could make money doing it for their Buddies and others. Do up guns to make money on at gun shows ect.ect.ect.
There is a DICROPAN T4 that's a cold blue also that's pretty good. I get darker results with that than OxphoBlue and OxphoBlue is pretty good on the right alloy. Look in Brownells for the solutions that come with directions.
The Mark Lee Express Blue and Brown are pretty cool also. Easy like cold blue but much more durable. Much more durable. Try some of the things Brownells has and discover and new world of home bluing.
The Laurel Mountain Browning is the best brown for muzzleloaders or antiqued cap&baller revolvers. The best. I've built Hawken rifles and Browned the steel of them with that browning and sold Hawken rifles for $2,000 a piece. That ain't hay. Just an example of what trying bluing or browning that's a big step above cold blue can net you. Whether it's your own guns or guns you do for people or guns to spiff up and sell it's all fun to do once you get the hang of it. It isn't hard to do if you follow directions.
Food for thought? Take a giant leap forward?
After you try Dicropan IM you'll wish you had tried it first instead of cold blue.
People seem to assume they need to do cold blue because the pro blue is expensive to set up. Not so with Dicropan IM. You do need to get a black iron or stainless steel bluing tank(metal pot that's triangular) and have a propane burner or just a kitchen stove. The tank is reusable of course and is needed so the metal in the tank isn't affecting the bluing. Can't just use any old kitchen kettle.
The Dicroclean 909 is used with the Dicropan IM. It's a cleaner/degreaser to do the final degreasing before bluing.
I usually de-blue the parts with navy Jelly or muratic acid(strong stuff to be used outside and don't take a wiff of it) but regular Birchwood Casey Rust and Blue remover works real well too. I use the muratic acid to de-blue since it's a "pickle" that's used before a bluing. It's acid that etches the steel so the bluing takes real well. The directions for Dicropan IM say to use hydrocloric Acid (I'm fairly sure) for a pickle if you are going to pickle. The pickle can be skipped if you don't want to take the extra time to mess with an acid. The directions tell all about that stuff.....like plugging the bores before immersion in the boiling water.
The boiling water is a standard thing with rust bluing. The solution turns the metal a brown (with Dicropan IM there can be a color change in the metal that's blue) color and the boiling water turns it black. Turns the ferrous to ferric or some sort of chemical bla bla bla.
. Not happening in this economy. Went to Bass Pro and found a cold blue kit for $14. I spent my Saturday today tearing it down and rebluing it. Of course I got too anxious to see it together and now I have some touch up to do but it looks good to me. The reblued is a 1906 and the other is a 1910 model 1906. Both were in about the same condition when I started.
