Cold Buled and hate it...

[30-06 lover]

I cold blued my Savage 99 reciever and hate it. The look well sucks and it now smells like a stink bomb (Like sulfer I guess). I have two questions...
1. If I take off the cold blue I just put on, will that sulfer smell go away?
2. It there a D-I-Y finish I can put on my reciever that won't smell terrible, wear well, and look decent? Thanks for the help.
-Mike

 

[lonewolf5347]

Cold Blue

I use a product called LMF BROWNiNG slow rust system on my m/l barrel
I never tried it but the instruction state when you got the color you want,then boil in distill water it will turn blue/black
I can say I have done a few barrel and parts when building a flintlock and the finish is outstanding .This process takes time and needs up to 10 coats then has to be washed with baking soda to stop the rust process.
I read also they sell a slow rust blue that works the same way check out midway I thought I see it on there web page
I tried over the years with all the cold blues and like you say they just don't work,back in the days when side by side shotguns were finished hot salt blue were not used all were slow rust system

 

[jpcampbell]

Cold blue is meant for touch ups, not finishing complete guns, Brownell's sells DICROPAN "IM http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1067&title=DICROPAN+"IM"~ It is a hot water blue that works, Follow directions

 

[Ifishsum]

I made a similar mistake years back, trying to refinish an entire rifle with cold bluing. The smell will go away after awhile, but it will still look like crap. One of these days I'll try a home hot blue process to make it any better, but in retrospect I should have just left it alone.

 

[frogomatic]

there are multiple methods for rifle bluing, some are EPA regulated most are not. I can get the info on some diy bluing techniques from my instructors at school and post them for you

somthing I can tell you though, cold bluing sucks, it's really only meant for touch up work not a complete blue. there is somthing called nitre bluing that can be done in your garage, i'll look it up tomorrow

 

[Big Az Al]

I grew up in a shop that hot blues

And I have yet to see a cold blue that matches hot blue!

that is not to say on small parts, blue doesn't have a place.

Just not on large peices or all the time!

 

[Bad Flynch]

You have another option: rust bluing. It is arguably as durable as hot bluing and does not stink. Most of the major manufacturers used it up until the middle of the 20th century. Depending on whose solution you use, you can do this with a minimum of equipment. Some brands only require a warm room, heat, and buffing equipement. Some brands need a moisture cabinet. Years ago, some of these mixes contained Mercury salts, so be sure to wear gloves and a dust respirator when you buff the gun. Some do not. Brownell's sells them and it would be relatively easy for you to do.

The smell that comes from cold bluing is from the Selenium compounds that are in it. Selenium is toxic, so wear rubber gloves.

 

[Big Az Al]

Rust blue

I know a smith that does rust blue,

for about 10 times the money he charges for a hot blue, and thats a bargain,

Because it is about 20 times the labor, and all of that is elbow grease![/U]

 

[Bad Flynch]

>and all of that is elbow grease<

Not a problem. It simply depends on whether one has more money than elbow grease or more elbow grease than money.

 

[ralfus]

Below pics are the results of Oxpho cold blue although the color is richer and more even in person.

 

[Jim K]

If those are "before and after" pics, there was a lot more involved that just a cold blue job. That looks like a professional restoral of a badly rusted rifle. In fact, I would question the fitting considering the amount of metal that had to be removed from the bolt.

But no matter how nice a cold blue looks, it is not very durable and will rub off with even moderate use.

Jim

 

[langenc]

I was wondering how long it would take for Oxphopo to be mentioned.

 

[jrfoxx]

I recently tried the Oxpho-blue creme and really liked it.The creme did a really good job, and was MUCH easier and less messy to use than any liquid I ever tried.For me and my purposes, its great stuff.YMMV.

 

[Rex B]

I recently used the Wheeler Cold Blue on an old Sistema. It looks OK, but it won't be mistaken for factory. It was also more of a "warm" blue, as it required
degrease
heat
apply solution
wait 10 minutes
card off with 0000 steel wool
repeat until you reach the depth of color you want (I never did)

I'm not disatisfied with the result for the money, but it was a PITA to use and I made a mess of the kitchen. I'll try some oxpho next.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I've tried a lot of different cold blue. I was never impressed with any of them. When I was 13 or so I bought my first gun. A bolt action 12 ga. J.C. HIGGINS. It wasn't in the greatest shape so my dad helped me reblue the entire gun and refinish the stock. It really turned out nice, but I don't remember the blue we used. They probably don't make it anymore due to epa regs.

 

[Clark]

I just cold blued a shotgun for my brother today.
He sand blasted the receiver.
That porous surface soaked up cold blue like fresh plowed ground soaks up p**s.

 

[BigJon]

If you're looking for an alternative, I tried a rust-blue formula this weekend that I'd not tried before and had what appears to be (at this point) superb results - deep, dark, soft glow, and seemingly very hard. It's called Radocy.

Best,
Jon