bluing question

[jim young]

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1139/resizedphotobx3.jpg I have a colt 32 pocket pistol, the pistol is all original finish. It was at one time before I owned it stored on something that took the blue off the one sied of the frame. I have tried to clean it and reblue it to match but after I do it keeps going from blue to rust colored. I am using a cold blue from hoppies. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to send it out and have it profesonaly redone? I am not after perfection but I would like it protected and the spot coverd to match. thanks

[Hill]

There are cold blues that perform better than Hoppe's or Birchwood-Casey, specifically Brownell's pair named "Oxpho-Blue" and "Dichropan T-4" (Brownell's has a long tradition of oddly naming their prorietary products), but any success with a cold blue is dependent on the nature of the steel it's used to color.

I've never had good results using the Brownell products (they are a shelf item in my shop that I use frequently) on Colt pistols. I've had best results, although not satisfactory to me results, by preheating the area to be blued with a propane or other low heat source before application. The steel needs to be cleaned despite Brownell's claim that the stuff will work through a coat of light oil. Repeatly cycling the process has gotten a pretty good hide on a few Colts, but those have not been large areas of a part. (before there's a lot of flapping of wings and clucking - yes, I've gotten excellent results using the Brownell's products on large parts and some whole guns. but not Colt guns)

So, yes, your best bet is to have the pistol reblued professionally.

[Hawkmoon]

I have had excellent results using Brownells Oxpho-Blue. It isn't the darkest, "blackest" blue you can find, but it is the easiest and most durable. I bought a small jar of one of their other ptoducts that is supposed to be darker, read the cautions on the label, and never opened it. For touch-up, I think Oxpho-Blue is the best choice short of professional refinishing.

Keep in mind that bluing is a form of rust. After cold bluing, you should rub oil into the surface.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Just about any acid solution will do a number on a blued finish. Vinegar is certainly strong enough.

The only way to really get things to match is going to be to re-blue the whole thing. Sorry about that ....

Bob

[Hill]

There's that wing flapping clucker I anticipated :)

Yes, Oxpho-blue can be some pretty amazing stuff and I've had a couple of blues using it only that wore better than any rust blue or hot tank job. The instructions are to swab it on with a cotton ball or like applicator, rubbing continually. As you rub the blue gets darker and darker. Then let it sit a little until an oxidated layer forms and card THAT off with continuous rubbuing with #0 or finer steel wool. Then lock the color in with a coat of oil.

When the steel likes Oxpho-blue the more you rub the better it gets. I did a Walther PP once that got blue/black - really a rich looking finish that just would not rub off. That pistol was carried for years in a holster and except for a scratch the blueing looked as deep and fine the last time I saw the pistol as it had when I did it.

I got a fine blue color on Swedish Mauser rifles from the Carl Gustav works, but not on a similar rifle out of Olgendorf (whatever that name was) Germany. That one would only get dark grey. It was the steel made the difference, and all you can do is try it and experiment with different application tricks because all manufacturers source their stock from various places.

[jim young]

Look at the image, I have used cold bluing from hoppys and a past blueing I can not remember the name. I get a nice blue and then after letting it sit for a month. it turns to a rust color as you see above. I am wondering how to stop this. am I doing something wrong? what is causing this? I do exactly as I have done on other guns with no problem. thanks

[pa_guns]

Hi

With any bluing process, you finish off with an oil soak. Longer is better. For hot bluing a day or two is typical, some people stretch it out to a week. The purpose is to stop the oxidation process and keep rust from forming.

Bob

[Hill]

Look at the image, I have used cold bluing from hoppys and a past blueing I can not remember the name. I get a nice blue and then after letting it sit for a month. it turns to a rust color as you see above. I am wondering how to stop this. am I doing something wrong? what is causing this? I do exactly as I have done on other guns with no problem. thanks

Maybe it's my monitor but the picture looks mostly black and/or dark. If the lighter area below the slide is what you mean could it be a result of some lube or solvent you've used to clean the pistol's rails? Seems related to the rail area.

What kind of an answer do you hope to get? Cold blueing is an iffy thing, unpredictable results. It's the reason that you don't find professional gunsmiths agreeing to do it - they don't want people coming back complaining that their nice new blue job didn't stay nice.

I'd say that if you found a way to make yourself happy for a while but now doesn't, do it again - be happy again for a while.

[wot_racing]

I have had excellent results using Brownells Oxpho-Blue. It isn't the darkest, "blackest" blue you can find, but it is the easiest and most durable. I bought a small jar of one of their other ptoducts that is supposed to be darker, read the cautions on the label, and never opened it. For touch-up, I think Oxpho-Blue is the best choice short of professional refinishing.

Keep in mind that bluing is a form of rust. After cold bluing, you should rub oil into the surface.
I discovered quite by mistake that if you leave cold blue on too long, it makes red oxide, not black oxide.. Maybe you need to rinse off the solution after a minute or two.. I dont know how long you are letting it set, but longer is not always better..

[pa_guns]

Hi

Have you looked into the cost of a hot blue job?

At some point you will have spent more time and money on cold bluing solutions than the pro job would have cost you.

Bob

[grendelbane]

I don't think that you are going to be satisfied with the results of any cold blue, or even hot blue. Chances are good that your Colt was produced before hot blue was even invented.

The very early Colts were nitre blued. Then, things got more complicated. It is not an easy thing to reproduce the appearance of the original finish.

Good luck.

[pa_guns]

Hi

A hot blue job will look a lot more balanced than what you are getting now. If your pockets are deep enough you can duplicate the original finish.

Bob