Bluing and rubbing back

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Do any of you use bluing on barrels and rub them back.
I like the ones I'm seeing that look black by are rubbed back exposing some bare metal on the corners of the flats.Im thinking bc cold blue does not have the black look,maybe wrong. What do you use? I'm kind of drifting away from browning.

[smokinbuck]

I'm finishing a rifle now and using 44:40 cold blue. I think it's the best on the market. Gives a nice dark blue black finish Just have to be sure parts are ready to be colored and CLEAN of any oils or other residue.
Mark

[Daryl]

Rubbed back, cold Bluing turns quite a greyish tone. Some like it, others not so much. I quite dislike the smell
that lingers for quite a time.  The best cold blue I have found, is Birchwood Casey's cold blue paste in the plastic tube.
Apply it, apply it another two or three times, then flush the surface with cold water as you rub the cold blue off, then
I oil with WD40. That helps kill the smell. Some of the various cold blues smell more than others.

[Clowdis]

I agree that the Birchwood Casey paste works pretty well. You can also apply it with some 0000 DEGREASED steel wool to get a better finish and better coverage.

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Thanks thats what  I wanted to know. Do you just wash the stel wool with soap and water or rj se it in alcohol?

[Craig Wilcox]

Daryl, when I de-grease steel wool, I put some lacquer thinner on it while it is resting on some paper towels, then squeeze it against said toweling.  Never thought to use soap and water!  Might have to try it some times.  I guess if a certain type of detergent would de-grease a duck, it would do the same to steel wool!

[Scota4570]

I apply cold blue with green household scotchbrite or alternated with cotton cloth.  The scotchbrite helps a lot to getting an even dark color.  I use lots of cold blue in a dish to dip in.  I buy OXPHO-BLUE by the quart from Brownells.  A light sand blast, just enough to take the shine of the metal,  will make the blueing take much better but will not be rough after you go over it with the scotchbrite.  It comes out a black  satin egg shell for me. 

Rub it back with sctothbrite after.  You will have to play around with it until you get what you want.

[Craig Wilcox]

For a cold blue, I go along with Scota4570.  That oxpho Blue is hard to beat, but there are a few steel alloys that it doesn't work so well on.  I think that is why there are several varieties of cold blue out there, and people using them say they work great.  Experiment some - cold blue chemicals are not really very expensive.  Some of the ones that smell are using a copper compound, I think, and thus smell like copper.

[TommyG]

I like using Oxpho over a Laurel Mt Forge rust finish.  I first do 2 applications of Laurel Mt. Forge, get it to "bite" pretty good.  Then rub the rust back with a scotchbrite to bare metal.  What is left will be some small pitting.  From there I apply 2 application of Oxpho,rubbed back to a nice grey.  One thing I noticed on my last build, I wiped down the barrel with denatured alcohol before applying the Oxpho.  I ended up with a lot of surface rust.  I rubbed back and washed with acetone instead, then re-applied.  That seemed to take care of it.

[Clowdis]

Thanks thats what  I wanted to know. Do you just wash the stel wool with soap and water or rj se it in alcohol?

I degrease with brake cleaner. I keep cans of that stuff around the shop for removing oil and grease. Even works on clothing....sometimes.

[gusd]

I degrease with lacquer thinner. I love Van's instant bluing.
I only see it at gun shows and always buy a bottle!
Gus

[Scota4570]

"that smell are using a copper compound, I think, and thus smell like copper."

The chemical I associate with cold blue is selenious acid.  It smells like a gun show.

[G_T]

I had to recrown a couple of wheelguns where the original crown was visibly not square to the barrel! I trued them up and re-cut. Afterwards I repaired the bluing... or tried to. The work looked good (as in, looked like original finish) until the guns where shot and cleaned. The bluing did not survive a range day of black powder residue, Bore Butter, Dawn, Ballistol, and paper towels. That's both guns. This was Birchwood Casey's cold blue paste. I won't be using this sort of bluing any more. It seems more cosmetic than durable. It isn't black iron oxide that is left behind by the process.

YMMV of course.

Plus that Selenious acid is nasty stuff. Aviod all contact.

Gerald

[StevenV]

If your using steel wool to rub back ,search Liberon oil free steel wool much easier then degreasing oily steel wool.     
stevenV

[eddillon]

I am pleased with results I get using Laurel Mountain Browner/Degreaser.  I quench the barrel in boiling water for a few minutes before carding.  Usually takes 4 or 5 of such cycles to get a pleasing antique blue/grey.  I absolutely agree that most cold blues don't work well and they certainly do stink.

[alex e.]

I will be a heretic and say that all finishes,on metal and wood , are not permanent. A well used arm will wear it's finish. It's all temporary. Some are just more resistant to wear. That's it.

[Craig Wilcox]

Scota4570 - You are RIGHT!  Don't know why I said copper.  The selenious acid smells like a certain brand of dandruff shampoo.  Also the stuff I had to use to get rid of some jungle crud/rash I got when younger.  (Stay away from jungles if you can!)

I really do like 44/40 for a cold blue.  I use Brownell's "Classic Rust Blue" quite a bit, and when you work it, it becomes quite beautiful.  Not a cold blue though - rust, boil, rub back, repeat.  Many times!

[Mauser06]

The steel was done with 44/40.  After using a Browning solution to rust it. 

Can obtain a wide range of coloration depending on the rust job and rubbing back the bluing.  Easy but some labor involved.  The worst part is probably scrubbing off the rust....messy and slightly time consuming.