Cold Blue

[historicfirearms]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good cold blue? I've tried the Birchwood Casey stuff and haven't been terribly impressed. I always seem to get a blotchy color pattern even after following their directions to a tee.

[GabbyM]

Brownells Oxpho-Blue.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1072/Product/OXPHO-BLUE-reg-

You can make it look like a hot blue. Just won't be as durable or give the rust resistance of a hot blue.

[Ragnarok]

It's been my experience that some cold blues don't work well with some gun steel.

The Oxpho blue and Van's gun blue..plus G96 paste blue are what I have found seem to be about the best. If one doesn't work well..one of the others usually will.

[Shooter6br]

I have Van's . Alot like 44-40 . Does very well on Smiths

[Bret4207]

Oxpho always worked for me. Metal prep is the key, and if you warm the metal a bit with a blow drier it seems to help.

[Iowa Fox]

I use Vans. I have tried most of them and this one does a good job for me.

[MtGun44]

Dichropan T-4 from Brownells, applied to hot warm steel part that is very clean. Part should
just sizzle when applied, keep wiping with a wet swab until cooled. Then clean and oil.

Bill

[Tokarev]

Just for grins and giggles I'll throw in something that I invented in a fit of mischief.
Drop a steel part into a bottle of pop which lists ortophosphoric acid in its ingredients.
After a week or so the part will be perfectly dark-charcoal gray.

Here in Canada I always have a couple of bottles of PC Cola sold at President's Choice network in the shop for lazy bluing as I refer to it. In reality this is rather deep passivating than bluing, but it works.

[Cactus Farmer]

Oxpho always worked for me. Metal prep is the key, and if you warm the metal a bit with a blow drier it seems to help.

I use a hot air blower, Chinese Tool Store, $10.00, to warm the parts, Now it's hard to get a super finish on a big part,whole gun, but smaller parts can be very good. A second coat will sometimes do wonders too. I did an ols CZ 27 that was white. Took the slide off and degreased it all,three coats later it's beautiful and the fellow from whom I got the "silver streak" wanted to know where I got the nicer one......hehehe

[edsmith]

oxpho-blue has worked great for me, have blued entire guns with it.

[HangFireW8]

Metal prep and oil free is everything, but some steels just don't take a nice color from the cold blues, even when heated.

I have a parkerizing kit sitting under my bench I intend to try someday, I bought some wall paper dipping tanks that should be just perfect for a barreled action.

[HangFireW8]

Delete, duplicate.

[jh45gun]

I have had great luck with Birch wood Casey Super Blue.

[KCSO]

You really need a few kinds of cold blues as sometimes what works on one steel doesn't work on another. I use 44-40, Dicopan and Oxpho depending on how they take on the steel in question.

[HangFireW8]

I've got a soft-soldered Damascus SxS that defies 44-40, Oxpho, B-C and Van's. I haven't tried Dicopan, but... I have to cut my losses somewhere, I've already done enough to keep the Cold Blue industry prosperous.

HF