Javelin Dan
12-14-2016, 12:43 AM
About a year ago, I posted about gun-refinishing-on-the-cheap. If interested, you can view it here: http://cpastboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?301550-Gun-Refinishing-on-the-Cheap . That project worked out well enough for what it was, but as anyone could guess, there are nicks and scratches that have accumulated with heavy use. I actually have something else in mind for this gun and if it turns out well, I'll report on it.
Fast forward to present, and I've purchased a fairly nice Llama “Commanche II” .38 Special. As received, the gun had a grip that was like new (possibly refinished?) and the bluing was generally in very good shape with just a few minor blemishes – a couple of very small spots of minor surface rust and pitting, and a couple of other areas where the bluing just looked thin. I debated hard about doing anything to it at all, but finally decided that this was going to be my first lesson in “gun bluing 101”.
I studied a number of articles and videos online and soon found myself in front of the gun bluing supplies at Gander Mountain. I decided to buy a complete gun bluing kit by Birchwood-Casey which included Cleaner-Degreaser, Blue and Rust Remover, and Perma Blue, and all the amenities needed to re-blue a gun. I had actually seen a video on Youtube where a guy used browning first, then the bluing and got excellent results, but Gander didn't have it on the shelf so I headed home with just the kit.
While this was my first attempt at gun re-bluing, I just want to report that I do have a moderate amount of experience at auto painting and refinishing. So the basic concepts of careful preparation and cleanliness were well understood and I “thought” studiously applied. I read the “bluing instructions” twice before I started – but I should have gone further - more on that in a moment. I got the entire gun down to shiny, bare metal and used the Cleaner-Degreaser liberally over and over again. The instructions say “When you think you've got it clean enough, clean it twice more!” I did that. I dried the gun with a heat gun and a hair dryer, let it cool, and followed the bluing application guide carefully.
I was expecting the bluing to cover in 3-4 coats. It didn't. I had to reapply and reapply repeatedly, timing each coat for 60 seconds, then rinsing with clean water. This process easily took 1 ½ – 2 hours. I finally got the gun to the point where it looked more or less uniformly blue (black, actually), but the finish on the metal left me wanting something a little better. I forced it dry as described above. The depth of the color and sheen was richer in some places than others. The last step is to apply Birchwood-Casey's Barricade liberally over the entire gun and let it cure overnight. While still damp with the Barricade, the Llama did look uniformly shinier and richer in color. I decided I could live with it looking like that and left it to cure overnight and went upstairs.
The next day I eagerly went downstairs to view my handiwork. I was disappointed to find that an orange hue had formed at the base of the ejector rod and around the edges (and probably underneath) of the chamber release button. Here's where I should have read the entire instruction booklet. The Barricade provided is on a wet-wipe. As it turns out. I don't believe it is possible to apply this properly so that it seeps into crevices and protects everything in a manner to prevent rust from forming overnight. Only after my disappointment did I read the “Troubleshooting Tips” on the last page. Where it suggests the possibility of “Bluing looked great but turned to brown rust” the answer was: “Did not apply Barricade rust protection {OR OTHER MOISTURE DISPLACING RUST PREVENTATIVE}!! Doah! If I'd only known this to begin with, I would have hosed the thing down with Rem-Oil! In addition, the metal had a non-uniformly dull and waxy look to it. A lot of work for crappy results. NOT happy at this point! I actually put the gun in the locker and walked away from it for a few days till the steam stopped coming out of my ears. I finally got it out and studied it wondering what should be my next move.
After thoughtful examination, I decided on a couple of things. The first thing was that with no guarantee of any better results, I really didn't want to take the finish down and try this all over again. The second was, that other than a couple of small “blooms” of orange and the uneven shine of the finish, the overall evenness of the color on the rest of the gun was actually pretty good. I began to consider what might be possible to salvage the existing finish. I needed something that would even out the shine, add protection to the metal, and if possible add color (black) to the areas that were rusty orange or thin. It seemed an impossibility at first, but something was bubbling up in the back of my mind that told me this might all be possible. Then the thought finally jelled and hit me in the face. Wasn't there some kind of polish they used to use on cast iron stoves that shined, protected, and colored...BLACK? Hmmm...
I got online and found numerous products available. It seems that Home Depot, Lowes and Ace Hardware USED to stock this stuff, but now just have it available online. I read the descriptions and reviews of the various brands, and narrowed it down to the “Imperial” stove polish offered by Lowes for 2 reasons: Lowes is closest to me ( in the event a return was in order), and this stuff is water based and advertised to be odorless whereas other types were reported in reviews to smell nasty. I ordered it and after 3 days it was at my door.
This stuff comes in a small plastic jar. A humorous aside: I opened the box it came in and left the jar on the kitchen counter. My wife saw it, didn't read the label, and out it in the pantry thinking it was beef bullion. When you open it, it looks like black tapioca. However, when rubbed onto metal (use rubber gloves!) it is much like applying shoe polish. Like shoe polish, it hazes over rather quickly and takes a bit of rubbing to buff out to a sheen. And as advertised, it is virtuously odorless. I went over the entire gun three times using a Q-tip to force it into cracks and crevices each time applying, waiting to dry, and buffing with a cloth.
Results? I'm actually very happy with it! It did add color to areas that needed it, it provided a needed, uniform shine (but not too much), and it will add some moisture protection. I'm quite sure that repeated applications will be required over time and haven't cleaned the gun yet with the polish applied so it will be interesting to see how it holds up to Rem-Oil. I haven't fired the gun like this yet either, so it'll also be interesting to see how it withstands any side-blast coming from between the barrel and chamber. But even if reapplication is needed every time the gun is cleaned, I'll consider it a decent trade-off against having to refinish the gun a second time with uncertain results. Is this a decent idea or am I just crazy?
Fast forward to present, and I've purchased a fairly nice Llama “Commanche II” .38 Special. As received, the gun had a grip that was like new (possibly refinished?) and the bluing was generally in very good shape with just a few minor blemishes – a couple of very small spots of minor surface rust and pitting, and a couple of other areas where the bluing just looked thin. I debated hard about doing anything to it at all, but finally decided that this was going to be my first lesson in “gun bluing 101”.
I studied a number of articles and videos online and soon found myself in front of the gun bluing supplies at Gander Mountain. I decided to buy a complete gun bluing kit by Birchwood-Casey which included Cleaner-Degreaser, Blue and Rust Remover, and Perma Blue, and all the amenities needed to re-blue a gun. I had actually seen a video on Youtube where a guy used browning first, then the bluing and got excellent results, but Gander didn't have it on the shelf so I headed home with just the kit.
While this was my first attempt at gun re-bluing, I just want to report that I do have a moderate amount of experience at auto painting and refinishing. So the basic concepts of careful preparation and cleanliness were well understood and I “thought” studiously applied. I read the “bluing instructions” twice before I started – but I should have gone further - more on that in a moment. I got the entire gun down to shiny, bare metal and used the Cleaner-Degreaser liberally over and over again. The instructions say “When you think you've got it clean enough, clean it twice more!” I did that. I dried the gun with a heat gun and a hair dryer, let it cool, and followed the bluing application guide carefully.
I was expecting the bluing to cover in 3-4 coats. It didn't. I had to reapply and reapply repeatedly, timing each coat for 60 seconds, then rinsing with clean water. This process easily took 1 ½ – 2 hours. I finally got the gun to the point where it looked more or less uniformly blue (black, actually), but the finish on the metal left me wanting something a little better. I forced it dry as described above. The depth of the color and sheen was richer in some places than others. The last step is to apply Birchwood-Casey's Barricade liberally over the entire gun and let it cure overnight. While still damp with the Barricade, the Llama did look uniformly shinier and richer in color. I decided I could live with it looking like that and left it to cure overnight and went upstairs.
The next day I eagerly went downstairs to view my handiwork. I was disappointed to find that an orange hue had formed at the base of the ejector rod and around the edges (and probably underneath) of the chamber release button. Here's where I should have read the entire instruction booklet. The Barricade provided is on a wet-wipe. As it turns out. I don't believe it is possible to apply this properly so that it seeps into crevices and protects everything in a manner to prevent rust from forming overnight. Only after my disappointment did I read the “Troubleshooting Tips” on the last page. Where it suggests the possibility of “Bluing looked great but turned to brown rust” the answer was: “Did not apply Barricade rust protection {OR OTHER MOISTURE DISPLACING RUST PREVENTATIVE}!! Doah! If I'd only known this to begin with, I would have hosed the thing down with Rem-Oil! In addition, the metal had a non-uniformly dull and waxy look to it. A lot of work for crappy results. NOT happy at this point! I actually put the gun in the locker and walked away from it for a few days till the steam stopped coming out of my ears. I finally got it out and studied it wondering what should be my next move.
After thoughtful examination, I decided on a couple of things. The first thing was that with no guarantee of any better results, I really didn't want to take the finish down and try this all over again. The second was, that other than a couple of small “blooms” of orange and the uneven shine of the finish, the overall evenness of the color on the rest of the gun was actually pretty good. I began to consider what might be possible to salvage the existing finish. I needed something that would even out the shine, add protection to the metal, and if possible add color (black) to the areas that were rusty orange or thin. It seemed an impossibility at first, but something was bubbling up in the back of my mind that told me this might all be possible. Then the thought finally jelled and hit me in the face. Wasn't there some kind of polish they used to use on cast iron stoves that shined, protected, and colored...BLACK? Hmmm...
I got online and found numerous products available. It seems that Home Depot, Lowes and Ace Hardware USED to stock this stuff, but now just have it available online. I read the descriptions and reviews of the various brands, and narrowed it down to the “Imperial” stove polish offered by Lowes for 2 reasons: Lowes is closest to me ( in the event a return was in order), and this stuff is water based and advertised to be odorless whereas other types were reported in reviews to smell nasty. I ordered it and after 3 days it was at my door.
This stuff comes in a small plastic jar. A humorous aside: I opened the box it came in and left the jar on the kitchen counter. My wife saw it, didn't read the label, and out it in the pantry thinking it was beef bullion. When you open it, it looks like black tapioca. However, when rubbed onto metal (use rubber gloves!) it is much like applying shoe polish. Like shoe polish, it hazes over rather quickly and takes a bit of rubbing to buff out to a sheen. And as advertised, it is virtuously odorless. I went over the entire gun three times using a Q-tip to force it into cracks and crevices each time applying, waiting to dry, and buffing with a cloth.
Results? I'm actually very happy with it! It did add color to areas that needed it, it provided a needed, uniform shine (but not too much), and it will add some moisture protection. I'm quite sure that repeated applications will be required over time and haven't cleaned the gun yet with the polish applied so it will be interesting to see how it holds up to Rem-Oil. I haven't fired the gun like this yet either, so it'll also be interesting to see how it withstands any side-blast coming from between the barrel and chamber. But even if reapplication is needed every time the gun is cleaned, I'll consider it a decent trade-off against having to refinish the gun a second time with uncertain results. Is this a decent idea or am I just crazy?