What brand of cold blue?

[nighthunter]

I recently found my Marlin 336 to have developed some surface rust on the barrel and tube. I have twice used Brownells 44/40 Instant Gun Blue and have followed the instructions on the bottle. I coated the surface afterwards with a good gun oil as instructed. The spots that were rusted continue to rust again. Am I doing something wrong or is there a better product out there to stop this surface rusting? I hate to see any type of rust on my firearms.

Nighthunter

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Scrub the barrel down with soap and very hot water. Wipe most of the water off, and while still hot, wipe it down with a liberal coat of Brownells Oxpho Blue. Rinse again with hot water only, and wipe down with the blue once more. Between coats, you can wipe before rinsing with 0000 steel wool. After drying, wipe it down with a liberal coat of Birchwood Casey Sheath, and let it soak in for a few hours. The water has to be very hot to both increase the action of the blue, and to aid drying. You also have to wear rubber gloves, or hold the part with paper towels to prevent skin oils from affecting the blue. I've blued complete barrels "in the white" by this method, and it come pretty close to hot blue. The secret is the hot water.

Morgan

[badgeredd]

nighthunter,

I happened on some cold blue that I think is pretty good stuff. It is "Blue Wonder" brand Gun Blue. I tried some on a beater gun and am very impressed with the results. They recommend cleaning the barrel with their Gun Cleaner. I got it from Midway and like I said I am impressed with the appearance of the finished job. It IS still a cold blue process and I haven't had it done all that long, maybe six months. I bought it on sale just to see if it was worth anything.

Edd

[colbyjack]

+1 on Brownells Oxpho Blue. did my model 31 shot gun. cleaned off with gun scrubber, put all small parts in lil rubbermaid. wearing rubber gloves so no oils get on them. pour in blueing rock back and forth and wala done. pour back into jug. rinse with water and rub with oil and ultra fine steel wool. then get a pvc tube. pour with blueing. put in barell shake pour out blue and rinse and repeat same as above. works great.

before

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07064.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07065.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07067.jpg

after

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07044.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07046.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/xmas07047.jpg

-chris

[Charley]

If you are going to use a cold blue, Oxpho Blue is better than anything else I've used.
I don't care much for Blue Wonder? The parts I finished it with were indeed blue, but inless than 2 years they turned a nasty gray. Stuff is properly named, you will wonder where the blue went.

Small parts I now niter blue, and bigger stuiff I rust blue. Looks a whole lot better.

[Bret4207]

Oxpho Blue. Degrease some 4/0 steel wool and buff the rust spots down. Degrease the area to be blued very, very well and warm the metal with a hair dryer. Then apply the blue while warm with either degreased 4/0 steel wool or a wad of coarse brown paper toweling. Reapply till you get the color as close as you can to the other areas and them oil liberally while the metal is still warm. Any freckling you get will show you you didn't get all the oil off something.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Good job Colbyjack, but your plumb outa lollies!!!

[Char-Gar]

Cold blue will color the metal, but will do nothing to stop the rust that has already set up on the metal. The rusting metal must be removed first.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Cold blue will color the metal, but will do nothing to stop the rust that has already set up on the metal. The rusting metal must be removed first.

That's what scrubbing with the hot soapy water is for. Birchwood Casey Sheath, used after bluing, also helps to stop any chemical action.
Blueing is just a form of rust (black magnetic iron oxide). When slow rust bluing, as I used to do with fine double shotguns, the barrels were as red as any rusty piece of iron, until I carded them.
Morgan

[Molly]

+1 on Oxypho Blue also (from Brownells), and applying to hot metal is also very good. But I've had more uniform results by wetting a cotton patch and wringing it as dry as I could before applying the the de-rusted, degreassed metal. I thought I 'd toss in a cudo for Dircopan IM while at it. Haven't used a whole lot of it, but got some very fine results recently with it. I diluted it with tap water to about 10 or 20% concentration, and applied to warm metal. Worked great for appearance, but don't know about durability.

[philthephlier]

without a doubt the best cold blue I have ever used. Heat the metal as mentioned and then I apply the solution with cotton swabs, then immediately rub with 0000 steel wool. Repeat as necessary until the part has an even depth of color all over.
The finish is VERY durable and easily touched up later on. Parts should be free of all rust before beginning.

[housedad]

Oxypho blue was my #1 go to cold blue when I ran my shop. It had the basic shad of color that matched most. It is easy to put on, and great results.

However, to get the best results, the key is degreasing. Acetone, brake cleaner, etc. any of them will work. Do not touch it again with your hands.

Be wary of certain cotton swabs. They may contain chromates in the dyes and will give a greenish streak. Same thing with certain cloths. Pure,and I mean pure cottom balls worked the best for me. Even so, for touch ups, I just poured som blue in a medicine cup, and wet my steel wool at the tip of my finger, and started rubbing it on. 2 to 3 applications, and it blends beatifully. (don't pour the blue back in the bottle. it is contaminated. throw it down the sink.)

However, if you have a gun that is a lighter blue, Then you would want to use Dicropan. Perfect for that problem. A similar mix to most blues that are sold in stores, but a much smoother and nicer formula to work with.

[Clark]

In the Seattle area, tap water can be allot like distilled water [it rains most days].

I used to be on a kick that Dicropan was darker, but Oxpho blue lasted
longer, so I would put Dicropan on first and get it down in the micro
valleys, and then rub hard with Oxpho on the micro ridges.

That trick makes dark and long lasting cold blue, but it only works on
steels that take both cold blues well.

If you can find this stuff, get some, and you will broaden what you can
do besides Oxpho and Dicropan.

http://www.g96.com/miva/graphics/00000001/gunbluecreme-small.gif

You will need:
1) Towels
2) Paper towels
3) Kleenex
4) Hot running water
5) 3 dedicated tooth brushes
6) Motor oil
7) Oxpho blue: liquid works better, cream is easier to use
8) Some other darker cold blue
9) Liquid detergent, like SIMPLE GREEN

Get the part hot and soapy, and scrub it with a tooth brush.
Rinse and dry without getting finger prints on it or letting it cool down.
Scrub on the dark cold blue with a tooth brush for a minute.
Get the part hot and soapy, and scrub it with a tooth brush.
Rinse and dry without getting finger prints on it or letting it cool down.
Scrub on the Oxpho cold blue with a tooth brush for a minute.
Apply oil lightly without rubbing off the Oxpho blue.
Leave overnight.
Get the part hot and soapy, and scrub it with a tooth brush.
Rinse and dry.
Rub oil on it.
Wipe off excess oil.

Repeat until dark and durable enough.

For whole barrels, spin them in the lathe to rub in the Oxpho.

With barrels, put a rubber stopper in the muzzle and breech to keep
liquids out.