blueing question

[MUKAK]

bored and i got an AK and a couple of Mosins i would like to BLUE

what brand do i use

and can some1 dumb it down to me, never blued a gun before

[hellayella]

Brownells cold blue

[Dutch Henry]

Cold blue is not very durable. You'd be better off to have them professionally blued or have a Cerakote finish applied. If you want to do it yourself, Duracoat would give you much better results that cold bluing, IMO.

[MUKAK]

Cold blue is not very durable. You'd be better off to have them professionally blued or have a Cerakote finish applied. If you want to do it yourself, Duracoat would give you much better results that cold bluing, IMO.

i really like the way Blueing looks on guns, plus it will give me something to do

is there any other way of blueing other than "COLD BLUE"??

[m35a2]

Hot bluing is a heated mixture of potassium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, kinda ugly to work with, toxic and, wadda you do with the left overs. Cold bluing is a liquid or paste that is applied and removed, it uses selenium acids. pastes are easier to work with. I like the Birchwood Casey stuff.
I have touched up barrels, receivers, triggers using cold blue and am in process of a complete SKS. The finish depends on the metal prep, and, dis similar metals blue differently. If you do a welded receiver, like a milled AK or an SG42, the weld will be a different shade than the original metal. A bead/glass blasted surface will turn out matte and a smooth surface is a bit more satiny, a polished surface a bit on the shiny side.

[onelonehorseman]

I've used Cold Blue for minor touch-ups too, but I think if I had an entire gun to do, I'd send it out for the real deal.

If you just want to tinker, don't want to spend a lot of $, and are not too worried if it wears a bit quickly, go for it. It will probably look better than white metal or a rattle can job.

Post pics when its done please.

[supergimp]

You can do ok with Herters (http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...-prod7604.aspx) but it really takes a lot of patience and a lot of prep.

Prep is everything as bluing only enhances defects in the metal.

Strip. Polish. Boil. Blue. Boil. Card. Repeat.

You'll need a tank big enough to boil your largest parts in, a clean warm place to dry (cabinet) and a lot of patience. Can't stress enough the prep (cleaning and polishing) is everything.

Midway has a good video of the process on YouTube.

I've also used Duracoat on C&R (Mauser) sporter hunting rifles and have been really impressed with the result and durability. You can also use additives that help mask defects in the metal if your prep work isn't perfect.

[RGMoore]

Used this on a sporter barrel and various parts on a Milsurp Mauser build.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/metal-bluing/liquid-cold-bluing-chemicals/oxpho-blue--prod1072.aspx

Turned out decent and you can't tell it was not done professionally unless you look really close in good light.
It is not as durable as a hot blue job but you can touch it up easily.

[supermario]

I blued an old gun. Sanded it down to bare metal. Then rubbed the blueing on, rinsed, dried and repeat until i got the darkness i wanted. Just follow directions on back of container. Looks pretty good to me and i only spent about $20 for materials.

[supermario]

I used this and that lil bottle goes a long way.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/metal-bluing/liquid-cold-bluing-chemicals/3-oz-super-blue-sku167008200-24770-11060.aspx

Fyi, the rifle i blued was old and had rust all over barrel. Its a friends and i told him id make it look better. I didnt charge him. Just wanted to try and do it. Its looks 100x better now and i stained the wood as well.

[m35a2]

I've used Cold Blue for minor touch-ups too, but I think if I had an entire gun to do, I'd send it out for the real deal.

If you just want to tinker, don't want to spend a lot of $, and are not too worried if it wears a bit quickly, go for it. It will probably look better than white metal or a rattle can job.

Post pics when its done please.

Here is the finished product..Prep is everything. The paint on it came off with brake cleaner. Everything except the mag was fine glass bead blasted

[jeremyro]

I used the Birchwood Casey cold blue paste to finish my Sten build. It turned out nice and the finish matches the original parts pretty well. Just make sure to prep your surface well and the keep the space exceptionally clean.

[-hanko]

I'd recommend Brownells, not only do they have the solution and equipment you need, but their tech support guys are outstanding if you have questions...they've btdt themselves. They have a ton of info online about blueing.

[hellayella]

U want hot blue then send it off to Two Rivers Arms; they do bluing to match the Yugos they build...afaik, the toxic byproducts from the hot bluing process is a no no in Calif

[peppermintman]

You want cold blue a complete AK?

Watch "Professional Gun Smith bluing process revealed - Professional Gun Smithing Series" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/ez3cD5gs0gk

There's a guy in the city of Orange that does hot blueing but long wait and big money. I send small parts out, to this guy