Gun Bluing?

alwaysastrategy said:

Is this something you can do yourself? Uh, is this something i should try to do, is a more accurate question. Also, can you do a matte black finnish?

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It's not that difficult or expensive ($20), and actually can be quite rewarding. The gunshop method of stainless steel tanks and acid/blueing salts is the best method, but it is not necessary to get a decent job if you are willing to do some careful metal prep. manually. I have done several guns over the years and the worst part is preparation. Steel wool, scotch brite pads, and emery cloth remove the old bluing quite well with a lot of elbow grease, and the bare metal must be thoroughly degreased with Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Acetone, or even Alcohol, and latex gloves worn throughout the process to keep the oils in your skin from contaminating the metal after it has been degreased. Care must be taken with guns that are engraved in order to avoid removing or damaging the engraving. A blueing remover (acid) is advised for engraved guns since it is almost impossible to completely remove the blueing from the engraving. Common sense is necessary to avoid creating scratches which run perpendicular to the metal "grain" (ie. don't use lengthwise strokes on a barrel - use a twisting motion) If the metal is not prepared properly you will get a lousy blotchy job. I have used Birchwood Casey cold bluing solution with much success, but I would place the barreled action in an oven for 10 minutes at low heat (200 degrees) before applying the blueing solution. I would repeat this 3 or 4 times rinsing with water and degreasing between applications to get a rich blue/black appearance. I recently bought a new process made by Wonder Blue and plan on bluing an old Ithaca Mod.37. I have heard excellent reviews with regards to Blue Wonder. Count on spending two days to blue a rifle properly.