If you have read any of my restoration threads you know I do a fair amount of cold bluing. I’ve gotten a few messages asking about the task and which cold blue is best. The thing is I really don’t know how to answer that since it’s hard to define best. Is it the lowest cost blue or the one that is easiest to apply or the one that color matches your gun the closest or is it the one that staves off corrosion the best or is it the one that does not wear off?? I don’t think there is one that meets all those criteria but I am willing to find out.
For most people, it might be the one that their local store carries so that’s all they have tried. At the same time there are questions from capable folks wanting to tackle their gun project but are uneasy about baring the metal and touching up or rebluing an entire gun out of fear (and the cost of a professional job) so they do nothing.
Since we learn by doing and improve by self reflection and because I too can get in a comfort zone with products I use, I decided to get a bunch of cold bluing products that are easy to find (the internet makes all of them easy to find) from local stores such as Gander Mtn and Cabelas and online from Brownells or at gun shows. All the products would be easily obtainable to somebody planning to do some bluing. I bought mostly known name brands (but not all of the brand as I don’t have unlimited time or money) to do an evaluation.
But first, a few things to get out of the way.
1. This is not a test. To call it such would be unfair to every test heretofore conducted. This is an evaluation and a comparison of several cold bluing products, nothing more, nothing less. If the cold bluing nirvana exists and it’s not part of the list of products I bought, then the best I can do is tell you about ones I am about to try.
2. I am not a pro. I am a hobbyist just like you but with some experience with metal, be It making custom knives or gun parts or gun restorations. I have a day job in the medical engineering field and metal and guns and knives are just relaxation. This evaluation is not for the experience bluer with a favorite product and special tricks to get a better blue job. This is for the novice contemplating trying bluing but confused by all the brands/claims available. This is not MY way of using blue but rather the Mfgr's instructions for using their blue.
3. I anticipate complaints and helpful comments about how I should have done this for better results. That is not the point of this evaluation. The average guy wont know special tricks and techniques to get better results and will only follow the instructions so if you have found better results by first coating the barrel in ketchup or lime-away or unicorn pee or only bluing during a full moon, that’s great info and I think folks would like to know your special tricks to achieve improved results (if you can quantify it with substance) but for the purposes of this evaluation it would be unfair to do anything but what the directions instruct.
4. I am not beholding to nor affiliated with any product or company I am about to mention. I’m just curious about cold bluing (and based on messages I have been getting, so are you.) I plan to be completely impartial since I have no reason to try to sway the results since I am hoping to find the best blue to use myself.
Enough prattle. The products I will be evaluating are (in no particular order)
Everything you want to learn about G96 can be found here.
http://www.g96.com/products/gun-blue-creme/#
Everything you want to learn about Oxpho-blue can be found here.
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...luing-chemicals/oxpho-blue-reg--prod1072.aspx
And this will educate you about Dicropan T4
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-bluing-chemicals/dicropan-t-4--prod1085.aspx
Here is the link to Birchwood Casey Perma blue
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/41...ue-cold-blue-3-oz-liquid?cm_vc=ProductFinding
Birchwood Casey Super blue.
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/284241/birchwood-casey-super-blue-cold-blue-3-oz-liquid
And Finally Nu-Blu from the Stock Doc. (which appears to only be available online or at gun shows. I bought mine a 2 weeks ago at a gun show from the Stock Doc booth.
http://stockdocusa.com/products.html
I know what you’re thinking. “Awe man he isn’t trying Brand X or brand Y and that’s what I use or can get my hands on.”
Sorry.
Ive asked my wife to assist me with this evaluation. She is always commenting on how we never spend enough time together. This will be a good bonding experience.
The sample metal sticks were all sheared from the same cold rolled steel sheet into manageable sample sizes
Then all were given a unique alpha identifier stamped into both sides that will be linked to the blue brand. You may have noticed there are more samples than there are bluing compounds. The extra samples will serve as a control since I plan to do a corrosion evaluation after bluing coupled with Birchwood Casey Barricade as well as an abrasion resistance evaluation. More on that later as I need to encourage my wife to work a little faster at the buffing wheel. You know, more work, less talk and make sure to lift with your back and that sort of positive encouragement.
For most people, it might be the one that their local store carries so that’s all they have tried. At the same time there are questions from capable folks wanting to tackle their gun project but are uneasy about baring the metal and touching up or rebluing an entire gun out of fear (and the cost of a professional job) so they do nothing.
Since we learn by doing and improve by self reflection and because I too can get in a comfort zone with products I use, I decided to get a bunch of cold bluing products that are easy to find (the internet makes all of them easy to find) from local stores such as Gander Mtn and Cabelas and online from Brownells or at gun shows. All the products would be easily obtainable to somebody planning to do some bluing. I bought mostly known name brands (but not all of the brand as I don’t have unlimited time or money) to do an evaluation.
But first, a few things to get out of the way.
1. This is not a test. To call it such would be unfair to every test heretofore conducted. This is an evaluation and a comparison of several cold bluing products, nothing more, nothing less. If the cold bluing nirvana exists and it’s not part of the list of products I bought, then the best I can do is tell you about ones I am about to try.
2. I am not a pro. I am a hobbyist just like you but with some experience with metal, be It making custom knives or gun parts or gun restorations. I have a day job in the medical engineering field and metal and guns and knives are just relaxation. This evaluation is not for the experience bluer with a favorite product and special tricks to get a better blue job. This is for the novice contemplating trying bluing but confused by all the brands/claims available. This is not MY way of using blue but rather the Mfgr's instructions for using their blue.
3. I anticipate complaints and helpful comments about how I should have done this for better results. That is not the point of this evaluation. The average guy wont know special tricks and techniques to get better results and will only follow the instructions so if you have found better results by first coating the barrel in ketchup or lime-away or unicorn pee or only bluing during a full moon, that’s great info and I think folks would like to know your special tricks to achieve improved results (if you can quantify it with substance) but for the purposes of this evaluation it would be unfair to do anything but what the directions instruct.
4. I am not beholding to nor affiliated with any product or company I am about to mention. I’m just curious about cold bluing (and based on messages I have been getting, so are you.) I plan to be completely impartial since I have no reason to try to sway the results since I am hoping to find the best blue to use myself.
Enough prattle. The products I will be evaluating are (in no particular order)
Everything you want to learn about G96 can be found here.
http://www.g96.com/products/gun-blue-creme/#
Everything you want to learn about Oxpho-blue can be found here.
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...luing-chemicals/oxpho-blue-reg--prod1072.aspx
And this will educate you about Dicropan T4
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-bluing-chemicals/dicropan-t-4--prod1085.aspx
Here is the link to Birchwood Casey Perma blue
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/41...ue-cold-blue-3-oz-liquid?cm_vc=ProductFinding
Birchwood Casey Super blue.
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/284241/birchwood-casey-super-blue-cold-blue-3-oz-liquid
And Finally Nu-Blu from the Stock Doc. (which appears to only be available online or at gun shows. I bought mine a 2 weeks ago at a gun show from the Stock Doc booth.
http://stockdocusa.com/products.html
I know what you’re thinking. “Awe man he isn’t trying Brand X or brand Y and that’s what I use or can get my hands on.”
Sorry.
Ive asked my wife to assist me with this evaluation. She is always commenting on how we never spend enough time together. This will be a good bonding experience.
The sample metal sticks were all sheared from the same cold rolled steel sheet into manageable sample sizes
Then all were given a unique alpha identifier stamped into both sides that will be linked to the blue brand. You may have noticed there are more samples than there are bluing compounds. The extra samples will serve as a control since I plan to do a corrosion evaluation after bluing coupled with Birchwood Casey Barricade as well as an abrasion resistance evaluation. More on that later as I need to encourage my wife to work a little faster at the buffing wheel. You know, more work, less talk and make sure to lift with your back and that sort of positive encouragement.