Blue Wonder Products??

[LubeckTech]

I am the proud new owner of Gunbroker item #83455637 which is a pinned S&W Model 15 BUT it is in poor cosmetic condition - please take a look. I could take it to a gunsmith and have it reblued and since I will have only $215.00 total in it when I get it into my hands that would make sense HOWEVER where would the fun be in that??!! So before I do that I'd like to have a go at restoring the finish myself. Plus my mother-in law has foolishly entrusted me with the task of refinishing her basically worthless Iver-Johnson .32 S&W top break revolver which is in worse shape than the model 15. I've been hearing about Blue Wonder products and watched the video which looks impressive but am wondering if anyone here has any experience or better yet pictures with this stuff? What about Bullfrog's (definately outdoor) formula?? Any other ideas including psychiatric care recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[mballai]

There's no substitute for a high quality bluing job. If you want to touch up the bluing on a gun, you can use cold blues like Blue Wonder or something simpler like Brownells Oxpho Blue. Professional refinishers do an incredibly good job and are worth the expense if you like the gun.

[BillCA]

First thing to remember is that no cold blue product will give you the same results as a professionally done hot-blue. There's nothing like a professional blue job. :p

Before embarking on this project, have a gunsmith inspect the gun for any needed repairs and to make sure it's a worthwhile restoration project.

The next thing to remember is that the most important aspect of a refinishing job is surface preparation. On the gun as pictured, I'd start by stripping out the internal parts, then examining the scratches and dings on the frame, cylinder and barrel. Scratches can sometimes be polished out with a polishing compound. Dings and deep scratches may need to be filed down, rounded or smoothed and then polished.

Any and all surface rust must be removed. Kroil and a copper choreboy pad will usually do the job here, but inspect any pitting and polish it out if you can.

Bare metal spots will show a different color than a blued surface. If possible, remove as much of the bluing as possible. Or polish off small spots into larger bare spots and spot-finish them to get close to the existing blue before attempting to blue the whole gun.

Before even attempting to use any bluing products, degrease and dry the gun completely and wear gloves while handling it. Any oil or solvents will contaminate the bluing solution.

Keep in mind that your gun will probably look "mottled" in bright sunlight if you use a cold-blue product. If you don't want to spend the money for a professional refinish job, and you just want a uniform finish, you might look into some of the bake-on finishes that spray on and are baked onto the gun in your oven.