Nickel finish OVER blue?

Cossack · September 10, 2015, 11:09 PM

Is it possible to apply a nickel finish to a gun without first removing the Blued finish beneath?

I have a pre-war P35 High Power, which originally would have originally had a rust blued finish. Before I acquired it, it had been Nickel Plated. I've thought about trying to remove the Nickel and rust-blue the pistol again, but as I was looking at it I realized that it all of the places where the nickel finish is rubbing away (most of the areas that regularly experience friction) rather than being in the white, it's black. Is it possible that this gun was simply nickel plated right over the bluing?

If so, is there any chance that some of the bluing could be intact underneath if the nickel was reverse electroplated? Or could there be some other way of preserving and uncovering any original bluing if it's still there?

James K · September 10, 2015, 11:18 PM

It shouldn't have been and that could be why the nickel is coming off. You can try having a plater remove the nickel using the reverse of the plating process; it is done all the time. If that works, and it should, then you can remove the bluing, either chemically (rust and blue remover) or mechanically (polishing wheel) and start over with your rust blue.

Jim

Bill DeShivs · September 10, 2015, 11:36 PM

It would be very difficult to get a decent plating over bluing-probably impossible. The steel is simply tarnishing where the nickel is missing. I would suggest chemically stripping the nickel and then rust bluing. You have to make sure ALL the nickel is removed, though.

Cossack · September 10, 2015, 11:52 PM

Bill, that's what I thought about the nickel, but I started to wonder when I saw the black in so many places.

After I've had a successful go of rust bluing on a gun that's less special (I've got one that I'm sanding now), I'll get the nickel stripped and rust blue it.

mete · September 13, 2015, 08:06 AM

A proper plating job requires a chemically clean surface. Without that you invite peeling !
Make sure ALL bluing and everthing else is removed , then plate.

September 10, 2015, 11:09 PM	#1
Cossack Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2006 Posts: 260	Nickel finish OVER blue? Is it possible to apply a nickel finish to a gun without first removing the Blued finish beneath? I have a pre-war P35 High Power, which originally would have originally had a rust blued finish. Before I acquired it, it had been Nickel Plated. I've thought about trying to remove the Nickel and rust-blue the pistol again, but as I was looking at it I realized that it all of the places where the nickel finish is rubbing away (most of the areas that regularly experience friction) rather than being in the white, it's black. Is it possible that this gun was simply nickel plated right over the bluing? If so, is there any chance that some of the bluing could be intact underneath if the nickel was reverse electroplated? Or could there be some other way of preserving and uncovering any original bluing if it's still there?

September 10, 2015, 11:36 PM	#3
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	It would be very difficult to get a decent plating over bluing-probably impossible. The steel is simply tarnishing where the nickel is missing. I would suggest chemically stripping the nickel and then rust bluing. You have to make sure ALL the nickel is removed, though. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 13, 2015, 08:06 AM	#5
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	A proper plating job requires a chemically clean surface. Without that you invite peeling ! Make sure ALL bluing and everthing else is removed , then plate. __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

September 10, 2015, 11:18 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	It shouldn't have been and that could be why the nickel is coming off. You can try having a plater remove the nickel using the reverse of the plating process; it is done all the time. If that works, and it should, then you can remove the bluing, either chemically (rust and blue remover) or mechanically (polishing wheel) and start over with your rust blue. Jim

September 10, 2015, 11:52 PM	#4
Cossack Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2006 Posts: 260	Bill, that's what I thought about the nickel, but I started to wonder when I saw the black in so many places. After I've had a successful go of rust bluing on a gun that's less special (I've got one that I'm sanding now), I'll get the nickel stripped and rust blue it.