Help! Reblue

Pongo357 · February 15, 2014, 04:59 PM

I'm rebluing a Model 49 S&W. Is the sideplate of a different material than the frame and cylinder? It's not taking the blue at all. Suggestions, hints, any kind of help. I'm using Oxpho Blue

Roughedge · February 15, 2014, 07:20 PM

You need to hot blue it, oxpho is mostly for touch up. Try heating it up a little and see if it takes. Not red hot just warm.

Pongo357 · February 18, 2014, 04:33 PM

I'm not set up for hot blue, or I would. I tried heating it and it's still not taking.

Dixie Gunsmithing · February 18, 2014, 04:38 PM

Was the sideplate blued beforehand? Could it be a stainless plate? Check to see if its magnetic or see if a magnet will stick to it.

Pongo357 · February 18, 2014, 05:14 PM

The magnet sticks. And yes, it was blued before.

Dixie Gunsmithing · February 18, 2014, 05:34 PM

It sounds almost like it is a 400 series stainless, as magnets will stick, and the 400 series will rust a small bit, but it is about impossible to color without hot bluing with specialized salts. That, or it has some high amount of an alloy in it that is stubborn to taking a cold blue.

The only thing I might recommend, would get some Brownell's Dicropan T4, and heating the part to around 212 degrees in an oven, to see if it will take. This is a hot water blue, but has been used by heating the part in an oven. If this won't touch it, you'll most likely have to send it out.

Pongo357 · February 18, 2014, 05:48 PM

Ok, thank you

Dixie Gunsmithing · February 18, 2014, 06:20 PM

You're welcome.

I might add, you will probably have to apply the blue four to five times, while using steel wool in between. Heat the part, take it out, apply the bluing, steel wool, then re-heat. It should get darker each time. Also, you will most likely have to do the rest of the gun this way to get it to match.

James K · February 19, 2014, 02:15 PM

Oxpho blue is a good cold blue, but it is a cold blue. Even if applied as Dixie Gunsmithing suggests, it will not stand up very long to even normal handling. I generally discourage folks from using any kind of cold blue; the result is usually a gun with no original finish and a spotty finish that looks like h.... well, a cold blue job. I have compared using cold blue on a gun to using canned spray paint on a car; it might be OK for touching up a small ding, but doing a whole car that way is not advisable (to put it mildly).

Jim

Bill DeShivs · February 19, 2014, 03:51 PM

Rust bluing is the only alternative that works, looks good, and holds up.
While it is relatively labor-intensive, it is no more so than the effort you will expend trying to get cold bluing to look right (and it never will.)

**Unclenick** · February 22, 2014, 06:06 PM

I agree with Bill. For home bluing that's a real iron oxide blue and not selenium coloring, as the cold blues are, and that doesn't have the dangers of molten hot bluing salts involved, rust bluing is the way to go. Search the forum and I'm pretty sure you'll find more than one past thread that describes it pretty completely. It will not be as glossy or quite as black as a real S&W blue. To my eye it's a little more like the blue on my grandfathers old Colt Police Positive.

Midlandgunner · February 24, 2014, 10:52 PM

Rust blue it. I just completed a S&W Pre Model 10 using Mark Lee Express Blue #1 from Brownells.

February 15, 2014, 07:20 PM	#2
Roughedge Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Location: Monroe,NC Posts: 669	You need to hot blue it, oxpho is mostly for touch up. Try heating it up a little and see if it takes. Not red hot just warm. __________________ The man that die's with the most stuff win's!

February 19, 2014, 03:51 PM	#10
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	Rust bluing is the only alternative that works, looks good, and holds up. While it is relatively labor-intensive, it is no more so than the effort you will expend trying to get cold bluing to look right (and it never will.) __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

February 22, 2014, 06:06 PM	#11
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	I agree with Bill. For home bluing that's a real iron oxide blue and not selenium coloring, as the cold blues are, and that doesn't have the dangers of molten hot bluing salts involved, rust bluing is the way to go. Search the forum and I'm pretty sure you'll find more than one past thread that describes it pretty completely. It will not be as glossy or quite as black as a real S&W blue. To my eye it's a little more like the blue on my grandfathers old Colt Police Positive. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 15, 2014, 04:59 PM	#1
Pongo357 Junior Member Join Date: September 8, 2012 Location: Northeast Indiana Posts: 10	Help! Reblue I'm rebluing a Model 49 S&W. Is the sideplate of a different material than the frame and cylinder? It's not taking the blue at all. Suggestions, hints, any kind of help. I'm using Oxpho Blue

February 18, 2014, 04:33 PM	#3
Pongo357 Junior Member Join Date: September 8, 2012 Location: Northeast Indiana Posts: 10	I'm not set up for hot blue, or I would. I tried heating it and it's still not taking.

February 18, 2014, 04:38 PM	#4
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	Was the sideplate blued beforehand? Could it be a stainless plate? Check to see if its magnetic or see if a magnet will stick to it.

February 18, 2014, 05:14 PM	#5
Pongo357 Junior Member Join Date: September 8, 2012 Location: Northeast Indiana Posts: 10	The magnet sticks. And yes, it was blued before.

February 18, 2014, 05:34 PM	#6
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	It sounds almost like it is a 400 series stainless, as magnets will stick, and the 400 series will rust a small bit, but it is about impossible to color without hot bluing with specialized salts. That, or it has some high amount of an alloy in it that is stubborn to taking a cold blue. The only thing I might recommend, would get some Brownell's Dicropan T4, and heating the part to around 212 degrees in an oven, to see if it will take. This is a hot water blue, but has been used by heating the part in an oven. If this won't touch it, you'll most likely have to send it out.

February 18, 2014, 05:48 PM	#7
Pongo357 Junior Member Join Date: September 8, 2012 Location: Northeast Indiana Posts: 10	Ok, thank you

February 18, 2014, 06:20 PM	#8
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	You're welcome. I might add, you will probably have to apply the blue four to five times, while using steel wool in between. Heat the part, take it out, apply the bluing, steel wool, then re-heat. It should get darker each time. Also, you will most likely have to do the rest of the gun this way to get it to match.

February 19, 2014, 02:15 PM	#9
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Oxpho blue is a good cold blue, but it is a cold blue. Even if applied as Dixie Gunsmithing suggests, it will not stand up very long to even normal handling. I generally discourage folks from using any kind of cold blue; the result is usually a gun with no original finish and a spotty finish that looks like h.... well, a cold blue job. I have compared using cold blue on a gun to using canned spray paint on a car; it might be OK for touching up a small ding, but doing a whole car that way is not advisable (to put it mildly). Jim