the obsrver
Master Class
Anyone have good success? With what products? Has anyone had it professionally done? Cost?
Rebluing
- Thread starter the obsrver
- Start date
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
About 4 months ago I was asked to restore an almost 180 yr old "Peter Wright" forged wrought iron anvil. Now to say restore an anvil seems like a pretty straight forward process of cleaning off the rust and putting a coat of paint on it, but in truth there's a good bit more to it then just that in order to not decrease the real value of it ..... similar to restoring a fine, old gun.
Well, part of the process as I learned it was that after removing all the rust and corrosion and prior to any final coating, a coat of a quality cold blueing would add just a tint of 'blue appearing' steel under whatever is used for final coating and that turned out to be very true. After all rust and dirt, etc was cleaned off and immediately after a good wash down with acetone, I applied the cold blue solution exactly as directed and WOW, what a finish.
Once the blueing was completely dried, I applied a coat of 'rust converter' and gave it time to work it's magic, rubbed the whole thing down with compound, then a couple coats of a good quality clear coat. Even through the black converter coating, in just the right light you could see just a slight tint of deep, dark blue. Just enough to let you know that it was cold, hard steel. It really turned out beautiful, the actual owner loved the final result, and even made a big deal about a special reveal to him and his wife at one of our business meetings.
I said all that to say this ...... the 'cold blue' product was a known good quality brand from experience with it many years ago, but for the life of me cannot remember the name. I will get down to the shop in the next couple days and try to find some evidence of the brand and will come back here with it for you. Whatever you plan to use it on (assuming you plan to use the 'cold blue' process), you won't be sorry. Stay tuned and when I find it I'll let you know.
Well, part of the process as I learned it was that after removing all the rust and corrosion and prior to any final coating, a coat of a quality cold blueing would add just a tint of 'blue appearing' steel under whatever is used for final coating and that turned out to be very true. After all rust and dirt, etc was cleaned off and immediately after a good wash down with acetone, I applied the cold blue solution exactly as directed and WOW, what a finish.
Once the blueing was completely dried, I applied a coat of 'rust converter' and gave it time to work it's magic, rubbed the whole thing down with compound, then a couple coats of a good quality clear coat. Even through the black converter coating, in just the right light you could see just a slight tint of deep, dark blue. Just enough to let you know that it was cold, hard steel. It really turned out beautiful, the actual owner loved the final result, and even made a big deal about a special reveal to him and his wife at one of our business meetings.
I said all that to say this ...... the 'cold blue' product was a known good quality brand from experience with it many years ago, but for the life of me cannot remember the name. I will get down to the shop in the next couple days and try to find some evidence of the brand and will come back here with it for you. Whatever you plan to use it on (assuming you plan to use the 'cold blue' process), you won't be sorry. Stay tuned and when I find it I'll let you know.
the obsrver
Master Class
My gun is not valuable to anyone but me. It got handed down. When I was younger ( before google) I stripped it down and redid it all. I never was happy with the stain job. Now that I am older and have more time, tools and skills, I think I am going to see if I can do it right this time. I remember bluing it, but can not remember what I used and actually it still does not look to bad, maybe it just needs shined up a little, but the stain on the wood never did even come close to the original and it had some areas that you just could not sand, (checkerboard pattern) so I am wondering if I can soda blast those areas and get it closer to being right again. It's a shotgun, so it is a pretty easy job for, except those checkerboard areas.
Story sounds cool!
Restoring most anything can be fun, involved and interesting.
Posting pic's if you have them, could be great too!
There's many techniques in refinishing wood/metal. Not too sure I'd soda blast checkered wood areas if you want to keep them. Checkered areas can be an almost endless, tedious, time consuming area to redo. A straight edge & right sized needle file & fine metal pick is what used last time. Am sure there's other methods though. Sealing wood before any staining, applying finish can help even out final finish. All depends on what looking for.
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
Didn't think ahead enough to get any 'before' pictures, but did get some 'after' shots for the owner.
Will see what I can do when I'm back up and running smoothly.Right now I'm recuperating from a beating I took at a local pizzeria last evening ........................................... Ha ha! Not a beating in the real sense, but I took a bad fall outside the store while carrying a big box of pizzas and pizza bowls for a get-together back home of about 10-12 people.
Couldn't see over the damned big cardboard box I was carrying and made a bad step off a curb on the way to my truck. Got some 'road rash', a pretty sore shoulder and hip, and ripped the elbow out of and bloodied up a brand new shirt beyond saving, and broke my glasses. What really pizzed me off was that I had to wait for the entire order to be redone, sitting over in the corner of the resturant, big goose egg and bloody spot on the back of my head, holding a cold, damp towel on my forehead, trying to wipe pizza sauce out of my hair and left ear, all the time trying to put the lens back into my eyeglass frame so I could eventually see to drive home ........ oh yeh, that and the embarrassment of it all !!!!
The folks at the pizzeria were very nice, concerned and caring and even remade the entire order for me for free. While I certainly appreciated their efforts, I'm not too sure it was an even trade after all...... I don't think any of them were the least bit embarrassed. Haha.
Needless to say that by the time I got back home and divied up all the goodies, I wasn't much in the mood for pizza !!!!! And btw, I did try to pay for the redo on my order but they insisted on redoing it for me. I'll be returning to that place! Good people there!
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
I'd strongly suggest you getting a few assorted 'checkering tools' to clean out the old lines. There are several styles and typically are identified by "Lines per inch". They're not real expensive and will save much 'screaming and hair pulling' while trying to fix some nice checkering prior to a re-finishing job.
Soda blasting, or any other method other than using the proper tools will cause that !!! not to mention ruining the original checkering. And I'll try to get for you the brand of that cold blue solution I used as soon as I can get to my shop.
OUCH! - Pic's can wait, you take care!Didn't think ahead enough to get any 'before' pictures, but did get some 'after' shots for the owner.
Will see what I can do when I'm back up and running smoothly.Right now I'm recuperating from a beating I took at a local pizzeria last evening ........................................... Ha ha! Not a beating in the real sense, but I took a bad fall outside the store while carrying a big box of pizzas and pizza bowls for a get-together back home of about 10-12 people.
Couldn't see over the damned big cardboard box I was carrying and made a bad step off a curb on the way to my truck. Got some 'road rash', a pretty sore shoulder and hip, and ripped the elbow out of and bloodied up a brand new shirt beyond saving, and broke my glasses. What really pizzed me off was that I had to wait for the entire order to be redone, sitting over in the corner of the resturant, big goose egg and bloody spot on the back of my head, holding a cold, damp towel on my forehead, trying to wipe pizza sauce out of my hair and left ear, all the time trying to put the lens back into my eyeglass frame so I could eventually see to drive home ........ oh yeh, that and the embarrassment of it all !!!!
The folks at the pizzeria were very nice, concerned and caring and even remade the entire order for me for free. While I certainly appreciated their efforts, I'm not too sure it was an even trade after all...... I don't think any of them were the least bit embarrassed. Haha.
Needless to say that by the time I got back home and divied up all the goodies, I wasn't much in the mood for pizza !!!!! And btw, I did try to pay for the redo on my order but they insisted on redoing it for me. I'll be returning to that place! Good people there!
On checkering tools?
Thankfully there are many fairly easily available better tools now days.
Much better and easier than method I used previously.
Likely some helpful videos out on it too?
Some of us need all the hair we can get?
the obsrver
Master Class
got to looking around and some people say to just use a stripper and toothbrush. I remember I avoided it altogether before, so it should just need stripped.
Bassbob
Emissary
Dang buddy. I hope you’re ok.Didn't think ahead enough to get any 'before' pictures, but did get some 'after' shots for the owner.
Will see what I can do when I'm back up and running smoothly.Right now I'm recuperating from a beating I took at a local pizzeria last evening ........................................... Ha ha! Not a beating in the real sense, but I took a bad fall outside the store while carrying a big box of pizzas and pizza bowls for a get-together back home of about 10-12 people.
Couldn't see over the damned big cardboard box I was carrying and made a bad step off a curb on the way to my truck. Got some 'road rash', a pretty sore shoulder and hip, and ripped the elbow out of and bloodied up a brand new shirt beyond saving, and broke my glasses. What really pizzed me off was that I had to wait for the entire order to be redone, sitting over in the corner of the resturant, big goose egg and bloody spot on the back of my head, holding a cold, damp towel on my forehead, trying to wipe pizza sauce out of my hair and left ear, all the time trying to put the lens back into my eyeglass frame so I could eventually see to drive home ........ oh yeh, that and the embarrassment of it all !!!!
The folks at the pizzeria were very nice, concerned and caring and even remade the entire order for me for free. While I certainly appreciated their efforts, I'm not too sure it was an even trade after all...... I don't think any of them were the least bit embarrassed. Haha.
Needless to say that by the time I got back home and divied up all the goodies, I wasn't much in the mood for pizza !!!!! And btw, I did try to pay for the redo on my order but they insisted on redoing it for me. I'll be returning to that place! Good people there!
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
Fell as much on my head as anywhere on the body so it didn't really hurt much ...... at the time. Most of yesterday and today though, after all the adrenaline has gone away, I'm sore as hell all over !!!!
Even helped myself to a little medicinal alcohol (Jack Daniels #7) last night to help me sleep. Good thing it was only medicinal though or I would've likely had another one.
Thanks JJ,Looks good !!!
It's been awhile since doing those.
Just used available off the shelf products at the time for bluing and woodworking. Refinishing products change from time to time around here. Just read all directions is about it. Usually use marine spar varnish or urethane as top coats on wood, there are sometimes many coats. Sanding, then steel wool in between on almost all. Nice when done, nasty until then. Cold bluing's nasty smelly stinky stuff. Do outdoors when can....Do not want to say what spouse said about stench. "Whew, what died out here?" was some of many of calmer spoken words the 1st time.