[Daizee]

Hi All,

I have a blued part to replace a missing one of the same on a hard chromed gun. Obviously I'd prefer that they match. Maybe someone around here can match that finish, but it's a $6 part, and metal finishing tends to be expensive for one-offs.

How can I best remove the blue finish? It's a knurled ejector rod head for a Colt revolver. I'd rather have it in-the-white than dark.

Thanks for your help.

-Daizee

[Old Guard Dog]

There are products to remove bluing like LCW Rust and Bluing Remover. You might find someone that can nickel plate the screw, and could just do it with a batch of other parts so cost would be mimimal. This would give it a close finish to yours.

[ranger335v]

Any chemical remover will leave the surface a dull, dingy color. "Wipe" the bluing off with a bit of 600 to 1000 grit black "sand" paper, from Walmart's auto paint section, and you will have a near polished finish left.

[Chawbaccer]

Since it is knurled I don't think the sand paper will work. Most rust removers use phosphoric acid which leaves a gray phosphate coating. Try dipping the part in white vinegar or chamber lye.

[Oro]

chamber lye

+1 on that idea. Household lye (drain cleaner) works well to strip blue. use precautions - do it outdoors in a plastic bucket, use gloves, and use a basket or something to dip the part into the solution, not your hands.

Ask at a local motorcycle shop who does parts plating - I have a friend who gets buckets of screws/bolts etc. plated and hard chromed at a time - someone could do it along with another batch most likely.

[Daizee]

Great ideas, folks, thanks.

I should say that I *think* the gun is hard chromed. Maybe it's Armaloy or something. It's a very matte finish, not quite a nickle-plated sissy-pistol. ;-)

A non-shiny result might actually be good.

-Daizee