Ironhorse522
Member
I have cold blues rifle barrels but never a pair of barrels. What's the best way to get in between the barrels to polish? I have the round parts polished but not in between where the rib is. Thanks for any advice
Hand polishing double barrel 12 gauge?
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Wood push-sticks, belt sanded to fit the exact places you are trying to get into.
You just need to make then enough smaller to allow for the thickness of the emery paper.
But heres the thing.
If I was going to that much trouble to polish a gun?
I for sure wouldn't waste my time putting cold-blue on the result.
No matter how good it looks when you get done cold-bluing it?
It will not look anything like that in a year or two.
Read up on rust bluing and go that way on a double you want to still look right on down the road a ways.
rc
You just need to make then enough smaller to allow for the thickness of the emery paper.
But heres the thing.
If I was going to that much trouble to polish a gun?
I for sure wouldn't waste my time putting cold-blue on the result.
No matter how good it looks when you get done cold-bluing it?
It will not look anything like that in a year or two.
Read up on rust bluing and go that way on a double you want to still look right on down the road a ways.
rc
Ironhorse522
Member
I've heard people talk about rust bluing was the way to go on doubles, but it doesn't look like this was rust blued in the first place. Why would it not look good in two or three years? Not knocking your opinion just want clarification. I'm refinishing this for a family member who is just going to keep it in a closet for home defense.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
It will not look good in a very few years because cold-blue is only a very thin surface color change caused by chemical reaction with the polished surface.
It is best used to blend or disguise small scratches etc., not totally refinishing a firearm.
Cold blue is not a hard iron oxide layer of the steel surface like hot or rust bluing you are used to seeing on factory finished guns that look great indefinitely with proper care.
No matter how well you apply cold blue, it will change color and fade away in a relatively short period of time compared to real hot bluing or rust bluing.
And the more often you rub an oil soaked cloth on it to keep it looking good, the faster the thin layer of color will rub off.
See Wackypeedia for more bluing info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel)#Hot_versus_cold_bluing
rc
It is best used to blend or disguise small scratches etc., not totally refinishing a firearm.
Cold blue is not a hard iron oxide layer of the steel surface like hot or rust bluing you are used to seeing on factory finished guns that look great indefinitely with proper care.
No matter how well you apply cold blue, it will change color and fade away in a relatively short period of time compared to real hot bluing or rust bluing.
And the more often you rub an oil soaked cloth on it to keep it looking good, the faster the thin layer of color will rub off.
See Wackypeedia for more bluing info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel)#Hot_versus_cold_bluing
rc
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Ironhorse522
Member
Ahh rcmodel you sir are a wise one, I think instead of me stripping the whole barrel down I'll just degrease and touch up the bare spots. One more question while we are at it, will it hurt to strip a stock down to bare wood while it is raining outside? Do you know how to use the varnish sticks from brownells
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Not as long as you don't do it outside.
Otherwise, you will get wet and might catch cold, or worse.
LACQUER-STIK® ??
They are used to fill engraving and markings so they stand out.
Varnish sticks like from the paint department at the hardware store are used to fill dents and scratches in wood to deep to sand out.
Neither is a stock finish though.
rc
bainter1212
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I'd stay away from the laquer sticks. Formby's Tung oil can be gotten at your local hardware store. Easy to apply and looks great. If you decide to go the total refinish route, look into browning the gun instead of bluing it. Looks great on a double IMHO.
Ironhorse522
Member
An old trick to prepare an old stock is to put it in a dishwasher. Lacquer must come off first, of course, and the detergent removes all oil that has seeped into the wood. Amazingly enough, hot water of washing cycle removes small gouges, larger ones can be removed later by ironing them through a damp cloth. Heat and moisture expands the wood where it's dented.
After a treatment like that, it takes about 4-10 weeks for the wood to dry, sometimes even longer. I never lacquer stocks, a combination of soaking them in linseed oil for several weeks, applying tung oil on top of that and sanding + oil polishing them by hand yields similar results, only a more durable finish that's easy to touch up later if need be.
All this may sound like a shock treatment but believe me, it works.
After a treatment like that, it takes about 4-10 weeks for the wood to dry, sometimes even longer. I never lacquer stocks, a combination of soaking them in linseed oil for several weeks, applying tung oil on top of that and sanding + oil polishing them by hand yields similar results, only a more durable finish that's easy to touch up later if need be.
All this may sound like a shock treatment but believe me, it works.
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