Old Remington 514 Finish

[oldschool]

I just picked up a beater Remington 514 at a gun show for probably a bit more than I should have paid $60. I am reasonably proficient at wood work so the cracked stock is no problem. But the rusted and scratched barrel assembly has got me guessing. I can easily strip the old bluing and smooth out the scratches & remove the rust.
My question is what next? I really don’t want to double the cost of my investment by having the thing hot blued but I really don’t want to; sand it, prime it, paint it and clear coat it and have it look like crap next to some passable wood. I don’t like Birchwood Casey’s cold blue. So I’m looking for options.
Thanks,

 

[Jim Watson]

The spray 'n bake finishes can give a good appearance. Steel should be lightly sandblasted but some say you can just scuff it by hand with sandpaper and get enough "tooth" to hold the coating. Spray with a THIN coating and bake per product instructions.

There is a cheap DIY bluing process that I have READ about but not done.
Degrease the metal and boil it in a solution of ammonium nitrate and lye.
Details at:
http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1487

CAUTION: The mix is both hot (290 deg F) and caustic - sodium hydroxide will attack flesh and eyes faster than acid. But it is not much different to commercial salts that gunsmiths use all the time, so it can be done. Y'all be careful, now, you hear?

 

[oldschool]

Jim,
I've been reading about the DIY home hot bluing sums up what I have read. My wife & I are expecting in early January. I’ve even been backing off on reloading for my 45 for safety reasons. I was just hoping for good anecdotal evidence about the spray & bake coatings and a few named recommendations. There are parts on the metal that will need to be filed or ground down as there are some substantial scratches. So no short cuts with the steel wool.
Thanks,

 

[Jim K]

That "DIY" solution of ammonium nitrate and lye IS hot tank blue and is HIGHLY DANGEROUS unless used under carefully controlled conditions. And I mean regular iron or steel tanks; proper heating equipment; a floor that will not be ruined by spills; heavy rubber apron, boots, gloves and goggles; proper ventilation, etc. Try using that stuff in an aluminum pan on the kitchen stove while dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, and you will spend hospital time with severe burns, if you are lucky.

I recommend "shoe rag" polishing that barrel with 200 grit paper (about the same as the original polish) and then using a decent cold blue.

Jim

 

[oldschool]

Jim K

My wife gets cranky if I get too close to gasoline or black powder or cook up hot sauce in the kitchen. You couldn’t pay me enough to play with those hot bluing methods with proper equipment in a hospital parking lot wearing a breather mask.
I’m currently looking at Gun-Kote in aerosol but I’ll take a recommendation on a quality cold blue.
As far as metal prep goes I’m planning to sand and grind then work my way up to 600grit wet/dry then degrease & go for it.
Thanks,

 

[gamachinist]

I did one with Brownells Oxpho Blue liquid,using the shoeshine cloth method.
It turned out pretty good for the cost of the bottle of bluing.

 

[Sunray]

"...I’m planning to sand and grind..." No need to sand or grind. Especially grind. Use a fine brass wire wheel in a bench grinder(a wire wheel in a hand drill will do, but it's easier with a bench grinder) and gently remove the rust. It won't remove whatever bluing that's still there either. Eye protection is mandatory. Not that you need to be told that. This works best on light surface rust and does nothing for any pitting. Then use whatever cold bluing you like or home parkerize it. Parkerizing looks really nice with finely finished wood. No really disgusting chemicals involved either. http://www.jouster.com/articles30m1/parkerizing.html

 

[Jim K]

If you want a finish that looks like the original, 600 grit is too fine - you overestimate the original polish job. I have been using G96 gun blue paste for a while and it seems to work fine. If the surface is warmed slightly and the carding technique used with rust blue is used, it produces pretty good results. If you can get a tank long enough to boil the gun, rust blue does a very good job, and without the dangers of using a caustic.

Maybe my concern about that homemade caustic bluing is overblown. But I see it repeatedly mentioned as "simple", "cheap" and "DIY". The original site does set forth a lot of precautions, but some of the folks repeating the formula either ignore or don't mention the dangers.

A good friend, normally careful with bluing salts but not too knowledgeable on guns, almost lost an eye doing bluing. He was bluing a Browning High Power and tossed the assembled magazine in the tank just as he was used to doing with M1911 magazines. But the BHP mag has an aluminum follower, which dissolved and allowed the compressed spring to throw hot salt into his face. Nuff sed.

Jim

 

[oldschool]

Bluing in Cincinnati Area

Does anybody do or know who does Bluing in the Cincinnati Area other than Pete Garrett in Newport?
Thanks,

 

[BluesBear]

Have you considered parkerizing?

Or one of the bake on finishes?

 

[FW]

Consider parkerizing. It is something you CAN do at home and is not extremely dangerous if you take basic precautions.

I would avoid cold bluing an entire gun. It is not very durable and may produce a blotchy finish. Or maybe you'll get lucky.

Another option is slow rust bluing. This is very tedious, but if done correctly will produce a very durable finish that can look better than anything else. It can be done at home.

Caustic hot bluing is probably a bad idea to try at home. The cost of setting up would be a lot anyway.