Bluing of old Coey

[sapper3]

I have a coey 22 that was passed down from my grandfather. It is quite old and was blued approx 20yrs ago an well it was stored in a damp place so ithas a cover of rust and orange colour in the metal. what is teh best way to clean and remove rust and then blue the barrel and parts so it can look some what newer. Thanks

[dogslayer403]

I recently did one with a birchwood casey kit they dont turn out like factory by anymeans but if you take your time they turn out alright. I did a remington singleshot 12g and a cooey 22.

[Lonnie]

rebluing is easy but to make it look good is a lot of work especaly if you are doing it all by hand its all in the prep work like using steel wool to strip rust and old bluing and polish out any pits polish it untill it looks like a mirror then polish more as any little flaw will show as soon as its blued and cold blue does not last long.

[gitrdun]

I was going to start a thread asking if anyone had ever used the Blue Wonder kits. This thread seems as good of a place to do it without hijacking hopefully. I've tried Birchwood Casey, but the results are less than stellar. I've watched the youtube video on Blue Wonder and they claim that it would be as good as a factory finish. I too have an old Cooey that I'd like to refinish, any experience with Blue Wonder out there, and where can it be purchased?

[KegRiver]

First you need to remove ALL of the rust.
I would recommend steel wool and a lot of elbow grease for starters.
Then finish with 600 git paper and polish with 1200 grit. With the paper, work at right angles with the different grits. Do not use anything courser then 400 grit or you will get a dull scratched surface.

To reblue, I find most cold blue formulas work much better if the steel is heated first. I use a heat gun to bring the steel up to about 200 degrees.
If it's almost to hot to hold, it's about right. Then rub on the bluing compound, let stand for a few minutes to dry, then polish with fine steel wool.

[double gun]

Take it to a gunsmith setup for hot bluing. Cold bluing an entire rifle is half assed at best. If you want to save some money, prep the parts yourself - but as mentioned the quality of your prep work is VERY important. A cooey is a very simple rifle, and as such the cost of bluing is lower - I would at least phone a smith and get a quote before spending your money on a cold blue kit. As far as cold blues go, I have heard that blue wonder is one of the better ones.

[KegRiver]

Bluing is a chemical rust process no matter what temperatures or chemicals are used.

The end result has more to do with proper preparation and handling then on the particular process used.

Heat promotes penetration and results in a thicker oxidized coating. Which would naturally be longer lasting and should look better. But both cold and hot methods result in exactly the same coating. And cold bluing chemicals can and are sometimes used for hot bluing.

The choice really is more, do you want a factory finish, and how much is it worth to you? Second to that, how patient are you and how willing are you to follow directions.

Anyone can do a good bluing job, if they are willing to put in the time.

Paying a professional is a lot faster and easier. But on an old gun like this, is it worth it?
Even the best bluing job won't make this a $600.00 or even a $200.00 dollar gun.

[gitrdun]

Take it to a gunsmith setup for hot bluing. Cold bluing an entire rifle is half assed at best. If you want to save some money, prep the parts yourself - but as mentioned the quality of your prep work is VERY important. A cooey is a very simple rifle, and as such the cost of bluing is lower - I would at least phone a smith and get a quote before spending your money on a cold blue kit. As far as cold blues go, I have heard that blue wonder is one of the better ones.

The gun that I want to blue is only worth about $50.00, I'm a do it myself kinda guy, and most smiths only fire up the tanks when they have several to do, also I think that they prefer to do it outside. I'll try my hand with Blue Wonder, let you know how it goes.

[KegRiver]

I forgot to mention. Use rubber gloves when handling the steel. I use the black mechanics gloves.
It keeps finger prints off the clean steel. Finger prints can prevent the blue from working.

I also clean the steel with degreaser a few times during the cleaning and polishing process. I use lacquer thinner if I can do the cleaning outdoors or CRC Brakleen if I have to do the cleaning indoors.

[ovis40]

Bluing is a chemical rust process no matter what temperatures or chemicals are used.

The end result has more to do with proper preparation and handling then on the particular process used.

Heat promotes penetration and results in a thicker oxidized coating. Which would naturally be longer lasting and should look better. But both cold and hot methods result in exactly the same coating. And cold bluing chemicals can and are sometimes used for hot bluing.

The choice really is more, do you want a factory finish, and how much is it worth to you? Second to that, how patient are you and how willing are you to follow directions.

Anyone can do a good bluing job, if they are willing to put in the time.

Paying a professional is a lot faster and easier. But on an old gun like this, is it worth it?
Even the best bluing job won't make this a $600.00 or even a $200.00 dollar gun.

Chances are it's not the dollar value they are concerned about. I to have an old Cooey that I'm restoring and the dollar value it has to me is peanuts compared to its family history. Worth every cent IMO.

[KegRiver]

Chances are it's not the dollar value they are concerned about. I to have an old Cooey that I'm restoring and the dollar value it has to me is peanuts compared to its family history. Worth every cent IMO.


To each his own.



Considering that the OP stated that he wanted advice on the best way to restore an old, not very valuable rifle, it seems to me that it is reasonable to assume that he wants to do the job himself. I'm sure everyone is aware that a gunsmith is capable of doing the job, for a price.


Not everyone wants the very best job money can buy. For many, a good home done job is plenty good enough.

[Lonnie]

I forgot to mention. Use rubber gloves when handling the steel. I use the black mechanics gloves.
It keeps finger prints off the clean steel. Finger prints can prevent the blue from working.

I also clean the steel with degreaser a few times during the cleaning and polishing process. I use lacquer thinner if I can do the cleaning outdoors or CRC Brakleen if I have to do the cleaning indoors.

x2 on the gloves, for a degreaser I've used house hold ammonia or Castrol super clean, both seem to work good but if your willing to put in the work you can make it look as good as any professional job but is a lot of work. when I done one of my rifles it came out great but at the time I had 3 books about bluing and browning if you can find a book on bluing by it, the best one that I had was Brownells browning & bluing or some thing like that. it gave a good history of browning's and bluing's used on antique guns and recipes for such its a huge vault of info including how to set up hot tanks for bluing salts.(hot blue)

[double gun]

...I'm sure everyone is aware that a gunsmith is capable of doing the job, for a price. Not everyone wants the very best job money can buy. For many, a good home done job is plenty good enough.

I redid a cooey ace for my nephew - I did all the metal prep myself and had hot blued - it cost a whopping $30 and was done right. Money well spent when you compare it to the cost of a cold blue kit, and the results they yield.
You are right though, to each their own. I do most of my own work for the project... and sense of accomplishment.

[lifesaflyin]

very light sandpaper. but do not sand length wise. hold the paper and spin the barrel. that is the best way to get the barrel rust free and look good

[gitrdun]

very light sandpaper. but do not sand length wise. hold the paper and spin the barrel. that is the best way to get the barrel rust free and look good

Sounds like good advise, if you have the means of spinning the barrel. What do you think of bead blasting, then blueing? would that come out as a matt finish?

[double gun]

... What do you think of bead blasting, then blueing? would that come out as a matt finish?

Yep.

[SHORTMAG]

Here'a another tip....try using a 600 - 1000 grit emery cloth(wet sand paper) it works very well at cutting surface rust and polishing. Cut it into 3/4 " wide strips along the width of the sheet.....put your barrel into a vice with leather or wood jaws and then....."shoeshine" your barrel with those strips! Move along your barrel...when that strip is done...rotate the barrel a bit and do over. It does a decent job and makes your paper last a bit longer as well.

[Lonnie]

Sounds like good advise, if you have the means of spinning the barrel. What do you think of bead blasting, then blueing? would that come out as a matt finish?

sounds good and definitly a lot less work than polishing to get a factory finish if you go this route post some pics.when your done as this my be the way to go on a cheap gun. prepping a gun for reblueing properly is hours on hours of work if doing it by hand. and if I ever do it again it will go to a gunsmith for hot bluing just becuase of the deeper penetration and I don't have bluing tanks

[Lonnie]

Anyone can do a good bluing job, if they are willing to put in the time.[QUOTE:KEG RIVER]

that's the whole secret to it but most are not willing to put in the time.

[sapper3]

You are right not dollar value but family history..To me..ThanksChances are it's not the dollar value they are concerned about. I to have an old Cooey that I'm restoring and the dollar value it has to me is peanuts compared to its family history. Worth every cent IMO.