I am planning to reblue the barrel of a Rem. Model 870 with a ventelated rib. I plan on using Brownell's OXPHO-BLUE. Would the application be better with the liquid or gel. Should I do apply the bluing to the detailed part of the rib first then the remainder of the barrel or do the barrel first then blend in around the rib slots? Hoping to mimimize streaks and color lines.

thanks,
Tackdriver

Welcome to the forum Tackdriver. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

My first question is have you downloaded the oxpho blue instruction sheets for the two different formulations from Brownell's? Their guide will answer some of your questions. Personally I like the liquid over the gel as cleanup seems so much easier for me. I've been using it for years with good results so never tried the jel.

I've always tried to to do a whole piece at a time rather than try to get separately blued sections to blend with each other. One thing that helps is to get the polish you want before you blue and get the old blue off all the metal your going to reblue.

faucettb,
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I read about everything you can read about cold bluing, including the procedure for OXPHO-Blue. Spent last half of the day preping the barrel.
For a large job e.g. the barrel, the instructions say long continous applications will produce less streaking and color variation. Thats good for the barrel but the vent rib is a lot of nooks and cranies, and greater posibility of a run problem. Hence the question was directed at the strategy of the application. e.g. do 3-4" of barrel and rib together then move on down the barrel, or do the whole barrel then come right back and do the rib. Quick dry/set time may also be a factor.

Thanks,

Tackdriver

It's pretty hard to get a good job with one application. I'd start at one end, work down to the other and start over again. Then clean it up and look for poor spots. Concentrate on them on the third pass.

I haven't done a rib, so I'm wondering if it's a choice between liquid running where you don't want it to, or gel not getting into all the nooks and crannies. The gel is a bit runny, so it might make it. If I was doing a rib with liquid, I'd like to get it up to eye level and turn the barrel so the rib is down and the drips fall off, rather than running around the barrel.

Bye
Jack

Can anyone out there, honestly tell me that you have done a total blue job that looked like it wasn't a spot job! I wished I could tell you I have, but I havn't, and I have tried it on a lot of guns, the last one I done turned out the best, because after buffing as shinny as a new dime, I use a 3m Product call rust stop (that is not the correct name, but it is 15 degrees out and frezzing rain, so I am not going to the shop) after appling very heavly and wiping scrubing as dry as I could, i took the air hose and blow dryed it. Cover it up for 12 hours or so, uncovered and blowed it off again, and blue it with Brownells Blueing 44/40 and did it fast so that no spot got dry before I was done, I wasted a lot, wiped it dry, took hydro oil and mineral spirits mixed toghter and soaked it down good, let it set over night and wiped it semi dry.
It doesn't look real bad, but it is on a old New York Gun compy side by side that I built out of junk, and it was never blued, it eas browned.

If anyone has a homemaid browner or blueing that does a good job, I would be very, very great full for the secret.
Thanks Greg

Slow rust blue. Certainly not the "easy" way, it takes a few days to a week and the metal prep. has to be top notch, but done right, you end up with a rock hard blue that's is better looking that the factory hot-blues. Certainly not an easy way to blue, if you get in a hurry or get sloppy, will end up repolishing and starting from zero...but with care and time, can produce a beautiful blue.

None of the cold blues really work great at covering large areas.

ribbonstone, you are correct about the cold blue.Is there a place to get a recipe to make blueing, I went to Brownell, they seemsed to be the only place I found it. And could you please direct me to where I might get all the info i need, I am a x body man, so I know metal prep.
Thanks Greg

I have used G96 gun blue for years and it is the best I have ever tried. I have blued rifles, shotguns and handguns with complete success. They have a website and the stuff really works. All the best...
Gil

Gil thank you so much! It's just a matter if a do this gun, it has to turn out good, it is a Fulton Hunter Firearms co, only made 1920 because it has ected diamonds on the reciever, I just don't know what to do? I cannot shoot it because of my back, it has a super tight action.
Thanks greg

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(1hzzma45jngewoyul1sous45))/categories/PARTDETAIL.ASPX?CATID=5&SUBID=65&STYLEID=221&PARTNUM=LMF-BROWN

Although this stuff is a "brown" (and it works great in that repect), will also produce a great blue. Basically, you boil the brown (and i'd buy distilled water). Instructions are available, and take them as rules...follow them exactly, and you'll get a good finish...think "this is close enough" and you'll start over.

Won't need anything too special to do the job...not like hot blue. Will take a couple of DAYS to polish the barrel to it's best, then a couple of hours each day for the slow process....call it a week.
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My "trick" to keeping the solution out of the bore is to (1) coat the inside of the bore with VARNISH (two or three coats..and while I haven't used it, suspect paint would also work) and then very well fitted plugs. Make the plugs long enough to use as handles (and put an eye-hook in one so you can easily hang the barrel). When done, remove the varnish.

First off I want to thank all of you for the great advice! Because as we have talked earlier in this thread, cold blues are just for touching up a spot or to.
Here is what I have to decide, I bought this Fulton, Hunter Firearms Co. SXS that is not beat up, the action is tight, I don't know how rare it is, but it was made only one year 1920, it has Eteched Diamonds on the reciever, but there is NO BLUE at all on it. A person over on shotgun world told me that it wasn't very collectable, that seems strange since it was made only one year, and is a LC Smith!
So now that you have gave me great advice on a way to get a good finish, and everyone will know it has been redone, tell me what you would do? I will never be able to go shoot it, unless I load real light loads, and I have no desire to shoot it. One thing I forgot to tell you, the wood is good, there is so much varnish on the stock, you cannot tell how the grain is.

So How Is It Going To sell The Best. (I have done a lot of stock work, so putting a nice finish on it isn't a problem)
Do I totaly redo it, or put a nice finish on the barrels annd reciever, or I clean it up the best I can and sell it like that?

I would be very great full for some input on this! If you where a big time bird hunter, and the gun was all redone, a person would look real good out there bird hunting with a LC Smith that was only made one year!

Just be honest, tell me which way it is going to bring the most, wheter I sell it in 6 months or 6 years from now!

You Guys are great,
Thanks Greg

Leave that old double the way it is.