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Remington Wingmaster Re-Bluing

floorguy24floorguy24 Member Posts: 1,343 ✭
edited November 2010 in Ask the Experts
What's the best product for rebluing my Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 ga? I attempted this 20 years ago and it looks lousy.

I'd like to duplicate the original bluing, not the satin black.

This time I'd like to buff the metal down to "bare metal" and remove all the bad bluing, starting over from scratch.

The gun will be completely disassembled and I'm in no hurry, I'm willing to do it slowly and correctly.

I don't want to send it out to a third party, I'm interested in doing it myself.

Any input would really help. [;)]
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Comments

  • 1KYDSTR1KYDSTR Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You gonna heat or cold blue? When cleaning the metal, be sure to keep all the lines straight and sharp, i.e. use a very un-agressive grit. OOOO steel wool would work, but you will get tired doing it!
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  • azpowerwagonazpowerwagon Member Posts: 376 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The 870 is a good first project of this sort, and if the barrel is plain even better yet.
    Hot tank blueing and polishing to the same grit level that the factory did is the way to duplicate the factory finish. That being said, a mighty fine job can still be had.
    Buy more than one book on the subject and consider rust blueing...less expensive. The proper hot tank set up will run 2-3000$ including chemicals, etc.
    Forget "buffing" anything. Do it all by hand and it will turn out great. Polishing a firearm is an art if you want the lines straight and the flats flat and no ripples in the barrel.
    The polishing process will remove the old blueing. The books will give you some ideas on the overall process of hand polishing.
    Check out the Pilkington rust blue product. Good luck.
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  • huntsman53huntsman53 Member Posts: 732 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I recently purchased Van's Instant Gun Blue in the Combo Pack which also includes the CitriGun cleaner/degreaser, the Supr-Fine Oil for lubricating guns and other steel parts and the Arrow Wood Finish. I had seen Bob Moloney demonstrate the products at Gun Shows for over 10 years but always seemed to leave the Gun Shows without ever purchasing any of the products, especially the Gun Blue. Bob markets the Gun Blue as being the same chemically as what the Gun Makers use but his product can be applied cold. I must say that the stuff is amazing! Van does not do any Parlor Tricks, he shows you how the Gun Blue works on old shotgun barrels, rifle barrels and their receivers. If you don't need the Combo Pack and only need the Gun Blue and the CitriGun cleaner/degreaser, then just purchase those two only. I must emphasize that the CitriGun clearner/degreaser IMHO is must have to get all of oil, grease, dirt and anything else off the metal to make it ready for bluing. You can purchase the products directly at Miracle Products International at the link below. You might want to peruse their' Website very well as they have many more products for Gun care and for Gun storage as well.

    http://www.MPIonline.biz


    Edited to correct the owners name: It is Bob not Van! He sell Van's Gun Blue on his' website and at Gun Shows all over the country.
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  • floorguy24floorguy24 Member Posts: 1,343 ✭
    edited November -1
    Huntsman53, Azpowerwagon, 1KYDSTR-

    Thanks for your input.

    I'll do it all by hand, finishing up with steelwool 0000 grit, all in straight lines.

    Looks like I should apply the actual bluing chemical with the metal "hot". Vans recommends using a blow dryer to warm it up, but I'm thinking of a mild blow torch used carefully (flash it) so as not to warp anything.

    I'll be reading as much info as possible, no hurry.

    The gun works excellent, and the wood is still in new/perfect condition. I just let it rust lightly once, then ruined it by rebluing improperly.

    Anything else you guys recommend?
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  • huntsman53huntsman53 Member Posts: 732 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by floorguy24
    Huntsman53, Azpowerwagon, 1KYDSTR-

    Thanks for your input.

    I'll do it all by hand, finishing up with steelwool 0000 grit, all in straight lines.

    Looks like I should apply the actual bluing chemical with the metal "hot". Vans recommends using a blow dryer to warm it up, but I'm thinking of a mild blow torch used carefully (flash it) so as not to warp anything.

    I'll be reading as much info as possible, no hurry.

    The gun works excellent, and the wood is still in new/perfect condition. I just let it rust lightly once, then ruined it by rebluing improperly.

    Anything else you guys recommend?



    First off, if you have noticed, most of the polish lines on rifle and shotgun barrels are not linear with the barrel but are around the circumference. This is done with a lathe and when polished like this, gives the bluing on the barrel a much better appearance. I know, I have done the linear polishing and it just doesn't come out the same.

    I am sorry, although the Van's Gun Blue can be used cold or hot, I forgot that Bob recommended using a blow dryer to heat the barrel! I would advise against using a torch as no matter how careful you try to be, some portions of the barrel or other parts can get more heated than others. Also, sometimes a torch will leave blackening on the metal (I believe this is like soot where all of the propane or other fuel doesn't burn completely due to the setting you use) and this could be problematic when applying the gun blue (i.e. some spots may not take or blue as well). If you think that a blow dryer will not be efficient enough, then I recommend placing the barrel in an oven. It probably won't fit very well but you can rotate as needed to get the barrel heated more uniformly. Also, make sure that you have something that is clean, grease free and made of a safe material suitable for use in an oven, to lay the barrel on while it is in the oven and also, have a couple of pairs of clean Oven Mitts to handle the hot barrel with. An oven set at 150 to 200 degrees should be sufficient but others may have different oven settings to use!

    Last and not least, during Bob's demonstrations of re-bluing only portions of barrels and/or receivers, he recommends to re-blue the metal parts with a clean tooth brush or similar brush but I have not read the instructions for the bluing yet, so I don't know if he recommends otherwise when doing an entire barrel and/or receiver. In any case, whether a tooth brush, similar brush or other, you do have to keep applying the blue uniformly on the metal, over and over again to get the desired results. That may be 3 or 4 times but could mean 5 or 6 times but you will know as you are doing the re-bluing process. The more times you apply it, the darker the bluing will get.

    Good luck and please let us know how the re-bluing process went and what the results are. Also, pics would be great when you are finished!

    P.S. I almost forgot! I have done re-bluing with other Gun Blue products and have found that I get the best results when I wipe the metal parts down with gasoline, then wipe with a clean dry cloth or rag, then wipe the metal parts down with alcohol, then wipe dry, then and only then do I use the cleaner/degreaser as the last step and wipe dry again. While I have seen Gunsmiths do something different than this and sometimes the gun blue won't take on a certain spot, because I do the above, I have never had a problem with the gun blue taking on the metal!

    Edited to correct the owners name: It is Bob not Van! He sell Van's Gun Blue on his' website and at Gun Shows all over the country.
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  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've made up sanding blocks for hand polishing flat surfaces. Peices from a thick maple shelf board will work. Just make sure that the work face is dead flat. 2"x4" is a good size for an 870 receiver, smaller if needed for other parts.

    Use the best quality abrasive paper you can find. The cheap stuff from the hardware store doesn't hold up very well.
    If there is no pitting you could start at 320 grit or better yet 360 and work your way up to whatever level of polish you desire.

    You will also want something to lubricate the abrasive paper with. WD40 and mineral spirits work well for me. You basicaly need something to float the slurry off of the metal so the abrasive can cut. And polish at 45* angles, it will cut more easily and you will be able to see the previouse abrasive marks as they are removed.
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  • cbyerlycbyerly Member Posts: 689 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Brownell's sells the old Herters rust blue solution. If you are willing to use it properly, it will produce a very nice durable rust blue.
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  • 260260 Member Posts: 1,133 ✭
    edited November -1
    all above is good... if you dont mind p..n in the wind. just hot blue it and be done.
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  • floorguy24floorguy24 Member Posts: 1,343 ✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks to each one of you for your input. From sanding it down, to p...n in the wind, I think you guys have covered enough for me to get a handle on it. [:D]

    I'll post before and after pix once done. [;)]
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  • huntsman53huntsman53 Member Posts: 732 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by floorguy24
    Thanks to each one of you for your input. From sanding it down, to p...n in the wind, I think you guys have covered enough for me to get a handle on it. [:D]

    I'll post before and after pix once done. [;)]


    Great! Just leave out the pics of p...n in the wind![:D]
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