G96 best cold blue

[Benelli B76]

Rain and wind, wife baking fruit cakes. Just had to get in the garage. Old junker HW35 given to me last week to sort, thought I would re-blue. Been using G96 Creme for over 20 years. Hour and half later HW 35 was born again just like me. Ingredients, thinners, wire wool, Lidel rust remover, G96, water and oil. Did not strip the rifle, only the barrel bolt locking nut that was completely rusted up.

Baz

[big bad bear1]

fantastic bit of restoration there Baz, got a few to do myself over the coming winter, would you mind walking me through the process/method you use please.
atvb
Dean

[Benelli B76]

Hi Dean. First rub the surface down with fine wire wool and light oil. Instead of light oil I have started using rust remover (I got some spray from Lidls). When you have removed as much rust as you can, wipe down with cloth. Then thoroughly de-grease surface. I use cellulose thinners but you can also use washing up liquid and hot water. In fact the metal blues better when it is hot. I warm the surface slightly with a hair dryer or blowlamp. Get small wad of cloth and dab it in the G96 pot and rub vigourously on metal, it will black immediately. You can leave for say 5 mins, and if you want repeat the G96 application one more time. Wash surface with water to stop reaction, and dry. Thouroughly clean off any excess gun blue in crevices and oil the whole blued area.
Some rifles that have very hard steels used in certain sections do not blue as deeply.

Regards, Baz

[gingernut]

Baz put me on to this and I used it on Bonehill Britannia.
The gun had been wire wooled 30 years ago and it was just rusty not patinated.
I did it in sections without taking it apart.

I left it on for 30 mins and it,accidentally, went a nice old brown colour like the BSA Standards you see.
To go black you should remove in 5 mins!

Anyway the look suits the gun and it is now protected with the old oily rag.

This was my first go at cold blueing and I am V pleased.

[The Squire]

Very nice job that.

[averageplinker]

Thanks for posting your method and results. Based on this I have a pot on order for delivery next week. My basket case musketeer had better brace itself :-)

[Aimstraight]

That is very impressive. I have some G96 cream for touching stuff up, but now see that (with the correct preparation) it can do a good larger scale job. I'll keep a look out for that rust remover too!