lives up to its reputation
have only used this twice but it is much easier to work than other brands.i obtained a beautiful black finnish on both occasions though the product had weekend alot by the second time and i had to work it alot harder.seems once the bottle is opened the chemicals are activated and deteriate rather quickly so i will be purchasing smaller quantities now.overall i really like this.
Impressed
This product is incredible. It is easy to use and works great. I re-blued an entire .22 barrel and touched up some wear spots on the receiver in a matter of 15 minutes. I sanded the barrel down bare, since it had a lot of rust on it, then buffed it quickly with #00 steel wool and then wiped down with alcohol. I wiped the Oxpho Blue on and let it sit for a minute, then wiped it off and buffed again with steel wool. I had to go over a few areas a second time. It looks like a brand new barrel, and the areas I touched up on the reciever matched perfectly. Way to go Brownells.
As easy to use as reputed.
I thought bluing was only for the pros. I was recommended this product and of course I researched the heck out of it to find any negatives. The pros far out-weighed the cons in the reviews so I went with it. For a first-timer I would say I had very respectable results. I far exceeded my expectations! I reviewed some videos on youtube to get any tips or tricks and learned metal prep is key. I found using acetone as a cleaner and moderate heat (120-125 deg) to make the metal more receptive, the gun barrel took the oxpho blue solution very well on the first pass. I probably reapplied the product 4-5 more times until I got the gun-metal black I was looking for. The barrel looks great and I am looking forward to my next project! Thanks for a great product!
BEST alternative to a professional job
Re-blued a shotgun made from somewhere between 1950-1965 (no serial number). Made the gun looks amazing. It didn't look perfect, but pretty close. Someone with a little more skill than me probably could have made it perfect. I had never done this before. Over a month later... no sign of any rust. Will show wear easier than a professial job on new gun, but worth it for the price. Buying more for another gun now.
Best Bluing I have found
Over the years I have tried many brands of gun bluing including liquid, gel and paste types. They all give about the same results, which are okay for touch up, but splotchy if used for a total re-blue. The first time I used Oxpho-Blue for a touch up I was very impressed, so much so my next project was to completely re-blue an old single barrel shotgun. The finished blue job looked as good as many professional jobs. I have found it is best to start with a wire wheel to strip off the old bluing and/or rust and finish up with a cloth buffing wheel with compound to polish the steel. I then spray down the steel with a can of brake cleaner, which is acetone. This leaves the steel clean and oil free. Apply Oxpho following the directions and rub over the areas several times. Be sure to wear two pairs of vinyl gloves because this stuff will stain the skin. After the steel has taken the blue I rub everything down with a thin coat of wheel bearing grease and let it set overnight. This protects the finish from rust and seems to cause the bluing to darken more. The next day I rub off the grease with paper towels leaving a beautiful finish. One 4oz bottle will re-blue several guns.
Awesome!
I bought a old, used barrel as a spare for my Remington 870 that was originally a gloss blue finish, and I wanted it to match the matte black finish of my gun. I had a friend sandblast the barrel to a matte finish, I wiped it down with acetone, wiped on oxpho-blue with a cleaning patch, rubbed it in with steel wool, wiped it clean, let it dry, repeat x3... I can't tell the difference between the factory barrel and my refinished barrel!
Worked great for novice
First, I've never "blued" anything before, but after doing some necessary filing on my revolver I had to do something to reblue the surface I just took down to bare metal. I cleaned the surface with some solvent, and using a Q-Tip was able to keep the Oxpho Blue where I wanted it. For never having done this before, I'm very pleased with the color match and the results -- I was able to blend it right in.
4 OZ. OXPHO BLUE by BROWNELLS
This stuff is fantastic. I restored a 1929 Hercules 410 shotgun that was completely covered in surface rust with slight pitting on the barrel. As far as application, I bead blasted all metal parts and followed the directions on the bottle. For best results, the devil is in the 0000 steel wool polishing details. Two hours were required for the tight spots. A light gun oil application really brought the finish to near perfection. The gun had a walnut stock which was stripped and stained dark walnut and top-coated with Satin finish urethane. Step back two feet and the gun looks new. I could not be more pleased.
By far the best cold blue
Face it, no cold blue beats a good hot dip or slow rust blue. I have tried almost every cold blue and touch up finish out there and by far oxpho blue is the best. I have the best results if I rough up the surface with 0 steel wool with a little oil then dry the gun with paper towels prior to applying the oxpho blue. I find that it blends in the best with the origional blue this way. Burnish with fine steel wool after appliation for best blending. I collect early 20th century handguns and this is great for touch up work on those that I do not keep in "origional condition". A Must for any shooter.
Simply put.. it just works.
I recently completed a project to replace the alloy grip frame on my Ruger 3 screw old model Blackhawk by fitting it with a new in-the-white steel grip frame for a Ruger Old Army. After attempting to rust blue the new frame, I was really unhappy with the results... a muted blue with detectable surface etching. I sanded down to bare metal and re-polished the frame. I had read about Oxpho Blue being used as an alternative to hot bluing and rust bluing, so I decided to give it a try. My results are simply spectacular, a deep black/blue that rivals a hot blue. I think employing some of the same techniques used in rust bluing enhanced the results I obtained with Oxpho Blue. Surface prep is the key. The polished grip frame got a thorough scrubbing with full strength Simple Green, and an a bath in very hot (almost boiling) water. When thoroughly dry it left the metal completely devoid of any oil. I applied the Oxpho Blue while the metal was still warm/hot to the touch using a combination of wet (but not dripping) cotton balls and Oxpho Blue dipped #00 steel wool. Once the Oxpho Blue dries and the surface looks muddy and dry, the grip frame got a trip back into the hot water (like rust bluing) for about a minute and then left to completely air dry. I carded off the scale using the stainless wire carding brushes and wheel sold by Brownells, and repeated the entire process 4 or 5 times until I got the depth of color I wanted. I then oiled the part and left it to "cure" over night. Time will tell how durable the finish will be but compared to my other experiences with "cold" blue, Oxpho Blue has a different "feel" and look to it that makes me feel that it will outlast the results of any bottled bluing solution
