Perma Blue
 

Hi all!
Acting on the instructions of other forum members, I have picked up a bottle of "Birchwood Casey Perma Blue", so I can get some first hand experience with the distinctive smell of cold blue!

Will this brand fit the need? Or should I try another?

Regards,Brandon

Brandon, I have tried different brands of blueing and have found them to be next to worthless. If you follow the instructions and lightly buff with 0000 steel wool nearly all of the blue comes off. If you use a rag and do it nearly all the blue comes off. I just haven't found the secret of using any of that stuff, if you figure it out let me know.

Same here Herb!

When I tried it, I put it on and followed all the insturctions! Then when I was ready to do the "sniff" test I rubbed the area with my thumb to heat up that area so the scent would be stronger but, suprise the blueing rubbed off!

Can anyone explain?
Brandon

I not sure what you want to do, too blue a part or just get the smell....however if you want to try cold blue use something like "gunscrubb" to degrease the area, then under HOT tap water heat up the metal a bit, pat dry and apply cold blue, worked for me, but as I have my own hot tanks its the only way to go. Also try the smell of Gun Parts Inc. 44-40 cold blue, just from the bottle it should give you the smell you may be after....hope it helps

On the general subject of cold blue, below is a picture of my 1911 with a .22-caliber top end. I built the bottom assembly up from parts and finished the frame in Birchwood-Casey paste-type cold blue (comes in a tube). The stuff does work, but it took several trials to get it right. No particular tricks-just persistence. Naturally, it isn't as durable as hot blue. On the other hand, it takes normal handling well enough and I would say appearance is adequate. When new, the cold blue looks about like hot blue which has aged and been handled for a while. Durability is acceptable given the ease with which the finish can be touched up or renewed. The blue does have a sulfurous odor when you apply it, but now, six years later, the pistol just smells like Sheath and gun oil to me.
http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/1911A1Lft2.jpg