cold blue

[murbas]

I am planning on doing a conversion on a pietta 1860 army, and want to know if I could alter cold blue with paint to get  a  :)mottled appearance? any help is greatly appreciated! 

[Coffinmaker]

I really don't understand what effect your trying to achieve, but .......... No.

Coffinmaker

[Pettifogger]

How do you cold "blue" with paint?  You can cold blue with several commercial cold blue formulas like .44-40 or Oxpho Blue, but paint?

[Abilene]

Are you planning to cut a loading port and then want to re-"case-color" the bare steel where it was cut?  Cold blue swabbed on in spots can simulate that somewhat.

[Lefty Dude]

You can get the effect you desire with Vinegar, cut it with water 50% and blotch it on with a cotton ball. when you get the desired effect, rinse well with water to stop the chemical action.

If you want an Antique effect, strip the blue from the piece totally. Then use a solution of Cold blue rub it on, then wash it off with Water.
This will give you a Gray worn Antique look. Then polish with a good Auto wax, to save the finish.

A Fellow shooter did this to a pair of 1860 Pietta's. They now look like originals that are 150 Years old.

This is only a suggestion. Would I do this procedure, Hell no. But it sure looks good.

[Blair]

murbus,

What is the effect you are wishing to create? When you say you are wishing to create a "mottled finish"? Is this something like color case hardening?
My best,
Blair

[Crow Choker]

I have in the past, after cleaning a metal surface, gently heated the metal I wish to blue with a propane torch or a hair dryer and then applied cold blue. Have done this using Brownell's Oxpho Blue and several times with Dicopan 'IM'. The result gives a blue molted appearance. I experimented with scrap steel before doing the gun steel, be aware though that scrap steel and any gun steel are not the same. I did strip the undesired finish off several times and started over. Getting the metal too hot didn't give the desired effect, but just warm enough to get what I was after. Takes some trial and error, but I found it to give a 'Old Timey' look. If ya try it 'Let the buyer beware', no guarantee of the outcome.

[murbas]

I  have should stated my intentions better, as I am looking to duplicate the case color finish as best as possible.  thanks for all the replys.

[Lefty Dude]

I  have should stated my intentions better, as I am looking to duplicate the case color finish as best as possible.  thanks for all the replys.

Grind up some bones, make some charcoal and have at it !

[Blair]

Doing a Google search will help on defining "case hardening" and/or "color case hardening".
There are compounds that can help in this process today, as well as heat the heat sourse used to help add carbon to high quality bar iron into a quality steel.
My best,
Blair