Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Preparation of guns for nickel plating

I am a gun finisher, I've been working on guns for about 8 years. I would like to know if anyone knows a easier way of cleaning a blued surface without all that buffing.

Thanks,

Tony Horne
hobbyist - Ashland, Kentucky, USA
2004

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2004

Tony,

I start with a rust and blue remover liquid. After the metal is stripped of all bluing rinse in hot water and dry with hot air. This will leave a satin finish that will polish a lot easier than a blued finish. After the metal is stripped, it will rust easily, so buffing should be done as soon as possible or coat with light oil until read to buff, then clean and buff. There is no way around the buffing that I know of if you want the shiny finish when done. If you want a dull finish, just bead blast and blue, it will look parkerised.

Good luck.

Ed Kay
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Tony, I'm sorry, I just noticed you were plating. Ask your plating company if you can just strip the bluing with the chemical stripper, or they may be able to do it if you just give them the parts to be plated.

Ed Kay
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
2004