Alright then, you asked for it. Well, at least Clutch did. It ain't pretty and there are no photos. Prepare for a giant pile of text! My Tomenosuke Bluing Guide:
Bluing Guide:
I have to thank Karl Tate, aka Phase Pistol, for asking Nobu San, the master modeler behind this kit at Tomenosuke, for a hint about how he goes about bluing the zinc parts. And thanks to Nobu for revealing some of his secrets! Nobu says he’s going to put together a guide about how he achieves his bluing, but I did the best I could with the tips I was given, and I’m pretty happy with the results. Here’s what I did:
- It starts with the finish of the parts. This hobby should just be called sanding, because that’s all I remember doing. My gun is probably lighter than anyone else’s because I sanded so much of it away! I used 320, 400, and 600 wet, and I followed that up with the ultrafine and then microfine 3M sanding sponge pads (dry) that Nobu used to sand the plastic parts. I’ve fallen in love with these things. They work great. Originally I followed this up with buffing and polishing compound for a mirror finish. The parts looked amazing, but the bluing compound wouldn’t work. There was nothing for the chemical to “grab” I guess. Once I destroyed all my beautifully polished finishes with 0000 steel wool, everything worked a lot better.
- Now you need to clean the parts. I used the Casey’s degreaser first, followed by a warm wash with dishwashing detergent. I did all this while wearing gloves so no oil would transfer from my skin to the parts.
- The first stage of the bluing was to soak the parts in a solution of Casey’s Perma Blue (Nobu used Aluminum Black but I had lots of Perma Blue lying around and it works great) diluted to 1%. In the plastic tray I used for the Steyr receiver I needed 600ml of liquid to cover the part, so I used 600ml of distilled water mixed with 6ml of Perma Blue. I know it sounds ridiculous, but one part per hundred is how Nobu starts. Soak the part for ten minutes and pull it out to give it a rub every two. I used Kimwipes lint-free tissues which I get by the boatload from work. Nobu brushed his with a toothbrush. The trick is to never let the chemical react fast enough to start building up a crust or etching the metal too deeply. I set my timer for eleven minutes to make up for the time spent out of the solution while rubbing the part. The process is slow so don’t expect to see any appreciable change right away. You will end up with parts the color of light titanium oxide with a hint of red/blue. This initial soak prevents the chemical from digging too deeply into the part in the next steps.
- After the ten minute bath it’s time for the tricky part. I next used a 50% solution of Perma Blue and wiped it on with the tissues, rubbing quickly and switching out with clean ones frequently. You won’t get an even tone yet, but it will get darker and the blue/grey you’re looking for will slowly begin to appear. Keep going with the 50% solution until the piece won’t get any darker. You’ll be at a light-to-medium grey/blue now. I found if you skip the 50% step the full strength chemical used in the next step will etch too deeply and you’ll get a crusty uneven finish.
- Now you switch to undiluted Perma Blue. It works fast and is tricky. You have to rub hard and watch carefully to make sure you’re getting all the surfaces evenly coated. I never did the first time around. Luckily, the Perma Blue acts as its own solvent so you can correct mistakes. If you get a blotchy patch you just attack it again with fresh solution on a clean tissue. If you are really having trouble getting an even tone (for me the Steyr was the hardest part because there’s so much surface area) then your best friend is the white 3M Scotch-Brite Light Duty pad. It has no abrasive and won’t mess up your finish, but if you soak it with the 50% solution it’s a great tool for evening out large areas. You can use the full strength solution too, but it’s possible to remove too much of the bluing too quickly. I had the best luck with the pad and the 50% solution. Eventually you’ll get an even tone and the part won’t get any darker. You’re done. For now.
- Wipe the part with a clean tissue and soak it in the oil of your choice. I use Casey’s Barricade for firearms. It’s what they include in the bluing kit and it works well. I bought a spray can of the stuff and just drench the part when the bluing is done. This stops the bluing reaction. Let the part soak overnight in Barricade. This helps set and harden the finish. Then buff the piece with a soft cloth. I just used a well-worn cotton t-shirt. If you see uneven spots you don’t like, have no fear, you can fix it. You’ll have to wash off all the oil with the degreaser and dish detergent, and then attack the part with more Perma Blue. Start with the 50% solution and graduate to the 100% stuff when the first “coat” starts to flow, for lack of a better word. Use the Scotch Brite white pad to help blend areas and eventually you’ll get a good even finish. I had to attack my Steyr receiver over three days, but I managed the bolt lever in one day. The smaller parts are just easier.
- The final step is to polish the part and seal it. Wipe the excess Barricade off, but there’s no need to completely remove it. Next I use Novus number 2 polish. It helps even things out a little more and isn’t abrasive enough to wear through the finish too easily. Now the part should be looking pretty shiny and nice. Finally I use Renaissance Wax to give the part a final, protective coat. I let the wax set for an hour or so, polish it up, and then you’re ready for assembly. It’s a lot of work but the results are worth it.
- If you’re looking for a more weathered and aged effect, you can take the finished part, without the wax, and soak it in white vinegar for ten minutes. This will remove some of the bluing giving you a duller grey finish. Perfect for the World Con look. The longer you soak the part, the more bluing you’ll remove.
I hope this guide saves somebody from having to go through the trial and error it took me to finally get it right. I used the triggers as test pieces and had to redo each one at least five times until I finally got it right. I’d recommend practicing on the Bulldog grip since it ends up covered by the amber grips.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
