J. Doyle
Dealer - Purveyor
Maybe it's just me, but I would never recommend using cold blue.....I have never seen it used on anything, and it come out with what I consider an acceptable finish.....light and dark spots, smeared looking, blotchy.......for a lack of a better way to say, it just looks very unprofessional to me.
I could not agree with this more. I have tried EVERYTHING to get a nice even finish with cold blue and have failed miserably. I can get a nice finish...............but it wipes right off if you oil or rusts if you don't. I have followed the directions on the bottle exactly. I have tried using it with smooth polished finishes, rough finishes, different metals. I tried it cold. I tried applying it to a hot part that someone recommended. I called Birchwood Casey and talked to their shop guys and they led me back to, "Use it exactly like the bottle says." Which I tried again and failed. Again the blue/black either wipes right off or rusts. I've let it sit in wd-40 for two days. I've tried spraying it with wd-40 and let it air dry. I've tried using 5 different kinds of gun oil. Nothing will preserve the blue/black finish I'm after.
It has it's place in my shop but never as a final finish......on anything.
If someone has gotten a good, EVEN and durable finish with cold blue I'd like to hear how. Even better......I'd like to see it.