Bluing problem

[olydraft]

  I have a Marlin mdl 336 I got at our gun show back in January and it looks like someone used the wrong type of cleaner on it and it has some stains in the bluing (looks kinda bleached). I cleaned it really good with alchol and then took a Qtip with some cold blue on it, I tried it on a small corner and all it would do is bead up and not do any bluing at all. I tried it on the center of the stain and the same thing happened. can someone give me a suggestion or two to make it take the blue. You can see the rifle here on GBO in the "Hunting in Indiana" in the first thread "Big boys Toys" a little past half way down the thread. If you click on the second and third picture you can just see the stains on the top and bottom of each side. They aren`t terrible but a little worse than what the pictures show. any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Gary

[trotterlg]

If it is the Birchwood Case super blue, you have to scrub it in so the speak.  Put it on a cloth and rub it hard and see what you get.  Different blues make the metal blue by different processes, I notice the Perma Blue makes a different finish than the super blue does, so if one doesn't work for you try another.  Larry

[gunnut69]

Brownells OxphoBlue will likely solve your problem. Most cold blues won't work thru any kind of oil, the Brownells product will. If the discoloration is wax of some kind nothing will blue thru it. If you wish to try the product you were using use a bit of acetone on a paper towel to clean the area you wish to touch up and then apply the cold blue to the metal. It should begin 'biting' almost immediately and the color change is pretty quick. After the color is matched it may be adjusted and blended with a bit of fine steel wool. After the reblue is complete be sure to wax or oil thoroughly as the acetone completely removes all the oil protection and the bare steel will rust really quickly!!

[olydraft]

  Tried the acetone and the Birchwood Casey... Nothing, doesn`t even touch it. guess I`ll have to try the oxphoblue...

[smong2000]

I bet the previous owner got blood on it and left it there for a while.  I had a rifle like that and never got a perfect match, it always looked blotchy even after I polished a broad area out and cold blued.  The blood must react with the grain structure of the steel deeper than the bluing does.  Please post if you get a satisfactory result.

[olydraft]

 I have been tempted to try blue and rust remover but I`m afraid of making it worse. I`ve used alchol, acetone 0000 steelwool to no avail. So far nothing has worked. it just almost wants to bead up on those spots. I`m gonna order some oxpho. from Brownells soon and give it a try. if that doesn`t work then I`ll try a little spot with the blue and rust remover.....