Expert: William Forster - 11/1/2007

Question
I want to strip the paint off the hood of my car and then "blue" it, as in gun bluing. In order to research it, I need to know what type of steel is used. And then I wondered if you knew if the bluing would be possible without a high heat bath. Would you be able to help in any of this? I would appreciate any advice you could give me.

Answer
Curt, a car hood is generally made of mild sheet metal. Even if you did manage to somehow blue the hood, it would have to be protected from the elements, I/E clear coating. clear coat isn't designed to stick to bare steel. The bluing would also be skewed by the inability to evenly heat and cool the hood. The foam cushion strips in the hood, if they don't burst into flame, will cause horrendous distortion of the bluing and warpage of the hood. Look into having someone simulate bluing with traditional paint. I suspect that the heat of the engine could also affect the bluing, and turn it color on blotches over hot spots in the engine bay. This is just a poor, poor idea, in my professional opinion. maybe on a gas tank for a cycle- not a car hood. Bill