Hi Bill,
Try Pilkington's solution for rust blue, it works very well. You are correct, shorter cycles lead to a higher luster blue. You can try skipping the rusting cabinet as well. I finds this really helps when going for a high luster blue.
I make my own browning solutions out of Angier's and I find many of his solutions to be too strong for my liking. I end up reducing them by at least 50%, often much more as I get closer to finishing up.
I do not chemically remove bluing myself but hand polish everything.
All my best,
Steve
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