It is slow rust blueing. ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. WD-40, as mentioned earlier, is a water-displacing oil compound not a penetrating lube, and for preventing rust, WD-40 actually works pretty well, but it doesnt last like cosmoline or waxy oils used for long-term rust prevention. The wire is extremely small in diameter, so you have to take that into consideration. Submerge in water and scrape edge. Check out the video:https://hackaday.io/project/21947-makers-vise/log/60914-coloring-steel-with-magnetism. Spray down the whole barreled action with copious amounts of WD-40, inside and out. The mixture is heated to 310 to 321C (590 to 610F) and the parts are suspended in this solution with wire. It is also used by machinists, to protect and beautify tools made for their own use. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time. Learn more Steel is a common durable alloy, and while most steel used in tools is already tough, you can harden it even more to prevent wear and tear. Wear thick gloves and a face mask before you quench your steel so the water or oil doesnt splash onto your hands. If the solution is still boiling vigorously, then you can expect the bluing to happen naturally. It is usually inadvisable to use cold bluing as a touch-up where friction is present. Also buffing wheels pre blue. These include hot bluing, cold bluing, niter bluing, and so on. You have a degreased gun, and now you need to get the metal hot enough that the reaction will oxidize the steel as much as possible. Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. }, If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. The torch comes in when you first apply the Express Blue. Bluing is most commonly used by gun manufacturers, gunsmiths, and gun owners to improve the cosmetic appearance of and provide a measure of corrosion resistance to their firearms. Dont mess with hot salts. Next you hold it in front of your heat source until a blue oxide layer covers the whole blade edge. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. For the process your metal should be nicely polished for the best results.The more shinier the polish the more your end result will glow. Now, using the information above, you should have little problem bluing your firearms on your own. Picture Information. Stand on end over some paper towels to drain. Gun companies dont/wont do it because they want to make quick money, and today its all phosphates and bake-on appliance paint (you didnt think a guy who calls Glocks cheez-whiz was going to sing the praises of Duracote or Cerakote, did you?). Youll get a dark spot right there. Craig, torch bluing is a real thing that has been use a lot in the custom gun world, mostly for screw heads but even for complete muzzle loader creations ( the vendor will be quite proud of his work it seems as cost increases considerably to a finished item). These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. 2 years ago, For the record The gentleman said multiple times that the plastic container shown in the pictures was just for the instructional photos and to be sure that the container is made of metal for this process, (Homer Simpson smacking his forehead: "DOH! Get it Feb 25 - 27. Always back your paper when youre polishing over edges and up against features. Apply heat to your object and heat up gently and equally. There wasnt a whole lot of pain just yet until my buddy took the safety bottle of vinegar solution used to neutralize the alkaline NaOH salts, and then the pain was there. For most of the time, guns that utilize carbon steel components are the prime candidates for bluing but its totally possible to color stainless steel blue as well. When youre using polishing paper, you think that 600 grit is very fine, and it is taking you hours to polish out something to 600. You risk a big fire that is self sustaining by the reaction itself. on Introduction. Alternitavely you can leave it in the oil bath to stabilize. Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. Question Now securely hold your piece with whatever you have chosen. You can make your own desiccant packs with kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). There are also methods of cold bluing, which do not require heat. on Introduction. You can then use a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. Life is good. You turn up your nose at crap guns? If you are new to the subject and are in need of detailed instructions, then youve come to the right place. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer! -2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil), -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any good degreaser, -metal object/s (I used mild steel, Please note this method should NOT be used on tempered/hardened steel as you will effect the properties of the metal). I use a pickling paste. I learned something slightly different than what you are teaching and that is I am willing to pay people like you to do this kind of stuff for me. The mixed fumes of the acids produce a uniform rust on the surface of the parts (inside and out) in about 12 hours. List Price: $18.64 $18.64. http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. "logo": { WebBluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. Thanks a lot for sharing. However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. After I have in the past few years became more and more. "keywords": ["how to blue stainless steel"], This signifies that the steel is tempered. Contemporary heat-treatable steels did not exist or were in their infancy. I dont have that much blueing to do in my shop, so I dont use hot salts. The tempering reduces the amount of martensite and thus makes the steel softer. Hardened steel prevents knife blades from dulling and tools from bending and breaking. Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. Mark the sharpened edge with a crayon. Dont leave cold blue solutions around anywhere pets or kids could get at them. The "turning blue" process has nothing to do with hardening of the steel, or its compression. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I had to sand and restain the stock, and sanded the barrel from 120 down to 400 grit the pitting was so bad. It will instantly vaporize into steam and splash all over you. Be patient in the first few minutes as the metal needs to reach the temperatures where it changes colour! The part that is to race the other is heated normally up to about 220 especially if it is an aluminum casting like a cylinder head. For this Instructable I'm using thread cutting oil. Above you can see some example pictures of the colour shades that can be achieved with this techniques. The downsides are: the safety issue, which I laid out above, and which youve made clear. Hes claiming that method is more durable than Blue alone. Never know when it will come in handy. Have proper ventilation and use proper modern safety gear! Either of these two methods is called 'hot bluing'. Why do you bother with all this crap?. DG thank you. The bottom of the crucible is opened allowing the contents to drop into the rapidly bubbling water. Dont want to get any of the liquid on you its 700F. I hope to someday have good knowledge to pass on to people, heh. New guns are typically available in blued finish options offered as the least-expensive finish, and this finish is also the least effective at providing rust resistance, relative to other finishes such as Parkerizing or hard chrome plating or nitriding processes like Tenifer. FigureLLC. Shooting Mystery is an independent website that provides content for informational purposes only. The book claims they used wait for it "boiling gasoline" not making this up to clean them. This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. The cross section and size of parts affect the outcome of the finish and time it takes to achieve. It takes practice. "dateModified": "2022-03-27", It is usually sold in a 1lb bottle for $3, you'll need 3 or 4 pounds probably. So you said the polishing is key for the coloring process. I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. Work on a metal or steel surface, such as an anvil, to avoid any fire hazards. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. BUT like so many power tools on guns, it is possible to create expensive screw-ups to fix on guns with power tools, and buffing wheels are no exception. Dont scrub the solution onto the gun, just run a patch that is not dripping wet down one complete run on the barrel/action in one smooth stroke. Heat source You will require at least one burner for bluing salts and two hot water burners. They are still sometimes used by gunsmiths to obtain an authentic finish for a period gun of the time that rust bluing was in vogue, analogous to the use of browning on earlier representative firearm replicas. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! Brownells has a product that will strip blueing and rust (Fe3O4 and Fe3O2, respectively) and not corrode the underlying steel.Remove the barrel & action from the stock. Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 How to Blue (Bluing) Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method OOMAN 2.28K subscribers Subscribe 872 112K views 4 years ago My apologies for the background Pull it out of the tank and place on a drain rack. Ill go into parkerization later this week. Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. Also: Do not allow the solution to run, drip or sag. Posted December 21, 2009. There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. It's easy to get it too hot, too quickly - especially with an O/A or oxy-propane torch. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" The reason why blued guns rust is that something was allowed to attack the surface blueing and get through it to new steel or the blueing job wasnt deep enough to complete passivate the surface from red rust. However, rust bluing small areas often match, blend, and wear better than any cold bluing process. It also looks good on AK type weapons of which I have three to park. Make sure to check every nook and cranny of the components so that you can find any discoloration or blemishes. fascinated with blacksmithing, but have not had an income to even get it started. Hang the trigger group again, re-stock and you should be done. I guess Ill have to just be happy drying toilet paper. 1. polish it very well 2. clean very well 3. quick dip in dilute FeCl (4:1) is what I use 4. rinse in cold running water and pat Aluminium (Al) and polymer parts cannot be blued, and no corrosion protection is provided. The "hot" process is an alkali salt solution using potassium nitrite or sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, referred to as "traditional caustic black", that is typically done at an elevated temperature, 135 to 155C (275 to 311F). Process that partially protects steel against rust, This article is about the historical uses of black oxide. After the Civil War they switched to another process. The cotton gloves insulate your fingers from the heated barrel, and they prevent oils from your skin from getting on the raw steel. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Again, dont mess around with these chemicals and only handle them with extreme attention. Any more advice is welcome SteelJunkee Joined May 6, 2018 Messages 891 A non-linear resistance property of the blued steel of razor blades, foreshadowing the same property later discovered in semiconductor diode junctions, along with the ready availability of blued steel razor blades, led to the use of razor blades as a detector in crystal set AM radios that were built by servicemen (as foxhole radios) or by prisoners of war during World War II.[8]. This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. Itll evaporate rather rapidly, but still, dont whip it at cars or house finishes. And then there is the difference between general care and storage vs available daily carried protection pistols living in a some sort of Holster (nylon or leather) , good, bad, take them out or leave them in? Then you have to heat the metal. These work by depositing a coating of copper selenide on the surface. "image": { Glad that there are folks like you around. 3 years ago. By using our site, you agree to our. Frequent TTAG commenter Dyspeptic Gunsmith saw the gun above in our postA Garden Gun Cultivates a Newfound Fascinationand answered reader questions about blueing/reblueing a gun thusly: If the rust is very fine and there is still substantial blueing left on the gun, you might want to strip the blueing. Larger flames produce less heat while smaller flames produce a higher heat. *700F is very close to the heat treatment temperature of some steels. Tenifer get's up to (1077F) last I checked and was the 5th step in Glock heat treating after that they Pakerize it. Repeat 3 times. Thanks for always being so willing to share, Sir. Ill detail why. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. 3.3k. [4], Bluing can also be done in a furnace, for example for a sword or other item traditionally made by a blacksmith or specialist such as a weapon-smith. When youre done, attach the thermometer to the tank and fire up the burner. Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. Prepare the components of the metal surface before you attempt to blue using your tools. it washes off with water. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing. Its nice when something can be re-used a time or two, especially when used in diversified ways. Now you slide the cold rod in, and the plate cools, gripping the rod. Black iron wire You will need black iron wire to tie around any object you (meaning oxygen atoms are able to attach themselves to the outer layer of the steel)We did this with an electromagnet! Ships from and sold by Direct-Wholesale. Alternatively, you can press the pad of steel wool between your hands over the container of acetone, and then put it on some paper towels to dry. This method was adopted by larger firearm companies for large scale, more economical bluing. Think big scars. There are many methods you can use to blue the steel. But since this was my first project, with an inexpensive kit as a learning tool, and as I intend to do this again with a much more expensive kit, my trials and errors and your voice of experience will be very useful the next time around. Blue Metal Shell 13 in 1 Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering. Further, I probably would have used a coarser wet-dry to prep the raw steel (this was a kit Kentucky long rifle) rather than the 1500 grit I used. Heat the gun parts. One can generally use the same solution to brown as to blue. I believe the change of color is due to a growing thickness of an oxide layer. Theres nothing I see as super-dangerous about blueing other than trying to do hot salt blueing without all the correct safety equipment and precautions. The hotter the steel, the further the oxygen can diffuse through the oxide coating, so the coating builds thicker before it protects the steel from further oxidation. Add the two together and you have what is akin to rocket fuel in your face a way of oxidizing almost any organic material with insufficient water for cooling into a furious flame. Degrease a pad of 0000 steel wool with acetone. How do I harden a steel hammer so that is lasts longer and is more durable? The practice of bluing steel takes time and an exquisite eye for detail. Just take them from the comments he posts. Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, so the hot steel will take longer to cool and reduce the chance of it cracking. The color is oxide, but I believe you can scrape it off. Just remove the blue/rust, degrease, dry, then blue/card/boil-out/oil/drain. Ill be saving this for the future. Itll take perhaps 20 minutes to really dry down. Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. For this reason, it is considered not to add any appreciable thickness to precisely-machined gun parts. If cold bluing is the only practical option, the area should be kept oiled to extend the life of the coating as much as possible. You can also heat the oil to create different effects. You can then u. se a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. You'll probably be fine following these instructions - you'll probably be OK driving home a little drunk, too. You are a fantastic resource for all of us here. The hot washing soda tank typically used in gunsmith shops is caustic washing soda, and if you leave the gun in long enough, youll start to see corrosion on the gun before you get to the blueing step. It's worth noting that there can be some additives in motor oil that release hydrocarbons when burnt which is a known carcinogens to the body (in other words: Bad Stuff!). You need to adjust the boiling point of the salts for your altitude. If you havent done it before, wait until I mention some items about it. The plate turned blue just like you ible and I was told this was an effect of compression fitting.the rod didn't change colour even though it had the heat applied to it so was it actually the compression fit that changed the plates colour. I wish I had known more about the process, heating (I was working outside on a 60 degree day) I may have to check with my friend to see if it needs reblued again, Im sure he never shot it. You might need two applications to clean up more deeply rusted spots. ", Heat the gun parts. My advice to people here: Unless youre a professional, and youre working in a shop with all the required safety gear (a cold water shower within a couple feet of the tanks, and an eyewash station next to the tanks, and someone working in the same shop every moment youre working on the salt tanks), DONT. In the hot salt process, you will need, oh, four to six tanks, only one of which will be the heated blueing salts. For hazzalandy: carbon content has nothing to do with the color process, it is only the temperature you heat to, and to a lesser extent, the time spent hot. They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. You can reassemble the gun after. Isn't the point of the acetone to degrease, why would i grease? 3 years ago Once you strip the blue & rust, then you can see what youre dealing with. Degrease and heat the items to be blued in a steel pan to about 700F. This is one of the reasons rust and fume bluing are generally more rust-resistant than other methods. If your barrel has heavier pitting, now were into filing to remove pitting, and thats something I cant teach people in mere text. You have entered an incorrect email address! Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). Remember the oil is probably gonna release some smoke/fumes once the piece is quenched so as said before: please do this step in a well ventilated area. I am using bronze, is it for a polish? To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. NaOH will quickly and completely dissolve aluminum. You work on nice guns! I can keep a Krylon can always handy for touch-ups. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. My first time wasnt a stunning success. Gas burners can usually do the job for this. Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. This will remove all the traces of the bluing solution and other chemicals. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Its oiled in production to keep it from rusting on store shelves. With. So, you start with a clean gun, in the white, you play a propane torch over the gun to get it to the point where the blueing solution just will readily steam, but barely sizzle, and then you brush on the blueing compound. Theres a reason I didnt pursue a career in chemistry. Should something happen, seek medical help right away. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). Blacksmith products to this day may occasionally be found made from blued steel by traditional craftsmen in cultures and segments of society who use that technology either by necessity or choice.[5]. Only 3 left in stock - order soon. Its durable and wears well. . So unless you have sufficient equipment and skill, its advised to let a professional perform the bluing for you. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. It is always essential to remove all oils from metals you want to blue, even if the cold blueing solution claims you dont need to do so. A few safety items: Blue or Black rust is complete passivation of the steel surface Fe3O4. When youre done and have neutralized & washed off the Express Blue #1 solution, you then should spray down the barrel with water-displacing oil. Great column, and thanks for all the responses to various questions and comments. "datePublished": "2022-03-27", Still, you will find that cold blues dont last. This is how Colt made their rifles and pistols prior to Civil War you can read all about the process. Thats how vigorously we de-grease guns before starting blueing. Old school smiths use something called washing soda to strip oil off guns. Ill be buying the stainless tubs and chemicals to do it and go for as close to black as I can get. At 700, you start losing your blues and the steel starts becoming a wispy silvery-blue, not a dark brilliant blue. Gee, Im thinkin Duro or cero coat maybe even Krylon might be a good enough.. While still hot and while wearing rubber gloves rub the bluing compound Into the steel with the steel wool. Once you see it turn golden, the process has started and colours will change fairly quickly! Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. This heating forms the blue on the plate. Colour case hardening occurs when soft steels were packed in a reasonably airtight crucible in a mixture of charred leather, bone charcoal and wood charcoal. This process leaves a deep blue-black finish. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. The steel is also used for producing great police flashlights with awesome durability. Its the corrosive gift that just keeps on giving. Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. ", steel". It is slightly caustic, so be careful you dont leave it on the gun for long. Cold blues will Higher carbon contents will take longer to heat. Fill a heat-safe container with water or oil deep enough to submerge your steel. Seriously, this is interesting and thank you for posting it, but I hope to never be in a position where I need to use either of these techniques! Once it's cooled down, take the object out of the oil and place it on a piece of paper/cloth and let it set for about 20 minutes. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. The name of the process actually comes from the blue-black appearance of the black iron oxide. You will get it. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature! For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). I wouldn't recommend either. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Before operating your torch, read all instructions so you know how to handle it safely. on Step 1. Next wash your piece in your chosen degreaser for a minute or so to get rid of all grease/fingerprints that was on the metal. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Remove any previous finish. Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. One of the reasons I hand-polish up to 600 and buff only above that is that when you see one of my barrels (by holding it up to a light source, and sighting down the barrel from the muzzle at your eye to the breech out at arms length), you see no dips, waves, ripples, etc. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Heat the Steel. Brand: Logix. As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over the flame to equally disburse the heat. The only way to do that is to heat it until the metal de-magnetises, quench it again, and then temper to the desired hardness. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. "height": "800", The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. NaOH is nasty stuff. I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. Historically, razor blades were often blued steel. In the automotive world this is a common practice. | Alpha Detroit", "NRA Family | Gun Manufacturing: Browning vs. Bluing", http://mypeculiarnature.blogspot.com/2014/08/quick-rust-bluing-back-in-black.html, "Radio Kits and Designs for Old and New Styles", "Coating, Oxide, Black, for Ferrous Metals (MIL-DTL-13924D)", "Phosphate and black oxide coating of ferrous metals (MIL-HDBK-205A)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bluing_(steel)&oldid=1142351288, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles that may contain original research from October 2020, All articles that may contain original research, Articles needing additional references from October 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles lacking in-text citations from September 2014, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 22:58. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. It is vastly appreciated even by those of us who will probably never use it. No. % of people told us that this article helped them. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.
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