Ive cut and pasted this to my notes on the cloud. When putting water in your boil-out tank, use distilled water if you have water with high mineral content. Cold blueing is OK for touchups, at best. Degrease a pad of 0000 steel wool with acetone. Ill go into parkerization later this week. 2 years ago Did you ever find out what oil they were using? tighter your arc, the less the heat input will be. Cold blues will react with steel at room temperature, but you get more aggressive reactions when you heat the gun to, oh, 150 to 200F. The rust then turns to black-blue Fe3O4. Gee, Im thinkin Duro or cero coat maybe even Krylon might be a good enough.. Step 3: Suspend the components in the bluing solution tank, However, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using, Step 4: Rinse the components in a cold water tank then transfer them to a hot one, Step 5: Submerge the components in a tank filled with water displacing oil, Address: 4455 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ste 114 #852, Fort Worth, TX 76107. If you cant, just get them out of the case and allow air to circulate around them. Cold blues will Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! For this Instructable I'm using thread cutting oil. You need to constantly be adding in a bit of water to bring the boiling point back down into the range you need. WHERE or when would the torch get used? A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Alternatively, You could store them in a hard case (like a pelican with a purge) and throw some desiccant packs in there as well. I used Express Blue #1 on lots of guns, where I want something less labor intensive than slow rust blueing (which I wont describe here): most steel wool isnt oil-free. The parts are then boiled in distilled water, blown dry, then carded, as with rust bluing. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Hot bluing should never be attempted on aluminium, as it reacts it usually dissolves in the caustic salt bath. It is not nice stuff. Its oiled in production to keep it from rusting on store shelves. 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. Knowledge is the power and fear is the opposite of power it cripples the mind and the body and almost always guarantee's a poor decision will be made. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. Thats how vigorously we de-grease guns before starting blueing. Wear disposable nitrile gloves, work in adequate ventilation, bag and dispose of all rags/towels used in the process in their own bags, and quickly. I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. Thanks, 8 years ago 2mm wire has a circumference of ~0.25in. Dont just leave them on a surface that could corrode or burn), get a new patch into the hemostats, soak, wring out, and keep going. Pour in some acetone, and while wearing rubber gloves (dishwashing gloves are OK), put in a pad of 0000 steel wool, swish it around and pull it out. highfour, case hardening is a bit different from what you describe.. Usually, the steel needs some time in a medium that will allow carbon to penetrate the surface, and we are talking 15 minutes to several hours. Nowadays, even mild steel does have a certain amount of carbon in the alloy, which can explain your observations, if you google "super quench," you should find a waterbased quench that is rumoured to do the same, but in my humble opinion, water can do just that as well. Ok you gotta help me out herewhen I was studying mechanical engineering a good few years back a project I done involved using a compression fit of 1/4" thick plate steel into 1" thick steel rod, both mild steel. You turn up your nose at crap guns? The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. The torch comes in when you first apply the Express Blue. 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. Dont pour water in to your bath! This is not necessary as long as you can hold your item appropriately and not cover where it is to be heated. It takes practice. However, the chemicals from the bluing process can accomplish uneven staining on aluminium and polymer parts. Friction, as from holster wear, quickly removes cold bluing, and also removes hot bluing, rust, or fume bluing over long periods of use. "headline": "How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide", "sameAs": For the chemical, the bluing solution should be either Oxynate No. Heat the gun parts. You want 0000 steel wool for carding between coats. This is often achieved without chemicals by simply heating the steel until a blue oxide film appears. Cold bluing is not particularly resistant to holster wear, nor does it provide a large degree of rust resistance. I like parkerization on some of my milsurps. So you will get a shinier finish. [ You MUST plug your barrels, gas cylinders, remove your pistons, etc. The parts are then oiled and allowed to stand overnight. ", High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. (And taking, out of *your* hide). on Step 1. The differential cooling causes patterns of colors to appear as well as hardening the part. Alternitavely you can leave it in the oil bath to stabilize. Instead of applying the acid solution directly to the metal parts, the parts are placed in a sealed cabinet with a moisture source, a container of nitric acid and a container of hydrochloric acid. Youre just using stump remover to do it. 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. Degrease and heat the items to be blued in a steel pan to about 700F. 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. 8 years ago In this case cooking oil, rather than gun oil, acts to displace water and prevent rust. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Ive learned a LOT. As mentioned, cold bluing can be done at room temperature with decent results. The melting point for KNO3 is 633F. There is something really rewarding about this technique. You should note that the blue layer is rather delicate so dont treat it roughly. If you havent done it before, wait until I mention some items about it. Next comes the main part. "image": { Think big scars. Acetone is also useful for de-greasing the barreled action. Soft, low-carbon steel was used, but strong materials were needed for the receivers of firearms. The reason I ask is that when you heat steel that is in the white to 600F, you get a brilliant blue all on its own. Excellent info. Even at room temperature, the salts are highly caustic and will eat into your eyes or skin in seconds not minutes. It's easy to get it too hot, too quickly - especially with an O/A or oxy-propane torch. You can make a Caustic Soda KNO3 water bath: 65% Lye (aka sodium hydroxide) For modern uses of black oxide, see, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "How To Remove Rust From A Gun Without Damaging Bluing? You want to be in the range of 600 to 650F. OK, Buffing wheels, which Im making their own break-out response from the blueing salt issue: Buffing wheels are useful things in a gun shop. The process was to coat the gun parts in an acid solution, let the parts rust uniformly, then immerse the parts in boiling water to convert the red oxide Fe2O3 to black oxide Fe3O4, which forms a more protective, stable coating than the red oxide; the boiling water also removes any remaining residue from the applied acid solution (often nitric acid and hydrochloric acid diluted in water). Heat the area with a torch until it stops sweating. I have cut and polished 4 pieces of mild steel to demonstrate different colour stages. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. 5. Above you can see some example pictures of the colour shades that can be achieved with this techniques.Have fun doing it! As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over the flame to equally disburse the heat. Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. Rust bluing was developed between hot and cold bluing processes, and was originally used by gunsmiths in the 19th century to blue firearms prior to the development of hot bluing processes. Your 700F temp is too high, IMO. It can soften up some paints and plastics. Remove any previous finish. FigureLLC. So As one newish to refined firearms ownership, what is the best way to store and protect a pistol or rifle from rusting, especially in areas like Oregon or Washington, Silicon socks, or ? Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. Dont. Youll need some shop rolls, ranging from 180 to 400 grit (typical 4-packs are 180, 240, 320 and 400 grit, in 1, 1.5 or 2. So basically, youll want the rifle in the vise with the muzzle pointed to your left. If everything appears good, then you can transfer the components into a hot water tank. 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. Heat the gun parts. The tempering reduces the amount of martensite and thus makes the steel softer. These work by depositing a coating of copper selenide on the surface. Heating white, degreased steel to 550 to 600F results in brilliant colors. ", steel". Reply Examples of this finish are common on older pocket watches whose hands exhibit what is called 'peacock blue', a rich iridescent blue. The mixed fumes of the acids produce a uniform rust on the surface of the parts (inside and out) in about 12 hours. The bottom of the crucible is opened allowing the contents to drop into the rapidly bubbling water. Then the crucibles would be removed from the furnace and placed over boiling hot water and air would be bubbled through the water and the parts would be dropped into the water. 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! The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. just fyi, the old school method of case hardening steel is to get the piece so hot that a magnet will no longet stick to it and quickly quench it in used motor oil. Very helpful! For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. Even with safety glasses and a full-face shield, a rubber apron, rubber boots, etc it is possible to get salts into your eyes and all over the rest of you. This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. "width": "1500", Stand on end over some paper towels to drain. 1. You will need:-2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil)-oil -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any goo Any gun. Referring to the post that started all of this; Dyspeptic Gunsmith says: Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. When youre done, attach the thermometer to the tank and fire up the burner. Brand: Logix. *700F is very close to the heat treatment temperature of some steels. You can get a IR non-contact thermometer for less than $20 at Harbor Freight. Accidental exposure to the chemicals could result in serious injuries. Do this outside, so you can do this next part: Just whip the steel wool at arms length to extract the excess acetone. This article was very, "I've been working with steel since I was a child, and reviewing these proper methods and skills makes my projects, "It surely educated me on several points. The downsides are: the safety issue, which I laid out above, and which youve made clear. ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements. If a bank transfer is made but no receipt is uploaded within this period, your order will be cancelled. Then, use a pair of tongs to carry the steel to a container filled with water or vegetable, and submerge the hot metal in the liquid. Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? 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! I plan on doing this on a couple of older beaters first. The easier of the two methods, hot bluing only requires some degreasing agent, a heating apparatus (a blow torch is perfect for this), and any kind of oil. "https://www.facebook.com/Shooting-Mystery-110244180901951", Holy crap, did that reaction hurt like hell. It had been thoroughly degreased before my first attempt, but in trying to repair a poor result, I apparently contaminated it a bit. Please note: As you are working with heat, please be smart, use your common sense, do the bluing process in a well ventilated area and keep a wet towel to hand. There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. Hardened steel prevents knife blades from dulling and tools from bending and breaking. I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. To obtain oil-free steel wool, get some acetone in a container (say, an old, clean yogurt container you were going to throw away anyway). How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. Now securely hold your piece with whatever you have chosen. This heating forms the blue on the plate. Buffing wheels have their purpose, but they take real skill to use without making a mess of guns, starting with the selection of the wheel (theres, oh, at least six types of buffing wheel), choice of type of compound, choice of grit of compound, choice of wheel speed (many buffers have only one speed, and there are some jobs where you really want a 3-phase motor on your buffer with a VFD to adjust the speed down from 1800 or 3600 RPM) and so on. { You can then u. se a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. This signifies that the steel is tempered. Even a fingerprint will affect the consistency of the colour. It repeats the process adn by the time the head moves on to the next station all the parts are seated presumably for the life of the head. Next you hold it in front of your heat source until a blue oxide layer covers the whole blade edge. Please be careful with the cold bluing solutions. Below is a link to a video I found on YouTube that shows the process. Then, you can put the components back into the bluing tank and increase the temperature until you see the blued steel. Once the solution reaches its boiling point, turn down the burner to about one-third of the boiling temperature and let it stay there. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. Keep posting like this. Bluing is often a hobbyist endeavor, and there are many methods of bluing, and continuing debates about the relative efficacy of each method. Here is a simple way to get a blued finish on steel. This is not advisable. Heating up a tank on the kitchen stove. WebStep 1: Preparing Your Materials You will need: -2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil) -oil -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any good Make sure to check every nook and cranny of the components so that you can find any discoloration or blemishes. But the article was very informative. You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. After three coats, washing and drying, the finish was not too bad, considering I was (and am) a rank amateur. -An old container filled with your chosen degreaser (unleaded petrol), -Your desired polished metal object/s (very important! } And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring. 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. 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. 2. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. Fortunately, this is easily had at any hardware store: WD-40 is a water displacing product, not a lubricant (contrary to widespread advertising). Any more advice is welcome SteelJunkee Joined May 6, 2018 Messages 891 Aluminium (Al) and polymer parts cannot be blued, and no corrosion protection is provided. However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. Question "mainEntityOfPage": "https://shootingmystery.com/blue-stainless-steel-beginners/", The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. Wipe them down with WD-40 on a regular basis. It is slow rust blueing. I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. An ideal temperature is 180 degrees Fahrenheit but it also depends on the manual. 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. All About Bluing Steel Stainless Steel Necessary Gears and Tools Procedure Step 1: Ready the bluing tank Step 2: Process the components of the gun Step 3: Suspend Mea maxima culpa - and I left my comment up rather than delete the thread (for now) just so I could reply and admit the My Dumb, rather than skulk away cleanly >;-), Question It greatly helped me to learn how to blue a gun perfectly at home. Ive hot salt blued guns in a shop with the proper equipment and you can shove a river of iron through a single hot salt tank in an afternoon. We have all kinds of rifles and shotguns with recievers made from non-Fe alloys again we do not give it a second though or break out the hardness tester. Various processes are used for the oxidizing process. By the time I was done it looked like it was a beat up 5 year old gun rather than a 1930s bolt .22 that came from a scrap yard. "@context": "http://schema.org/", That can be a pen torch (pictured), a blow torch, a heat gun, a gas hob (which I am going use) or anything that will provide you with enough heat. *Potassium Nitrate is an oxidizer. In fact most guides no matter their material cast iron to bronze and often bearing races are installed the same way. 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. Then wipe off all excess oil and look at your beautiful finished object! It is hazardous. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Always wear goggles and gloves when operating a propane blow torch. After the Civil War they switched to another process. Salts. Add 5 lbs of regular table salt to the water. The rod was heated and the plate 2" square was inserted and the rod shrunk onto it. Note that it has to be a different tank from the one you used for Step 2. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. Pull it out of the tank and place on a drain rack. I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. Once the steel is clean, you can begin heating it up. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time.

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