Heating up a tank on the kitchen stove. That means 50-60 revolutions to make a foot. When youre done and have neutralized & washed off the Express Blue #1 solution, you then should spray down the barrel with water-displacing oil. Gas burners can usually do the job for this. Use your torch to bring up You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. Thanks a lot for sharing. Youll want to clamp on the barrel directly under the sight youre about to drift out. Very true. There can be different layers you have to apply. It will first turn gold, then orange, then red, purple, blue and then dark grey! I guess Ill have to just be happy drying toilet paper. Then wipe off all excess oil and look at your beautiful finished object! "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" Also thanks DG! Thank you, DG! Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, so the hot steel will take longer to cool and reduce the chance of it cracking. 1/16-inch pivot wire has a circumference of ~0.2in. Bluing is a process usually used by gun owners and firearms manufacturers to improve the aesthetic value of their weapons. 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. (meaning oxygen atoms are able to attach themselves to the outer layer of the steel)We did this with an electromagnet! Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. Similarly, stainless steel parts may be immersed in a mixture of nitrates and chromates, similarly heated. Then you can express blue it with a propane torch and a tank of boiling water. The salts will be a gooey caustic mess while theyre cold, and you MUST have covers on the tank when youre not using them, or the salts will climb over the edges of the tank and make a mess on the floor. Brownells has steel tanks, and there are some steel/stainless long/thin tanks available from other sources. The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. For the color change to be uniform you have to remove the grease, oil, paint etc or it looks blotchy. You wouldnt need salts. Dont drop or try to bend the steel once its removed. - Ballachy", "Bluing of Steel by Heat Treatment: Why and How it Happens? I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. gas coverage is another big one. Battery acid is childs play compared to blueing salts. "https://www.facebook.com/Shooting-Mystery-110244180901951", Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. Once you strip the blue & rust, then you can see what youre dealing with. I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. 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. WebHeat the blade for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven set on 325 Fahrenheit if the handle is metal. 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. NaOH is nasty stuff. Note that it has to be a different tank from the one you used for Step 2. 5. Above you can see some example pictures of the colour shades that can be achieved with this techniques.Have fun doing it! Dont want to get any of the liquid on you its 700F. It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. Also remember, by adjusting the heat you can get whatever color you want. 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. Technically speaking, bluing is more or less a conversion of red iron oxide (Fe2O3) to black iron oxide (Fe3O4). How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. A Garden Gun Cultivates a Newfound Fascination, AZ Judge Dan Slayton Refuses to Reduce $2m Bail in Flagstaff Campus Self Defense Case, State Judge Issues Order Blocking Enforcement of Illinois Firearms Ban Act Statewide, Protecting and Serving: Springfield, IL Police Seized Homeowners Gun After Investigating Her Report of a Prowler UPDATED, Chicagos Failed Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses in Reelection EffortBadly, http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059, http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. I wasnt planning on doing it for a few months. This crucible was heated to 730C (1,350F) for up to 6hours (the longer the heat was applied the thicker the case hardening). Ive learned a LOT. Alternatively. 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?). In place of using a hot bath (although at a lower temperature) chemically induced method, it is possible through controlling the temperature to heat steel precisely such as to cause the formation of black oxide selectively over the red oxide. Christopher Graham writes all the content and reviews on this site with the help of his team of hunters and shooters. 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. Use a smaller toaster oven if your piece of steel fits inside. Both refer to the same chemical process for providing true gun bluing.[1]. That surface rust on the barrel could be polished off easily. "image": { I believe the change of color is due to a growing thickness of an oxide layer. The tank of distilled water you heat with a camp stove, the kitchen stove (Im not responsible for marital discord and disruptions of conjugal relations) or some other much larger heat source to a boil. In my case I drilled/threaded the metal piece and made a holder with a threaded end. It provides the stainless steel surface with a layer of protection, giving rust and corrosion resistance while reducing potential glare as well. }. Stainless steel can only tolerate hot bluing and a limited amount of chemicals. Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. I think I was drinking heavily (and likely doing stupid things in my shop with high heat and flammables at the time, possibly while juggling chainsaws) at the time I made that comment - without reading carefully. You might need two applications to clean up more deeply rusted spots. I am using bronze, is it for a polish? kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). 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. Dont pour water in to your bath! There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", You can then use a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. 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 method was adopted by larger firearm companies for large scale, more economical bluing. 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. 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. Often it does provide an adequate cosmetic touch-up of a gun's finish when applied and additionally oiled on a regular basis. Keep them in that state while you heat them but be sure to not boil up the tank. Heating it again to a lower temperature will not introduce additional martensite. 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? -something to hold your object with i.e. Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. The salts here will be slightly less corrosive (ie, just the pure KNO3, no lye), but at 600F, you have a big physical risk right in front of you. SO, DG; unless I missed it, I am assuming the torch is used separate from heating the tank/ container with the boiling solution. Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. This article has been viewed 914,567 times. Both ingredients are super cheap. ", the wrong quality steel. WebThe gun bluing process Start with 1 gallon of water and add it to a deep fryer that has been thoroughly cleaned. Picture Information. You MUST plug your barrels, gas cylinders, remove your pistons, etc. It is vastly appreciated even by those of us who will probably never use it. Add 5 lbs of regular table salt to the water. If you are referring to torch bluing, the Mix equal parts of cream and liquid Brownells Oxpho Blue. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. 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. Thermometers and stirring tools are also needed, as well as something to heat up the tanks. I had to sand and restain the stock, and sanded the barrel from 120 down to 400 grit the pitting was so bad. NaOH will quickly and completely dissolve aluminum. If the magnet doesnt stick, its ready to be pulled away from the heat. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. 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. If you need to use a blow torch, focus the flame tip on the area you want hardened. Do all the prep you would for express or rust blueing, especially degreasing. Ive dealt with strong acids and strong bases in lab work, and I fear the strong bases more. Only 3 left in stock - order soon. I have done a cold blue on a very rusted .22 for a friend. 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 parts are then boiled in distilled water, blown dry, then carded, as with rust bluing. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. When everything is set up, put on your protective gear and then get down to business. Never know when it will come in handy. While I am certain that I could do it myself, you already have all the bits and parts and stuff so it is worth my dollars to buy a gunsmiths time to have this done for me. What is your opinion of the 2 to 1 lye and potassium nitrate bluing solution? The blue appearance of the oxide film is also used as an indication of temperature when tempering carbon steel after hardening, indicating a state of temper suitable for springs. you could also heat this size tank with anything from a hibatchi up to a Weber charcoal grill or you could put it on top of a wood-burning stove or even a kitchen stove. 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. Wipe them down with WD-40 on a regular basis. "headline": "How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide", Next, suspend the components in a cleaning solution tank to get rid of dirt, oil, grease, and crud. ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. Hot. OK, now with the sights out and the trigger group off, you can put on the rust/blue remover on the barrel/action. The use of stainless steel alloy varies a lot from one manufacturer to the other and thats why the bluing effect wont always be consistent. It greatly helped me to learn how to blue a gun perfectly at home. Ill be saving this for the future. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. I dont have that much blueing to do in my shop, so I dont use hot salts. After spending most of his career as a firearms expert and enthusiast, he retreated to the great outdoors to raise his family in peace and quiet. Thats one way to get dyspeptic to write articles! 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 Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. YouTube - Nitre bluing a few gun parts. All blued parts still require oiling to prevent rust. Quenched steel is harder, but it becomes more brittle. This finish allows them to be stored in high-moisture conditions, like sports bags, without rusting. You can not do this method with Aluminium because it won't reach the temperatures required for bluing, it will just melt. "publisher": { Contemporary heat-treatable steels did not exist or were in their infancy. The use of stainless steel alloy varies a lot from one manufacturer to the other and thats why the bluing effect wont always be consistent. 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. Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. 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. And I work alone in my shop, and lack the required (IMO) safety facilities that are needed. Because so many people are trying to do this sort of thing on the cheap, thats when I start thundering in my warnings about safety. It also looks good on AK type weapons of which I have three to park. Heat source You will require at least one burner for bluing salts and two hot water burners. The cabinet is then sealed. I have at least three cold blue solutions in my shop including Oxpho-blue, 44-40 and others. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. 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. . "height": "800", Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. No. You'll probably be fine following these instructions - you'll probably be OK driving home a little drunk, too. 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 Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. 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. February 20, 2016 at 16:12. However, due to the unique qualities of stainless steel, you cant simply blue the material however way you like. on Step 1. Color case hardening is the predecessor of all metal coloring typically employed in the firearms industry. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dwEQfHK1tk_ZeaA4PniOA/", This works well for me. 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. 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. Brand: Logix. "I have very limited knowledge as to how metal can be manipulated for different applications. And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. occasionally I'll buff it afterwards. After that, slowly and steadily stir the solution in the tank to dissolve the salt. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. 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). 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 ? There are also methods of cold bluing, which do not require heat. Not every manufacturer puts bittering agents in the solution and as one poison control nurse told me: (t)here is nothing you can do and it aint the good death.. "I am nearly 16 and can not wait until I have my drivers license. Always back your paper when youre polishing over edges and up against features. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. 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. Reply Every true outdoorsmans dream! Prepare the components of the metal surface before you attempt to blue using your tools. Its oiled in production to keep it from rusting on store shelves. You should keep guns in a safe, if you can. A couple bottles of aged bourbon minimum. If you dont drain the barrel or action recesses properly before putting a barrel or action into a hot salt tank, then you will find out in a hell of a hurry as the water flashes to steam under the surface and again, splatters hot, highly caustic lye/nitrite salts all over you and your shop. So you will get a shinier finish. Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. I wish this article had come out sooner, since I did not know that 0000 steel wool may have oil in it. I can then get the temp to be 600F spot-on in a lead melting pot. When the first patch gets really funky, then drop that in your plastic garbage container (remember, these patches have been soaked in acid solutions! Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? 2. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 Commercial products are widely sold in small bottles for cold bluing firearms, and these products are primarily used by individual gun owners for implementing small touch-ups to a gun's finish, to prevent a small scratch from becoming a major source of rust on a gun over time. This is not advisable. My first time wasnt a stunning success. Thanks for always being so willing to share, Sir. Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. 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. you may benefit from the use of a gas lense as well. Dont mess with hot salts. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", The color is not oxides, when steel is heated at relatively low heats (300-600 degrees Fahrenheit) it changes colors from light yellow to a deep blue, after 600 it turns back to a steel color. Oil-free steel wool is also sold by woodworking shops. I tried heating the barrel in sections (as Brownells says is ok) but did not get a very good result, being unable to get a uniform heat in any =thing approaching more than a few inches at a time. To temper the steel so it isn't brittle, place it in an oven heated to 375 F for 3 hours, and then it let it cool overnight. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. Browning a gun gives you a nice, even brown patina finish of red rust on a gun. Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. That way, you can still use your oven for the rest of the evening. 3 years ago. 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. The loose oxide was then carded (scrubbed) off, using a carding brush - a wire brush with soft, thin (usually about 0.002in (0.051mm) thick) wires - or wheel. Just use distilled water. My dad keeps his in a big safe with large desiccant packs that he threw in there. It is not nice stuff. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. Oil binds with the metal and prevent it from getting air/chemicals to corrode. The steel is also used for producing great police flashlights with awesome durability. If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. Fortunately, this is easily had at any hardware store: WD-40 is a water displacing product, not a lubricant (contrary to widespread advertising). I agree used oil works better and adding some copper and graphite seems to deepen the color and add more purple or plum to it. Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. Its the corrosive gift that just keeps on giving. Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. 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. } 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.
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