Best Gun Bluing How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide 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. 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. Rust bluing is also used on shotgun barrels that are soldered to the rib between the barrels, as hot bluing solutions melt the solder during the bluing process. Following the treatment in the bluing tank, relocate the components to a cold water tank. Next comes the main part. 2. 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. 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. 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. I wouldnt use this bluing method for these items. Todos los derechos reservados. Color case hardening is the predecessor of all metal coloring typically employed in the firearms industry. 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. 3.3k. Copyright 2023 Flixsterz. 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.
Blue Another good test for determining when the steel is ready is seeing if a magnet sticks to its surface. You then oil or wax over the finish when youre done. This heating forms the blue on the plate. "Rust bluing" and "fume bluing" provide the best rust and corrosion resistance as the process continually converts any metal that is capable of rusting into magnetite (Fe3O4). Bluing is also used in seasoning cast-iron cookware, to render it relatively rust-proof and non-stick. Sorry for the misunderstanding. it washes off with water. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Once the steel is clean, you can begin heating it up. Brownells has steel tanks, and there are some steel/stainless long/thin tanks available from other sources. Make sure to check every nook and cranny of the components so that you can find any discoloration or blemishes. Hardening will cause it to be more brittle, which could cause the hammer to chip and cause injury. Its durable and wears well.
Thermal Bluing - The Process of Heat Treating Watch Hands Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. 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. I heat treated a piece of carbon steel to make it less likely to wear (using its edge as a cutting surface in a wood turning application). 2. 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. I can' However, the chemicals from the bluing process can accomplish uneven staining on aluminium and polymer parts. Not only does it give you an alchemical feeling of satisfactionbut it also gives the metal a finish to stop corrosion. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. If you cant, just get them out of the case and allow air to circulate around them. Stainless steel can only tolerate hot bluing and a limited amount of chemicals. You'll probably be fine following these instructions - you'll probably be OK driving home a little drunk, too. After the Civil War they switched to another process. 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. The colours range through straw, gold, brown, purple, blue, teal, then black. An ideal temperature is 180 degrees Fahrenheit but it also depends on the manual. Now you slide the cold rod in, and the plate cools, gripping the rod. 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. Mess. 6 years ago. Oh mas oui.Express blueing, slow rust blueing, hot salt blueing, nitre blueing, carbona blueing all are better than cold blueing. This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. I am using bronze, is it for a polish? One can generally use the same solution to brown as to blue. 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. This is one of the reasons rust and fume bluing are generally more rust-resistant than other methods. You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. The blueing salt bath will be at about 286 to 292F, and as it is bubbling away, it is losing water, and the boiling point of the solution keeps climbing. It would be a good idea to get some gloves on. on Introduction. You want 0000 steel wool for carding between coats. LOGIX 20910 Butane Torch, Cooking Torch, Torch for Creme Brulee, Refillable, 9.6 oz, Blue Steel . Metal Finishing Guru. Excessive buffing on stainless steel could result in a grainy appearance so do it with care. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Woodworkers doing furniture finishing will use 000 and 0000 wool, and they hate oil on their wool for rubbing down oil finishes. This article has been viewed 914,567 times. Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. But the article was very informative. You have to apply the bluing fluid. Dont leave cold blue solutions around anywhere pets or kids could get at them.
Bluing Stainless Steel: What You Can and Cant Do - Forging World All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. You turn up your nose at crap guns? Thank you all who had a part in the production of this important information! Mea culpa. That means 50-60 revolutions to make a foot. It is generally employed on smaller parts such as pins, screws, sights, etc. Reply The thickness of the oxide is a function of how hot you heat the steel (The color is due to interference of light reflecting from the surface of the oxide coating, and light reflecting from the oxide-steel interface). After three coats, washing and drying, the finish was not too bad, considering I was (and am) a rank amateur. If you have very light, fine pitting, you can polish this out. Interesting and informative as always. I have done a cold blue on a very rusted .22 for a friend.
Blued Pivot Steel On another thread, we can go into nitre blueing, which is basically heating pins/screws/bits/bobs to 600F in a molten salt bath. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. If you have a wood or phenolic handle, use a propane torch to heat the blade only for about two minutes. Participated in the Explore Science Contest. In this case cooking oil, rather than gun oil, acts to displace water and prevent rust. 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. 2mm wire has a circumference of ~0.25in. [ 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. 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 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. This item: Special Blue Full Metal Butane Torch (Gold) - Refillable Flame Lighter- Culinary Torch - Welding Torch - Adjustable Dual Flame for Desserts, Creme Brulee, BBQ and Baking. Higher carbon contents will take longer to heat. 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. It will instantly vaporize into steam and splash all over you. You can experiment ultimately what oils to use. After that, slowly and steadily stir the solution in, Step 2: Process the components of the gun, Wait for 10 15 minutes and then take out the components. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. Its much cheaper anyways.
Bluing (steel) - Wikipedia I can't stress how important the degreasing step is! Also: Do not allow the solution to run, drip or sag. If your barrel has heavier pitting, now were into filing to remove pitting, and thats something I cant teach people in mere text. -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). "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", Your 700F temp is too high, IMO. 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. Once you strip the blue & rust, then you can see what youre dealing with. In colloquial use, thin coatings of black oxide are often termed 'gun bluing', while heavier coatings are termed 'black oxide'. 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. Hi SteelJunkee Method is as follows: Fit rod into drill and set at constant speed Clean rods with acetone on clean rag Use butane and propane mix blow torch to achieve colour range Quench in water Dry The weird thing is that they look great for around 4-5 days then deteriorate. ", the wrong quality steel. For the color change to be uniform you have to remove the grease, oil, paint etc or it looks blotchy. This article received 28 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. "name": "Shooting Mystery", Ive learned a LOT. the cost of the burners or heaters to heat up all these tanks really only practical if you have natural gas available Itll evaporate rather rapidly, but still, dont whip it at cars or house finishes. I saw you reference a coleman stove and propane tank for heating solution. In fact most guides no matter their material cast iron to bronze and often bearing races are installed the same way. Heating it again to a lower temperature will not introduce additional martensite. You MUST plug your barrels, gas cylinders, remove your pistons, etc. This is often achieved without chemicals by simply heating the steel until a blue oxide film appears. You should note that the blue layer is rather delicate so dont treat it roughly. Reply Think big scars. Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. The tempering reduces the amount of martensite and thus makes the steel softer. "keywords": ["how to blue stainless steel"], 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. Mark the sharpened edge with a crayon. Note: I know a plastic container is pictured but always use a metal one! The parts can often be put together with little or no forces need and friction lock together and the one parts shrinks and the other part expands. It is hazardous. Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. The difference is immersion in boiling water for bluing. 3. Now you can start.Apply heat to your object and heat up gently and equally. As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics.
How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method gas coverage is another big one.
to blue / heat anodize stainless steel Always wear goggles and gloves when operating a propane blow torch. With. 1/16-inch pivot wire has a circumference of ~0.2in. Heat the Steel. At least one of the cold bluing solutions contains selenium dioxide. Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. Whats the difference between Brown Express and Blue Express? 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. At the end of this heating process the crucible is removed from the oven and positioned over a bath of water with air forced through a perforated coil in the bottom of the bath. Its a good process for processing lots of guns, but I simply cannot recommend it for people who just want to do a gun here or a gun there.. 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. on Step 1. It cannot rust any further. You might be able to start at 320 grit. Though it may seem tricky at first, youll be glad to have figured it out because knowing how to blue stainless steel will come in handy from time to time. Dont pour water in to your bath! Remove the bolt & trigger group this might require a pin punch on some guns to pull the trigger group.From what little I can see in the picture here . It can soften up some paints and plastics. The parts are then boiled in distilled water, blown dry, then carded, as with rust bluing. ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. Christopher Graham writes all the content and reviews on this site with the help of his team of hunters and shooters. It is vastly appreciated even by those of us who will probably never use it. They should send you a stipend for your time. It is usually sold in a 1lb bottle for $3, you'll need 3 or 4 pounds probably. What did you use for polishing your pieces and Im guessing you polished then added the chemicals after?Thanks, Joe, Question "image": { 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. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising.
Torch 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]. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 If you look at the temps that Tenifur(SP) and Melonite(sp) and early Pakerizing processes used this is nothing. It is also used by machinists, to protect and beautify tools made for their own use. I wore latex gloves, as Brownells recommended, but used a pot holder to handle the hot barrel, and that may have been the source. 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. Heating up a tank on the kitchen stove. Hes claiming that method is more durable than Blue alone. My current rifle builds are going to be parkerzied. OK, now with the sights out and the trigger group off, you can put on the rust/blue remover on the barrel/action.
That doesnt happen easily or by accident. 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. 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. Not blessed with a climate controlled safe. You dont want to affect the hardness of your steel in critical areas like actions, bolts, bolt lugs, barrels, chambers, etc. It greatly helped me to learn how to blue a gun perfectly at home. There can be different layers you have to apply. Wear thick gloves so you dont burn yourself. }. Both ingredients are super cheap. "sameAs": 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. Thanks, 8 years ago Also, the results you indicate are typical of still having some oil on the gun. There are also methods of cold bluing, which do not require heat. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. Blue Metal Shell 13 in 1 Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil! Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? 4.3 out of 5 stars 242 ratings-30% $12.99 $ 12. 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?). Very helpful! Fill a heat-safe container with water or oil deep enough to submerge your steel. Central Texas. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. There are many methods you can use to blue the steel. 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.. It turns out I have. 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. I have cut and polished 4 pieces of mild steel to demonstrate different colour stages.
How to Colour Steel With HEAT : 5 Steps (with Pictures) In my case I drilled/threaded the metal piece and made a holder with a threaded end. This is not advisable. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. 2 years ago However, oil may spill and create a fire hazard if the steel is put into the oil too quickly. References Its nice when something can be re-used a time or two, especially when used in diversified ways. For this Instructable I'm using thread cutting oil. You are a fantastic resource for all of us here. All blued parts still require oiling to prevent rust. 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 A few safety items: Ill wait for and look forward to your article! 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. "width": "1500", Steps to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch "@type": "ImageObject", Theres nothing wrong with your method, but is is very hazardous, especially to people who have never done anything like it before. 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. Dont mess with hot salts. Even at room temperature, the salts are highly caustic and will eat into your eyes or skin in seconds not minutes. You risk a big fire that is self sustaining by the reaction itself. Its easy enough to color metal with a torch, but it has always been a hit-or-miss process for me, and when it was a big hit, I was rarely able to re-create how it got that way. If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. Hot blueing is a good process, especially if you have a lot of iron to shove through the blueing process quickly. . Its the corrosive gift that just keeps on giving. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature!