These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. We will verify and confirm your receipt within 3 working days from the date you upload it. ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. This process leaves a deep blue-black finish. This heating forms the blue on the plate. This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! 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. Free shipping. 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). 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 literally 10 seconds on a buffing wheel incorrectly applied, I could screw that up to a point where it might take be eight+ hours of hand polishing to recover my prior results. I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. 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. 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. 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. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. 'Browning' is controlled red rust Fe2O3, and is also known as 'pluming' or 'plum brown'. Isn't the point of the acetone to degrease, why would i grease? In fact most guides no matter their material cast iron to bronze and often bearing races are installed the same way. To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. It provides the stainless steel surface with a layer of protection, giving rust and corrosion resistance while reducing potential glare as well. 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. And thats about everything you need to know about stainless steel bluing. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. Thank you all who had a part in the production of this important information! You'll probably be fine following these instructions - you'll probably be OK driving home a little drunk, too. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. I saw you reference a coleman stove and propane tank for heating solution. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. 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. occasionally I'll buff it afterwards. Where/how did you think I got to the point I could make nice guns? If you are referring to torch bluing, the Again, dont mess around with these chemicals and only handle them with extreme attention. Stainless steel can only tolerate hot bluing and a limited amount of chemicals. It can soften up some paints and plastics. kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). 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]. I dont have that much blueing to do in my shop, so I dont use hot salts. Cold bluing is not particularly resistant to holster wear, nor does it provide a large degree of rust resistance. If the magnet doesnt stick, its ready to be pulled away from the heat. I handed a buddy my wallet and cell phone, and stepped under the safety shower and got wet. 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. There can be different layers you have to apply. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 Battery acid is childs play compared to blueing salts. Keep posting like this. 4.3 out of 5 stars 242 ratings-30% $12.99 $ 12. 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). Oh mas oui.Express blueing, slow rust blueing, hot salt blueing, nitre blueing, carbona blueing all are better than cold blueing. List Price: $18.64 $18.64. It turns out I have. After the Civil War they switched to another process. Ill detail why. http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059 "I have very limited knowledge as to how metal can be manipulated for different applications. 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. 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?). There's also blued hardware available, like nuts, bolts, screws, and hinges. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", 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. The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. To shrink, I assumed you heated the steel plate only, to expand the hole in it. Slow rust blueing can take a week or more to accomplish, but it is a durable blue job like no other. OK, now with the sights out and the trigger group off, you can put on the rust/blue remover on the barrel/action. Did you make this project? Do NOT wipe/touch your metal with anything after degreasing as the whole purpose of cleaning was then for nothing. How do I do this? 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. This is not advisable. They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. 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 . Polish to at least 400 grit. Not only does it give you an alchemical feeling of satisfactionbut it also gives the metal a finish to stop corrosion. the cost of all the tanks you need for rinse & boil-out Heating will make the metal better in absorbing the bluing liquid. it takes a long time to heat up a long (ie barreled action length) tank that is, oh, three barrels wide. The de-greasing you do directly affects the uniformity of the browning or blueing. Excellent info. Just remove the blue/rust, degrease, dry, then blue/card/boil-out/oil/drain. It had been thoroughly degreased before my first attempt, but in trying to repair a poor result, I apparently contaminated it a bit. Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, so the hot steel will take longer to cool and reduce the chance of it cracking. 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. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature! Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil! Once the steel is clean, you can begin heating it up. You then oil or wax over the finish when youre done. Heating up a tank on the kitchen stove. Also Dont get the 275-300F bath on you. 8 years ago You wouldnt need salts. 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. gas coverage is another big one. As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over the flame to equally disburse the heat. You work on nice guns! 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. It is hazardous. 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, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using Hydrochloric Acid). Ships from and sold by Direct-Wholesale. Note: I know a plastic container is pictured but always use a metal one! "image": { Ill wait for and look forward to your article! Sorry for the misunderstanding. 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. Also remember, by adjusting the heat you can get whatever color you want. I found through my bluing adventure that different oils do act slighty different but ultimately everything I've used has done the job. [ Do all the prep you would for express or rust blueing, especially degreasing. Christopher Graham writes all the content and reviews on this site with the help of his team of hunters and shooters. LOGIX 20910 Butane Torch, Cooking Torch, Torch for Creme Brulee, Refillable, 9.6 oz, Blue Steel . He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience :) ). I have always wondered about storage in gun soft cases or the foamed Hard cases, and humid or dry, heat and cold. Fill the tank with a suitable amount of water then add in the bluing salt using the correct ratio. Follow the instructions. If you havent done it before, wait until I mention some items about it. Probably the main one is the content of so-called "carbon, "I was looking at making a set of plate armor and I wanted to see how to harden the breastplate. Thats one way to get dyspeptic to write articles! We strongly advise that you only push through with this process if you are absolutely confident that you are able to perform the necessary precautions. It is a difficult product to apply evenly, offers minimal protection and is generally best used for small fast repair jobs and touch-ups.[2][3]. 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. Gee, Im thinkin Duro or cero coat maybe even Krylon might be a good enough.. Steps to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch It is slightly caustic, so be careful you dont leave it on the gun for long. For larger pieces of steel, you need to use a. Great column, and thanks for all the responses to various questions and comments. 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. Various processes are used for the oxidizing process. Cold blueing solutions usually just dont wear well. His enthusiasm for handling firearms and hunting gear inspired him to create the Shooting Mystery blog. Get it Feb 25 - 27. Oil binds with the metal and prevent it from getting air/chemicals to corrode. "width": "1500", However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Use your torch to bring up 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. Be careful since considerable heat might be generated in the process. So I buffed down the barrel with steel wool and started over heating the barrel in the oven before taking it outside to add the solution (which is nitric acid). You can get a IR non-contact thermometer for less than $20 at Harbor Freight. Ill go into parkerization later this week. 2. The mixed fumes of the acids produce a uniform rust on the surface of the parts (inside and out) in about 12 hours. 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. There is something really rewarding about this technique. Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. The "turning blue" process has nothing to do with hardening of the steel, or its compression. Be patient in the first few minutes as the metal needs to reach the temperatures where it changes colour! Then wipe off all excess oil and look at your beautiful finished object! 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. Ive gotten hot blue salts on me splashed into my hair. You have entered an incorrect email address! Alternatively. The differential cooling causes patterns of colors to appear as well as hardening the part. Thanks, 8 years ago Browning a gun gives you a nice, even brown patina finish of red rust on a gun. If youre interested, just ask and I can provide more details. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. WebHeat the blade for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven set on 325 Fahrenheit if the handle is metal. on Introduction, looks nice but you are using what is known as heat treatment which will darken steel, not using bluing salts as in gun bluing of rifle barrels all in all very nice instructable, Reply Accidental exposure to the chemicals could result in serious injuries. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Usually, you can find the manufacturers recommended ratio in the product manual. -A heat source. To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. - Ballachy", "Bluing of Steel by Heat Treatment: Why and How it Happens? I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. Every true outdoorsmans dream! Keep heating the steel until you notice a blue color form on the metal. Ferrari installs valve seats in their aluminum cylinder heads via robot. } 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. 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. 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. The process isnt intended for bronze. When heat treating a forged blade you get the whole knife glowing, then submerge just the blade in the oil for 8 seconds. Enjoy! You can then use a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. So unless you have sufficient equipment and skill, its advised to let a professional perform the bluing for you. This method was adopted by larger firearm companies for large scale, more economical bluing. I ended up with some spots where the browning did not take, and a few dull spots, most of which I was able to buff out with steel wool soaked with gun oil. Use hemostats to hold a cleaning patch wetted with the solution and apply in nice, long, even strokes. Im not responsible for marital discord as a result of gun projects attempted on the kitchen stove. Then you can express blue it with a propane torch and a tank of boiling water. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. "logo": { Friction, as from holster wear, quickly removes cold bluing, and also removes hot bluing, rust, or fume bluing over long periods of use. Process that partially protects steel against rust, This article is about the historical uses of black oxide. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of your container as you don't want to disturb the process of what's happening! 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. Bluing is a process usually used by gun owners and firearms manufacturers to improve the aesthetic value of their weapons. Fortunately, this is easily had at any hardware store: WD-40 is a water displacing product, not a lubricant (contrary to widespread advertising). Itll take perhaps 20 minutes to really dry down. Reply The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. Have proper ventilation and use proper modern safety gear! Very true. I wasnt planning on doing it for a few months. 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. Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. on Introduction. Youll get a dark spot right there. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. If your barrel has heavier pitting, now were into filing to remove pitting, and thats something I cant teach people in mere text. A few safety items: I don't understand why you are submerging it in oil? For this reason, it is considered not to add any appreciable thickness to precisely-machined gun parts. 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. 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). Once you see it turn golden, the process has started and colours will change fairly quickly! 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. And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring.