"@type": "Organization", The difference is immersion in boiling water for bluing. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. Im not responsible for marital discord as a result of gun projects attempted on the kitchen stove. Spilling salts at this temperature will instantly result in fire, because the KNO3 is a powerful oxidizer all on its own, and the added thermal energy will light anything on fire all alone. The process isnt intended for bronze. 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. 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 Its much cheaper anyways. Question Gas burners can usually do the job for this. The potassium nitrate will liquefy at around this temperature and blue your items at a relatively quick speed. I believe the change of color is due to a growing thickness of an oxide layer. I don't understand why you are submerging it in oil? Youre just using stump remover to do it. Please be careful with the cold bluing solutions. Heat the gun parts. Being prepared is important if you can not measure the temp. 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 . Bluing also helps to maintain the metal finish by resisting superficial scratching, and also helps to reduce glare to the eyes of the shooter when looking down the barrel of the gun. It is slow rust blueing. Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. { Both refer to the same chemical process for providing true gun bluing.[1]. "headline": "How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide", 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. However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. gas coverage is another big one. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", 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. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 914,567 times. Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? I like 1.5 wide shop cloth myself). After the Civil War they switched to another process. Brownells has steel tanks, and there are some steel/stainless long/thin tanks available from other sources. The cabinet is then sealed. Youre a gunsmith who has a lot of nice guns! After 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. I can't stress how important the degreasing step is! I think DGs method is a lot safer than mine. Ive used this method in a pinch to make a tap from a cheap mild steel bolt to chase out galled female threads. 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?). *700F is very close to the heat treatment temperature of some steels. It cannot rust any further. 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 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. Turn the heat on and give a good regular stirring until it gets very hot and starts to steam. I use a pickling paste. Your tanks better be tight, your stands for the tanks better be rigid, youd better have top-of-the-line fire extinguishers (NB the plural) available to you. Use your torch to bring up The rust then turns to black-blue Fe3O4. "I have very limited knowledge as to how metal can be manipulated for different applications. This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. FigureLLC. 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 Mea culpa. Central Texas. You can not do this method with Aluminium because it won't reach the temperatures required for bluing, it will just melt. But the article was very informative. I wouldnt use this bluing method for these items. DG thank you. Drift the sights back in from the right side of the barrel. Ill be saving this for the future. this article statement That way, you can still use your oven for the rest of the evening. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. The object on the left is a custom mild steel potentiometer knob! Hot. Technically speaking, bluing is more or less a conversion of red iron oxide (Fe2O3) to black iron oxide (Fe3O4). Fill the tank with a suitable amount of water then add in the bluing salt using the correct ratio. Aluminium (Al) and polymer parts cannot be blued, and no corrosion protection is provided. (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). No one can even tell you what the heat treat is on a 1895 Mauser for instance yet we do not wet ourselves before we shoot one! on Step 1. I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. ", the wrong quality steel. Color case hardening is the predecessor of all metal coloring typically employed in the firearms industry. I dont use hot salt blueing because much of my work is on older double guns, which have ribs that are soft-soldered into place. There can be different layers you have to apply. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). The practice of bluing steel takes time and an exquisite eye for detail. Treating with an oiled coating enhances the protection offered by the bluing. This process is also the only process safely used to re-blue vintage shotguns. Referring to the post that started all of this; Dyspeptic Gunsmith says: Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. Steps to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch SO, DG; unless I missed it, I am assuming the torch is used separate from heating the tank/ container with the boiling solution. 2mm wire has a circumference of ~0.25in. 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. Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. Approved. Ill wait for and look forward to your article! "keywords": ["how to blue stainless steel"], You might also want to read our article on how to easily darken stainless steel or blacken stainless steel for more ways to personalize your gear. You should note that the blue layer is rather delicate so dont treat it roughly. It is usually inadvisable to use cold bluing as a touch-up where friction is present. Apply heat to your object and heat up gently and equally. Reply The steel will pull some of the carbon out of the oil while quenching and harden the outer portion of the metal. In fact most guides no matter their material cast iron to bronze and often bearing races are installed the same way. In this case cooking oil, rather than gun oil, acts to displace water and prevent rust. Quenching the steel rapidly cools it so the alloys inside harden together. It had been thoroughly degreased before my first attempt, but in trying to repair a poor result, I apparently contaminated it a bit. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Mark the sharpened edge with a crayon. When the first patch gets really funky, then drop that in your plastic garbage container (remember, these patches have been soaked in acid solutions! Use a steel tool to stir (remember the fumes). These include hot bluing, cold bluing, niter bluing, and so on. It is caused by a layer of oxide that forms when the steel is heated. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. I had to sand and restain the stock, and sanded the barrel from 120 down to 400 grit the pitting was so bad. It, too, must be oiled to provide any significant rust resistance. Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. 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? 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. How do I harden a steel hammer so that is lasts longer and is more durable? Submerge in water and scrape edge. Never know when it will come in handy. Very true. Youll have a hot caustic degreaser tank (about 10 minutes), then a cold rinse tank, then into the hot salts for, oh, 15 to 20 minutes, then out into the hot rinse, then into a cold running rinse tank, then into a water displacing oil tank for 20 minutes or so. Drop a piece of hot charcoal in it and it will burn in the absence of any atmosphere as the nitrate provides the oxygen for the reaction. Use ice cubes. I now want to reverse the process so I can drill and tap the metal tip. Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. My current rifle builds are going to be parkerzied. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. Could I use stainless steel earrings that I have got? You can use a heat gun, a blow dryer, or a torch for this. Before operating your torch, read all instructions so you know how to handle it safely. 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. Picture Information. Im talking like 90+ minutes to heat the salt bath to 285F. } Have proper ventilation and use proper modern safety gear! I have always wondered about storage in gun soft cases or the foamed Hard cases, and humid or dry, heat and cold. Degrease a pad of 0000 steel wool with acetone. Heating it again to a lower temperature will not introduce additional martensite. Its durable and wears well. I have cut and polished 4 pieces of mild steel to demonstrate different colour stages. Premium fencing blades are often offered with a blued finish. Bluing, being a chemical conversion coating, is not as robust against wear and corrosion resistance as plated coatings, and is typically no thicker than 2.5 micrometres (0.0001 inches). Where/how did you think I got to the point I could make nice guns? 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. *Potassium Nitrate is an oxidizer. Ive gotten hot blue salts on me splashed into my hair. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer! He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. it washes off with water. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" After that, slowly and steadily stir the solution in the tank to dissolve the salt. Thanks a lot for sharing. For this reason, it is considered not to add any appreciable thickness to precisely-machined gun parts. Alternitavely you can leave it in the oil bath to stabilize. you may benefit from the use of a gas lense as well. This is not necessary as long as you can hold your item appropriately and not cover where it is to be heated. You want to be in the range of 600 to 650F. Then you can express blue it with a propane torch and a tank of boiling water. These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. 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. Then wipe off all excess oil and look at your beautiful finished object! February 20, 2016 at 16:12. "datePublished": "2022-03-27", My first time wasnt a stunning success. With HSS you're looking for 2500-3000rpm, M35 or M42 cobalt bits 3000-3600rpm, and carbide 10k-12krpm. In the hot salt process, you will need, oh, four to six tanks, only one of which will be the heated blueing salts. 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. [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. I can then get the temp to be 600F spot-on in a lead melting pot. Answer The book claims they used wait for it "boiling gasoline" not making this up to clean them. . Do all the prep you would for express or rust blueing, especially degreasing. 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). (And taking, out of *your* hide). In the automotive world this is a common practice. Keep them in that state while you heat them but be sure to not boil up the tank. Use a smaller toaster oven if your piece of steel fits inside. Brilliant blues. A few safety items: Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. ", 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. If you havent done it before, wait until I mention some items about it. While the rod may heat some by conduction, it wouldn't get hot enough to start the color-forming process. Cold blueing is OK for touchups, at best. pliers, mole grips, -An old metal container (I know, a plastic container is pictured but always use a metal one) filled high enough with oil to completely submerge your steel object would be ideal. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. 3 years ago Salts. The melting point for KNO3 is 633F. the cost of all the tanks you need for rinse & boil-out This is one of the reasons rust and fume bluing are generally more rust-resistant than other methods. 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 wore latex gloves, as Brownells recommended, but used a pot holder to handle the hot barrel, and that may have been the source. Keep posting like this. On another thread, we can go into nitre blueing, which is basically heating pins/screws/bits/bobs to 600F in a molten salt bath. It takes practice. Mess. Christopher Graham writes all the content and reviews on this site with the help of his team of hunters and shooters. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature! I have in the past few years became more and more. Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. That means 50-60 revolutions to make a foot. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. This finish allows them to be stored in high-moisture conditions, like sports bags, without rusting. No. 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). Free shipping for many products! As mentioned, cold bluing can be done at room temperature with decent results. The usual mistake on buffing wheels is using too coarse a compound, and then the wheel becomes quite aggressive in removing material. Cold blues will I've never done anything like this but want to try. 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 Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Do NOT wipe/touch your metal with anything after degreasing as the whole purpose of cleaning was then for nothing. If youre interested, just ask and I can provide more details. Do this outside, so you can do this next part: Just whip the steel wool at arms length to extract the excess acetone. Another good test for determining when the steel is ready is seeing if a magnet sticks to its surface. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. If you have very light, fine pitting, you can polish this out. References 4 years ago DG should receive a stipend for his valuable contributions to TTAG. The de-greasing you do directly affects the uniformity of the browning or blueing. I'm trying to be positive and constructive, and think this is: for an amateur to stick a very hot torch-heated metal object into a plastic container filled with oil is simply dumb (ok, more polite: "irresponsible") at best, highly dangerous at worst. Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil! Many older browning and bluing formulas are based on corrosive solutions (necessary to cause metal to rust), and often contain cyanide or mercury salts solutions that are especially toxic to humans. 4 years ago 99. You wouldnt need salts. Oil and grease really are the enemy because youre trying to (literally) corrode the metal. Ill be buying the stainless tubs and chemicals to do it and go for as close to black as I can get. Larger flames produce less heat while smaller flames produce a higher heat. Reply This crucible was heated to 730C (1,350F) for up to 6hours (the longer the heat was applied the thicker the case hardening). Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. And thats about everything you need to know about stainless steel bluing. Add in the 250F+ temperatures of the salts when they hit your skin, and youre both burned thermally and chemically in seconds. If you do not get crazy and over heat the steel there is no reason to be fearful of the process. Thoroughly degrease the area to be reblued with acetone. % of people told us that this article helped them. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. If your barrel has heavier pitting, now were into filing to remove pitting, and thats something I cant teach people in mere text. If you cant, just get them out of the case and allow air to circulate around them. 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. It is usually sold in a 1lb bottle for $3, you'll need 3 or 4 pounds probably. Thermometers and stirring tools are also needed, as well as something to heat up the tanks. 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. Make sure to check every nook and cranny of the components so that you can find any discoloration or blemishes. I can keep a Krylon can always handy for touch-ups. Share it with us! You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. It will instantly vaporize into steam and splash all over you. You have to apply the bluing fluid. 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. I want to add rainbow color to safety razor blades that would be used again, how can I do this? Posted December 21, 2009. 1/16-inch pivot wire has a circumference of ~0.2in. If a bank transfer is made but no receipt is uploaded within this period, your order will be cancelled. 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. "height": "800", Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. What is your opinion of the 2 to 1 lye and potassium nitrate bluing solution? "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). 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. This process was repeated until the desired depth of color was achieved or the metal simply did not color further. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time. I'm a professional knifemaker and use many very high-temp methods including quenching 1,600F steel in pre-heated oil - I know what I'm talking about, 'cause I still have 10 fingers and my eyesight. When you add water to a hot salt tank, you get an explosion of steam, and you need to develop some skill in adding the water with a very fine copper pipe on your water hose to prevent steam blow-outs spattering salts all over you. Hes claiming that method is more durable than Blue alone. An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. Oil binds with the metal and prevent it from getting air/chemicals to corrode. on Introduction. Quenched steel is harder, but it becomes more brittle. When putting water in your boil-out tank, use distilled water if you have water with high mineral content. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 13 in 1 Metal Shell Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering at the best online prices at eBay! Reply I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. 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 would be a good idea to get some gloves on. Repeat 3 times. 35% Potassium nitrate (aka saltpeter), http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-36054.html. Then, you can put the components back into the bluing tank and increase the temperature until you see the blued steel. To shrink, I assumed you heated the steel plate only, to expand the hole in it. That surface rust on the barrel could be polished off easily. Isn't the point of the acetone to degrease, why would i grease? "@type": "Article", How do I do this? 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. This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. WebThe gun bluing process Start with 1 gallon of water and add it to a deep fryer that has been thoroughly cleaned. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! You dont want to affect the hardness of your steel in critical areas like actions, bolts, bolt lugs, barrels, chambers, etc. I have at least three cold blue solutions in my shop including Oxpho-blue, 44-40 and others. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Gee, Im thinkin Duro or cero coat maybe even Krylon might be a good enough.. } My dad keeps his in a big safe with large desiccant packs that he threw in there. WHERE or when would the torch get used? Think big scars. (Its Crystalline Potassium Nitrate 100%) $6.18 3 years ago. This is a great time to point out that leaving guns in gun cases, especially the woolen/fleece cases, in the back of a closet, is one of the most sure-fire ways to rust the value completely out of a gun. 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. Heres instructions from Mark Lee Supplies on using their Express Blue #1. Ferrari installs valve seats in their aluminum cylinder heads via robot. I plan on doing this on a couple of older beaters first. Ive dealt with strong acids and strong bases in lab work, and I fear the strong bases more. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Woodworkers doing furniture finishing will use 000 and 0000 wool, and they hate oil on their wool for rubbing down oil finishes. Heat the gun parts. ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. WebHeat the blade for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven set on 325 Fahrenheit if the handle is metal. When youre using hot blueing salts, youd better be on top of your game, or you can seriously injure yourself. "https://theshootingmystery.tumblr.com/", 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). To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. Also, the results you indicate are typical of still having some oil on the gun. Fill a heat-safe container with water or oil deep enough to submerge your steel. Tenifer get's up to (1077F) last I checked and was the 5th step in Glock heat treating after that they Pakerize it.