Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. This is not necessary as long as you can hold your item appropriately and not cover where it is to be heated. To heat this, I use a Coleman camp stove and a 15# jug of LPG gas. You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. The steel is also used for producing great police flashlights with awesome durability. 5 years ago, I found that heating will turn steel silver ~> gold ~> violet ~> blue. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. I guess Ill have to just be happy drying toilet paper. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). You'll probably be fine following these instructions - you'll probably be OK driving home a little drunk, too. Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). NaOH is nasty stuff. (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059 When the liquid stops bubbling, remove the metal from the container and wipe off any excess liquid. When everything is set up, put on your protective gear and then get down to business. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. 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. Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. It is usually inadvisable to use cold bluing as a touch-up where friction is present. Use hemostats to hold a cleaning patch wetted with the solution and apply in nice, long, even strokes. fascinated with blacksmithing, but have not had an income to even get it started. 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 The name of the process actually comes from the blue-black appearance of the black iron oxide. There can be different layers you have to apply. The de-greasing you do directly affects the uniformity of the browning or blueing. 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. Thermometers and stirring tools are also needed, as well as something to heat up the tanks. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. 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. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" Heating will make the metal better in absorbing the bluing liquid. Heat the gun parts. This is one of the reasons rust and fume bluing are generally more rust-resistant than other methods. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. If you havent done it before, wait until I mention some items about it. To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. Copyright 2023 Flixsterz. *Potassium Nitrate is an oxidizer. Shooting Mystery is an independent website that provides content for informational purposes only. 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. I now want to reverse the process so I can drill and tap the metal tip. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ships from and sold by Direct-Wholesale. 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. To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. Degrease and heat the items to be blued in a steel pan to about 700F. you may benefit from the use of a gas lense as well. What is your opinion of the 2 to 1 lye and potassium nitrate bluing solution? I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. 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 Next, suspend the components in a cleaning solution tank to get rid of dirt, oil, grease, and crud. It is not nice stuff. You need to adjust the boiling point of the salts for your altitude. Another good test for determining when the steel is ready is seeing if a magnet sticks to its surface. If you are referring to torch bluing, the $3.59. 2. 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. I can see my wife walking in and shaking her headabout as vigorously as when I asked if I could use the dishwasher to clean some tools. It provides the stainless steel surface with a layer of protection, giving rust and corrosion resistance while reducing potential glare as well. 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. 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. For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. I saw you reference a coleman stove and propane tank for heating solution. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 914,567 times. The book claims they used wait for it "boiling gasoline" not making this up to clean them. Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. % of people told us that this article helped them. Fill a heat-safe container with water or oil deep enough to submerge your steel. Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). 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. Theres a reason I didnt pursue a career in chemistry. Think big scars. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. Prepare the components of the metal surface before you attempt to blue using your tools. Dont. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature! 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. : Make sure it is made from Mild Steel or Titanium. Bluing Stainless Steel: What You Can and Cant Do - Forging World In this case cooking oil, rather than gun oil, acts to displace water and prevent rust. How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. Get it Feb 25 - 27. I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. You are a fantastic resource for all of us here. 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! 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 is slow rust blueing. Ferrari installs valve seats in their aluminum cylinder heads via robot. I use a pickling paste. Polish to at least 400 grit. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. The practice of bluing steel takes time and an exquisite eye for detail. Just remove the blue/rust, degrease, dry, then blue/card/boil-out/oil/drain. Similarly, stainless steel parts may be immersed in a mixture of nitrates and chromates, similarly heated. Ive dealt with strong acids and strong bases in lab work, and I fear the strong bases more. Todos los derechos reservados. It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. Thoroughly degrease the area to be reblued with acetone. Work on a metal or steel surface, such as an anvil, to avoid any fire hazards. In the hot salt process, you will need, oh, four to six tanks, only one of which will be the heated blueing salts. Isn't the point of the acetone to degrease, why would i grease? In colloquial use, thin coatings of black oxide are often termed 'gun bluing', while heavier coatings are termed 'black oxide'. When polishing something like the above rifle/shotgun, youve got a pretty light coat of rust, without severe pitting. Modern home hobbyist versions of this process typically use a hydrogen peroxide and salt solution, sometimes with vinegar, for the rusting step to avoid the need for more dangerous acids.[7]. Its nice when something can be re-used a time or two, especially when used in diversified ways. WHERE or when would the torch get used? A non-linear resistance property of the blued steel of razor blades, foreshadowing the same property later discovered in semiconductor diode junctions, along with the ready availability of blued steel razor blades, led to the use of razor blades as a detector in crystal set AM radios that were built by servicemen (as foxhole radios) or by prisoners of war during World War II.[8]. For the color change to be uniform you have to remove the grease, oil, paint etc or it looks blotchy. "datePublished": "2022-03-27", Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. The rust then turns to black-blue Fe3O4. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Stand on end over some paper towels to drain. You should keep guns in a safe, if you can. Also buffing wheels pre blue. Its a pretty straightforward process. 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. You need to constantly be adding in a bit of water to bring the boiling point back down into the range you need. However, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using Hydrochloric Acid). In comparison, rust, the red oxide of iron (Fe2O3), undergoes an extremely large volume change upon hydration; as a result, the oxide easily flakes off, causing the typical reddish rusting away of iron. I rarely use them. 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. on Introduction, Hello my name is Joe and Im doing a project where Im trying to achieve the same outcome. Picture Information. All blued parts still require oiling to prevent rust. 'Browning' is controlled red rust Fe2O3, and is also known as 'pluming' or 'plum brown'. 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 So unless you have sufficient equipment and skill, its advised to let a professional perform the bluing for you. 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 pulled the temp off the top of my head. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hot NaOH is so alkaline it is great as dissolving organic materials. After the Civil War they switched to another process. 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. WebThe gun bluing process Start with 1 gallon of water and add it to a deep fryer that has been thoroughly cleaned. That seems wasteful. Accidental exposure to the chemicals could result in serious injuries. Also Dont get the 275-300F bath on you. Shooting Mystery is reader-supported. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Blue-Stainless-Steel-in-5-Easy-Steps.jpg" . 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 ? If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Again, dont mess around with these chemicals and only handle them with extreme attention. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 500F-600F is often all that is needed and the parts can be done over and over again you just have to clean between each attempt. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. Share it with us! You might be able to start at 320 grit. In the automotive world this is a common practice. Did you ever find out what oil they were using? Excellent info. Enjoy! Let them cool down as you take a closer look at the bluing effect. I have cut and polished 4 pieces of mild steel to demonstrate different colour stages. At 700, you start losing your blues and the steel starts becoming a wispy silvery-blue, not a dark brilliant blue. How to colour steel with heat (hot oil finish) is a simple but effective way of achieving a desired colour of choice.The colours are fantastic and often come out in a beautiful two-tone shine. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. Battery acid is childs play compared to blueing salts. 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). Are you sure you want to heat the steel to 700F in that early step? 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. The potassium nitrate will liquefy at around this temperature and blue your items at a relatively quick speed. Haha. "@context": "http://schema.org/", You dont want to affect the hardness of your steel in critical areas like actions, bolts, bolt lugs, barrels, chambers, etc. I wore latex gloves, as Brownells recommended, but used a pot holder to handle the hot barrel, and that may have been the source. These include hot bluing, cold bluing, niter bluing, and so on. While still hot and while wearing rubber gloves rub the bluing compound Into the steel with the steel wool. I have done a cold blue on a very rusted .22 for a friend. ", steel". { 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. You should note that the blue layer is rather delicate so dont treat it roughly. 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. 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. Go on and start bluing! 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 RF: Expect a write-up from me on Rust blueing and parkerizing in the next couple of weeks. 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. Its much cheaper anyways. There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. You have to apply the bluing fluid. Bluing involves an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface selectively forming magnetite (Fe3O4), the black oxide of iron. Best Gun Bluing One can generally use the same solution to brown as to blue. Ive gotten hot blue salts on me splashed into my hair. | Alpha Detroit", "NRA Family | Gun Manufacturing: Browning vs. Bluing", http://mypeculiarnature.blogspot.com/2014/08/quick-rust-bluing-back-in-black.html, "Radio Kits and Designs for Old and New Styles", "Coating, Oxide, Black, for Ferrous Metals (MIL-DTL-13924D)", "Phosphate and black oxide coating of ferrous metals (MIL-HDBK-205A)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bluing_(steel)&oldid=1142351288, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles that may contain original research from October 2020, All articles that may contain original research, Articles needing additional references from October 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles lacking in-text citations from September 2014, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 22:58. Alternatively. When youre using hot blueing salts, youd better be on top of your game, or you can seriously injure yourself. I have always wondered about storage in gun soft cases or the foamed Hard cases, and humid or dry, heat and cold. -something to hold your object with i.e. They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. 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. The mixture is heated to 310 to 321C (590 to 610F) and the parts are suspended in this solution with wire. JUST DONT. It will first turn gold, then orange, then red, purple, blue and then dark grey! No. Only 3 left in stock - order soon. Posted December 21, 2009. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. Dont leave cold blue solutions around anywhere pets or kids could get at them. Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. The cross section and size of parts affect the outcome of the finish and time it takes to achieve. That doesnt happen easily or by accident. I have in the past few years became more and more. It takes practice. 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. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/81\/Harden-Steel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Harden-Steel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/81\/Harden-Steel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1214287-v4-728px-Harden-Steel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"