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 takes a long time to heat up a long (ie barreled action length) tank that is, oh, three barrels wide. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! You can use a heat gun, a blow dryer, or a torch for this. Once you strip the blue & rust, then you can see what youre dealing with. Excellent info. You will get it. 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. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Dont want to get any of the liquid on you its 700F. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. Brilliant blues. Ill be saving this for the future. http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059 It's worth noting that there can be some additives in motor oil that release hydrocarbons when burnt which is a known carcinogens to the body (in other words: Bad Stuff!). Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. Why do you bother with all this crap?. The differing rate of cooling for each area produced a different color creating that rainbow effect. Just take them from the comments he posts. Gee, Im thinkin Duro or cero coat maybe even Krylon might be a good enough.. "name": "Shooting Mystery", Once the steel is clean, you can begin heating it up. 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. I think DGs method is a lot safer than mine. I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. Todos los derechos reservados. Also thanks DG! These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. Great column, and thanks for all the responses to various questions and comments. Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). Also: Do not allow the solution to run, drip or sag. 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. I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. FigureLLC. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" Still, you will find that cold blues dont last. Bluing is also used for providing coloring for steel parts of fine clocks and other fine metalwork. It takes practice. 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. Heating it again to a lower temperature will not introduce additional martensite. 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. 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. I have to finish my M76 and Galil first and buy the materials. 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. Oh mas oui.Express blueing, slow rust blueing, hot salt blueing, nitre blueing, carbona blueing all are better than cold blueing. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. Here is a simple way to get a blued finish on steel. Similarly, stainless steel parts may be immersed in a mixture of nitrates and chromates, similarly heated. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. The torch comes in when you first apply the Express Blue. Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. When the first patch gets really funky, then drop that in your plastic garbage container (remember, these patches have been soaked in acid solutions! Excessive buffing on stainless steel could result in a grainy appearance so do it with care. It is also used by machinists, to protect and beautify tools made for their own use. This works well for me. Just remove the blue/rust, degrease, dry, then blue/card/boil-out/oil/drain. The "turning blue" process has nothing to do with hardening of the steel, or its compression. To shrink, I assumed you heated the steel plate only, to expand the hole in it. You should keep guns in a safe, if you can. Go on and start bluing! Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. To heat this, I use a Coleman camp stove and a 15# jug of LPG gas. Next you hold it in front of your heat source until a blue oxide layer covers the whole blade edge. The de-greasing you do directly affects the uniformity of the browning or blueing. One can generally use the same solution to brown as to blue. It is generally employed on smaller parts such as pins, screws, sights, etc. 3 years ago. Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of your container as you don't want to disturb the process of what's happening! -A heat source. 2 years ago 3.3k. If you do not get crazy and over heat the steel there is no reason to be fearful of the process. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock. 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. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. 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. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", I guess Ill have to just be happy drying toilet paper. ", steel". 4 years ago Water is great for rapidly quenching the hot metal, but it could cause thin steel to distort or crack. If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. It was left in a flannel gun case in the back of a moist closet for 25+ years. It is usually inadvisable to use cold bluing as a touch-up where friction is present. Heat the area with a torch until it stops sweating. To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. The book claims they used wait for it "boiling gasoline" not making this up to clean them. Blow torches only heat a small concentrated area. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. The bottom of the crucible is opened allowing the contents to drop into the rapidly bubbling water. However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements. 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. Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. Follow the instructions. In the hot salt process, you will need, oh, four to six tanks, only one of which will be the heated blueing salts. This is a great source that you can learn lots of information from and I'll advise it to to a handfuls of others. Polish to at least 400 grit. Im not responsible for marital discord as a result of gun projects attempted on the kitchen stove. The difference is immersion in boiling water for bluing. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Mess. Depending on what solution you use, the tank temperature must be maintained somewhere between 240 and 310 degrees Fahrenheit. Isn't the point of the acetone to degrease, why would i grease? Youll want to clamp on the barrel directly under the sight youre about to drift out. You can make your own desiccant packs with kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). 1/16-inch pivot wire has a circumference of ~0.2in. Wear thick gloves so you dont burn yourself. Thanks for the lesson, DG. In my case I drilled/threaded the metal piece and made a holder with a threaded end. It turns out I have. Red rust is Fe2O3, and is incomplete rust it will continue allowing the surface to corrode over time hence the oil or wax. In this case cooking oil, rather than gun oil, acts to displace water and prevent rust. The higher temperatures of the other processes as well as their caustic nature could weaken the soldered joints and make the gun hazardous to use. Slow rust blueing can take a week or more to accomplish, but it is a durable blue job like no other. Do all the prep you would for express or rust blueing, especially degreasing. The parts are then oiled and allowed to stand overnight. { This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. Blue Metal Shell 13 in 1 Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering. It is vastly appreciated even by those of us who will probably never use it. It is caused by a layer of oxide that forms when the steel is heated. Step 3: Suspend the components in the bluing solution tank, However, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using, Step 4: Rinse the components in a cold water tank then transfer them to a hot one, Step 5: Submerge the components in a tank filled with water displacing oil, Address: 4455 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ste 114 #852, Fort Worth, TX 76107. Answer Thank you all who had a part in the production of this important information! Wipe them down with WD-40 on a regular basis. this produces better, less turbulant gas flow, which will reduce heat traces. THANKS DG. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. 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. 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. Dont leave cold blue solutions around anywhere pets or kids could get at them. 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. Following the treatment in the bluing tank, relocate the components to a cold water tank. 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 Oil binds with the metal and prevent it from getting air/chemicals to corrode. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 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. They should start gassing up approximately 2 to 3 minutes after exposure. Note that it has to be a different tank from the one you used for Step 2. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. If everything appears good, then you can transfer the components into a hot water tank. : Make sure it is made from Mild Steel or Titanium. Have proper ventilation and use proper modern safety gear! "@context": "http://schema.org/", on Introduction. If you drop a piece of paper in there, or hydrocarbon compounds (like oil or grease on your part). In the nitre bluing process, polished and cleaned steel parts are immersed in a bath of molten saltstypically potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate (sometimes with 9.4 grams (0.33oz) of manganese dioxide per pound of total nitrate). on Introduction, Hello my name is Joe and Im doing a project where Im trying to achieve the same outcome. I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. Alternitavely you can leave it in the oil bath to stabilize. 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]. 4 years ago You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. DG thank you. Thats one way to get dyspeptic to write articles! Heres instructions from Mark Lee Supplies on using their Express Blue #1. 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. [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 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. Keep them in that state while you heat them but be sure to not boil up the tank. Hot bluing should never be attempted on aluminium, as it reacts it usually dissolves in the caustic salt bath. So unless you have sufficient equipment and skill, its advised to let a professional perform the bluing for you. Heat the gun parts. However, rust bluing small areas often match, blend, and wear better than any cold bluing process. When everything is set up, put on your protective gear and then get down to business. The practice of bluing steel takes time and an exquisite eye for detail. NaOH is nasty stuff. 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. on Introduction. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. 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. Although the steel parts, such as anOrdains watch hands, are near enough miniscule, each This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. When Im polishing on barrels, I polish lengthwise. Right now I'm working on excavator replacement pins! 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. Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Blue-Stainless-Steel-in-5-Easy-Steps.jpg" "https://www.facebook.com/Shooting-Mystery-110244180901951", "keywords": ["how to blue stainless steel"], As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over the flame to equally disburse the heat. Pour in You might need two applications to clean up more deeply rusted spots. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. This article received 28 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Put 600 grit compound on a wheel, use a little too much pressure and youll be gob-smacked at how fast it can cut material off the gun. That seems wasteful. ], Theyll usually go in from the right, and be drifted out from the left (ie, drifting them from left to the right as the muzzle is pointed away from you). 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). I saw you reference a coleman stove and propane tank for heating solution. Shooting Mystery is reader-supported. 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. A couple bottles of aged bourbon minimum. If the sights need to be stripped & blued, follow the same procedure, but dont polish on them. In order to confirm the bank transfer, you will need to upload a receipt or take a screenshot of your transfer within 1 day from your payment date. Black iron wire You will need black iron wire to tie around any object you 5. Above you can see some example pictures of the colour shades that can be achieved with this techniques.Have fun doing it! 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. 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. For this reason, it is considered not to add any appreciable thickness to precisely-machined gun parts. My first time wasnt a stunning success. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", 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. (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). "https://theshootingmystery.tumblr.com/", "width": "1500", Quenching the steel rapidly cools it so the alloys inside harden together. Posted December 21, 2009. Then you have to heat the metal. 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. . 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 Theres nothing wrong with your method, but is is very hazardous, especially to people who have never done anything like it before. While still hot and while wearing rubber gloves rub the bluing compound Into the steel with the steel wool. If the magnet doesnt stick, its ready to be pulled away from the heat. 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. For the chemical, the bluing solution should be either Oxynate No. The steel will pull some of the carbon out of the oil while quenching and harden the outer portion of the metal. Your container should be relatively larger than your object. Besides those, you must also have water displacing oil and cleaning solution (Dicro-Clean 909). Usually, you can find the manufacturers recommended ratio in the product manual. Use a steel tool to stir (remember the fumes). 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. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! What I forgot to mention in all of this is a detail that seems mundane, but it critically important: Wear cotton gloves. At least one of the cold bluing solutions contains selenium dioxide. The colours range through straw, gold, brown, purple, blue, teal, then black. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. 35% Potassium nitrate (aka saltpeter), http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-36054.html. LOGIX 20910 Butane Torch, Cooking Torch, Torch for Creme Brulee, Refillable, 9.6 oz, Blue Steel . You can make a Caustic Soda KNO3 water bath: 65% Lye (aka sodium hydroxide) 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. How do I harden a steel hammer so that is lasts longer and is more durable? Check out the video:https://hackaday.io/project/21947-makers-vise/log/60914-coloring-steel-with-magnetism. List Price: $18.64 $18.64. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. 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. Be patient in the first few minutes as the metal needs to reach the temperatures where it changes colour! 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. Alternatively, You could store them in a hard case (like a pelican with a purge) and throw some desiccant packs in there as well. 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. It is not nice stuff. Both refer to the same chemical process for providing true gun bluing.[1]. Once the solution reaches its boiling point, turn down the burner to about one-third of the boiling temperature and let it stay there. When putting water in your boil-out tank, use distilled water if you have water with high mineral content. There is something really rewarding about this technique. References 99. Thoroughly degrease the area to be reblued with acetone. Larger flames produce less heat while smaller flames produce a higher heat. Heat the gun parts. The downsides are: the safety issue, which I laid out above, and which youve made clear. Can a softly tempered piece be re-tempered harder without going through the hardening procedure again? I pulled the temp off the top of my head. This crucible was heated to 730C (1,350F) for up to 6hours (the longer the heat was applied the thicker the case hardening). 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]. Mea culpa. "height": "800", For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. This process was repeated until the desired depth of color was achieved or the metal simply did not color further. You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. 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. 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. To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. This will remove all the traces of the bluing solution and other chemicals. You work on nice guns! you may benefit from the use of a gas lense as well. An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. Use a coffee can or similarly shaped container as your quenching chamber. And I work alone in my shop, and lack the required (IMO) safety facilities that are needed. Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. Interesting and informative as always. I have always wondered about storage in gun soft cases or the foamed Hard cases, and humid or dry, heat and cold. RF: Expect a write-up from me on Rust blueing and parkerizing in the next couple of weeks. I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. Craig, torch bluing is a real thing that has been use a lot in the custom gun world, mostly for screw heads but even for complete muzzle loader creations ( the vendor will be quite proud of his work it seems as cost increases considerably to a finished item). Thanks a lot for sharing. I have cut and polished 4 pieces of mild steel to demonstrate different colour stages. Spray down the whole barreled action with copious amounts of WD-40, inside and out. Examples of this finish are common on older pocket watches whose hands exhibit what is called 'peacock blue', a rich iridescent blue. He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns. Ill go into parkerization later this week. If youre interested, just ask and I can provide more details. "@type": "Organization", A few safety items: This finish allows them to be stored in high-moisture conditions, like sports bags, without rusting. Various processes are used for the oxidizing process. It will instantly vaporize into steam and splash all over you. Drift the sights back in from the right side of the barrel. [ 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. Haha. Enjoy! Whats the difference between Brown Express and Blue Express? By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Use your torch to bring up Cold blueing solutions usually just dont wear well. On another thread, we can go into nitre blueing, which is basically heating pins/screws/bits/bobs to 600F in a molten salt bath. 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. 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. 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. kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. Also buffing wheels pre blue. I wasnt planning on doing it for a few months. Then you pull it out and scrape off the oil along the blade edge. Dont pour water in to your bath! If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. 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. Did you make this project? (Its Crystalline Potassium Nitrate 100%) $6.18 It would be a good idea to get some gloves on. It's easy to get it too hot, too quickly - especially with an O/A or oxy-propane torch. 2mm wire has a circumference of ~0.25in. It had been thoroughly degreased before my first attempt, but in trying to repair a poor result, I apparently contaminated it a bit. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. After the Civil War they switched to another process. The potassium nitrate will liquefy at around this temperature and blue your items at a relatively quick speed. This is how Colt made their rifles and pistols prior to Civil War you can read all about the process. Cold blues will This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease.