35% Potassium nitrate (aka saltpeter), http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-36054.html. Use a coffee can or similarly shaped container as your quenching chamber. WebBluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. You are nitre blueing here. Heat the gun parts. "height": "800", For this reason, it is considered not to add any appreciable thickness to precisely-machined gun parts. When heat treating a forged blade you get the whole knife glowing, then submerge just the blade in the oil for 8 seconds. Apply heat to your object and heat up gently and equally. 4. Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil!Note: I know a plastic container is Turn the heat on and give a good regular stirring until it gets very hot and starts to steam. on Introduction. Stand on end over some paper towels to drain. Use ice cubes. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", Also Dont get the 275-300F bath on you. Ferrari installs valve seats in their aluminum cylinder heads via robot. Hi SteelJunkee Method is as follows: Fit rod into drill and set at constant speed Clean rods with acetone on clean rag Use butane and propane mix blow torch to achieve colour range Quench in water Dry The weird thing is that they look great for around 4-5 days then deteriorate. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If the magnet doesnt stick, its ready to be pulled away from the heat. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. Mix equal parts of cream and liquid Brownells Oxpho Blue. Hardened steel prevents knife blades from dulling and tools from bending and breaking. This works well for me. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. References }, Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. Theres a reason I didnt pursue a career in chemistry. on Introduction. Im not responsible for marital discord as a result of gun projects attempted on the kitchen stove. http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. 84 or Du-Lite 3-0. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. You MUST plug your barrels, gas cylinders, remove your pistons, etc. 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! YouTube - Nitre bluing a few gun parts. These work by depositing a coating of copper selenide on the surface. I pulled the temp off the top of my head. 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. There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock. Keep posting like this. Oh mas oui.Express blueing, slow rust blueing, hot salt blueing, nitre blueing, carbona blueing all are better than cold blueing. 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' 2 years ago 2. The potassium nitrate will liquefy at around this temperature and blue your items at a relatively quick speed. Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. How do I harden a steel hammer so that is lasts longer and is more durable? It is generally employed on smaller parts such as pins, screws, sights, etc. I have done a cold blue on a very rusted .22 for a friend. Metal Finishing Guru. To shrink, I assumed you heated the steel plate only, to expand the hole in it. DG thank you. Red rust is Fe2O3, and is incomplete rust it will continue allowing the surface to corrode over time hence the oil or wax. Theres nothing wrong with your method, but is is very hazardous, especially to people who have never done anything like it before. 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). 'Browning' is controlled red rust Fe2O3, and is also known as 'pluming' or 'plum brown'. Heating white, degreased steel to 550 to 600F results in brilliant colors. For more information on using a blowtorch and protecting the steel, scroll down! If you do not get crazy and over heat the steel there is no reason to be fearful of the process. Water is great for rapidly quenching the hot metal, but it could cause thin steel to distort or crack. Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. In the automotive world this is a common practice. Also, the results you indicate are typical of still having some oil on the gun. 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. it takes a long time to heat up a long (ie barreled action length) tank that is, oh, three barrels wide. Dont just leave them on a surface that could corrode or burn), get a new patch into the hemostats, soak, wring out, and keep going. 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 Follow the instructions. That doesnt happen easily or by accident. You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. Often it does provide an adequate cosmetic touch-up of a gun's finish when applied and additionally oiled on a regular basis. This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. Question 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). Add 5 lbs of regular table salt to the water. 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. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer! That would be a hot salt blueing mix. 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. "dateModified": "2022-03-27", ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. If the solution is still boiling vigorously, then you can expect the bluing to happen naturally. Blue Metal Shell 13 in 1 Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering. Answer you may benefit from the use of a gas lense as well. 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. A couple bottles of aged bourbon minimum. To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. Battery acid is childs play compared to blueing salts. 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. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", "width": "1500", It cannot rust any further. "publisher": { ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. Also remember, by adjusting the heat you can get whatever color you want. My first time wasnt a stunning success. Very true. You need to adjust the boiling point of the salts for your altitude. 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]. 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. I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. 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. (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). (And taking, out of *your* hide). The colours range through straw, gold, brown, purple, blue, teal, then black. You can then u. se a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil! [ Cold blues will Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. Before you start, it might do you well to mark the sight base on each side of the dovetail with a Sharpie marker, so you can see when the sight begins to move. }. WebThe gun bluing process Start with 1 gallon of water and add it to a deep fryer that has been thoroughly cleaned. Soft, low-carbon steel was used, but strong materials were needed for the receivers of firearms. -something to hold your object with i.e. 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. "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). This heating forms the blue on the plate. For the chemical, the bluing solution should be either Oxynate No. When the liquid stops bubbling, remove the metal from the container and wipe off any excess liquid. 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. Fill the tank with a suitable amount of water then add in the bluing salt using the correct ratio. Very helpful! (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. Hot NaOH is so alkaline it is great as dissolving organic materials. You can reassemble the gun after. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. The mixed fumes of the acids produce a uniform rust on the surface of the parts (inside and out) in about 12 hours. Use a smaller toaster oven if your piece of steel fits inside. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. 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. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Interesting and informative as always. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. Shooting Mystery is an independent website that provides content for informational purposes only. Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. Wear thick gloves and a face mask before you quench your steel so the water or oil doesnt splash onto your hands. 6 years ago. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. it would appear these sights are drifted into dovetails. It is also used by machinists, to protect and beautify tools made for their own use. The bottom of the crucible is opened allowing the contents to drop into the rapidly bubbling water. Thats how vigorously we de-grease guns before starting blueing. To temper the steel so it isn't brittle, place it in an oven heated to 375 F for 3 hours, and then it let it cool overnight. It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. 3 years ago. 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. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience :) ). They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. Steps to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch I have also had good results with 5w/30 motor oil, I've also used two-stroke oil with good results. 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. You can experiment ultimately what oils to use. Thanks, 8 years ago I wouldn't recommend either. Share it with us! "@type": "Article", This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. Work on a metal or steel surface, such as an anvil, to avoid any fire hazards. If there is any finish left on the metal, it will interfere with the bluing pr Once the solution reaches its boiling point, turn down the burner to about one-third of the boiling temperature and let it stay there. I like 1.5 wide shop cloth myself). Oil and grease really are the enemy because youre trying to (literally) corrode the metal. LOGIX 20910 Butane Torch, Cooking Torch, Torch for Creme Brulee, Refillable, 9.6 oz, Blue Steel . All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements. 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. They have their place, but doing a whole gun with them isnt that place. Every true outdoorsmans dream! Youll want to clamp on the barrel directly under the sight youre about to drift out. Commercial products are widely sold in small bottles for cold bluing firearms, and these products are primarily used by individual gun owners for implementing small touch-ups to a gun's finish, to prevent a small scratch from becoming a major source of rust on a gun over time. That means 50-60 revolutions to make a foot. Dont pour water in to your bath! 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. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. [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. 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. 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. -Something to hold your piece with, make sure it's appropriate to hold it with so it doesn't get too hot in your hands. I use a pickling paste. this article statement Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. 4.3 out of 5 stars 242 ratings-30% $12.99 $ 12. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. The rust then turns to black-blue Fe3O4. Heat the area you'd like to drill just until it starts to glow red, then allow it to cool slowly. 2. Are you sure you want to heat the steel to 700F in that early step? I am using bronze, is it for a polish? As mentioned, cold bluing can be done at room temperature with decent results. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. 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). Last Updated: May 13, 2022 Thats one way to get dyspeptic to write articles! Brilliant blues. Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. However, oil may spill and create a fire hazard if the steel is put into the oil too quickly. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. Most knives, rifle receivers and barrels are heated to at least 1200F and cooled and drawn at 490F-700F. Oil-free steel wool is also sold by woodworking shops. Repeat 3 times. When Im polishing on barrels, I polish lengthwise. Degrease and heat the items to be blued in a steel pan to about 700F. { 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. First, let us go through a couple of bluing concepts that you have to know in order to achieve the desired result. 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. "Bluing" is the process of oxidizing steel to create a durable, corrosion-resistant layer. Its a good process for processing lots of guns, but I simply cannot recommend it for people who just want to do a gun here or a gun there.. 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. Here is a video by Clevinger Customs illustrating it: I use the Brownells nitre blueing salts, which are a combination of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. It takes practice. Alternatively, You could store them in a hard case (like a pelican with a purge) and throw some desiccant packs in there as well. Examples of this finish are common on older pocket watches whose hands exhibit what is called 'peacock blue', a rich iridescent blue. I have at least three cold blue solutions in my shop including Oxpho-blue, 44-40 and others. If you need to use a blow torch, focus the flame tip on the area you want hardened. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of your container as you don't want to disturb the process of what's happening! Here is a simple way to get a blued finish on steel. "I am nearly 16 and can not wait until I have my drivers license. Dont want to get any of the liquid on you its 700F. I rarely use them. Picture Information. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. After three coats, washing and drying, the finish was not too bad, considering I was (and am) a rank amateur. The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. 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
