bluing steel with a torch

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). You might need two applications to clean up more deeply rusted spots. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I wasnt planning on doing it for a few months. 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. (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. Youre a gunsmith who has a lot of nice guns! 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. 2. He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns. To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. Old school smiths use something called washing soda to strip oil off guns. 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. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. Reply Premium fencing blades are often offered with a blued finish. What I forgot to mention in all of this is a detail that seems mundane, but it critically important: Wear cotton gloves. When Im polishing on barrels, I polish lengthwise. Todos los derechos reservados. Safety is the number one priority so protect your body as much as possible. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. However, due to the unique qualities of stainless steel, you cant simply blue the material however way you like. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. 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. They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. I thought there was something that could help improve the colors but wasnt sure until I came across this. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. 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. It was left in a flannel gun case in the back of a moist closet for 25+ years. kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. 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 Note that it has to be a different tank from the one you used for Step 2. ", All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. References This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. They should start gassing up approximately 2 to 3 minutes after exposure. It takes practice. Heat the area with a torch until it stops sweating. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! I handed a buddy my wallet and cell phone, and stepped under the safety shower and got wet. 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 Brownells has steel tanks, and there are some steel/stainless long/thin tanks available from other sources. 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. Wear safety glasses and gloves while working with hot metal. Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. 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 So, you start with a clean gun, in the white, you play a propane torch over the gun to get it to the point where the blueing solution just will readily steam, but barely sizzle, and then you brush on the blueing compound. Im not responsible for marital discord as a result of gun projects attempted on the kitchen stove. 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. Battery acid is childs play compared to blueing salts. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. I like using acetone to strip the heavy oil on guns, because it lightens up the oils and makes them easier to strip with a water-based cleaner. Please be careful with the cold bluing solutions. Instead of applying the acid solution directly to the metal parts, the parts are placed in a sealed cabinet with a moisture source, a container of nitric acid and a container of hydrochloric acid. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. DG thank you. It is slow rust blueing. The steel is also used for producing great police flashlights with awesome durability. There can be different layers you have to apply. ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. You then oil or wax over the finish when youre done. Referring to the post that started all of this; Dyspeptic Gunsmith says: Great column, and thanks for all the responses to various questions and comments. I use kerosene to wet my paper from 500 on up. -something to hold your object with i.e. If you look at the temps that Tenifur(SP) and Melonite(sp) and early Pakerizing processes used this is nothing. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock. Heres instructions from Mark Lee Supplies on using their Express Blue #1. }. 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. on Introduction, Hello my name is Joe and Im doing a project where Im trying to achieve the same outcome. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", How do I do this? 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. You can make a Caustic Soda KNO3 water bath: 65% Lye (aka sodium hydroxide) Very helpful! Ive learned a LOT. Hardening will cause it to be more brittle, which could cause the hammer to chip and cause injury. Could I use stainless steel earrings that I have got? It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. 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. This will remove all the traces of the bluing solution and other chemicals. Accidental exposure to the chemicals could result in serious injuries. The rod was heated and the plate 2" square was inserted and the rod shrunk onto it. {"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":"