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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. A few safety items: The process isnt intended for bronze. Process that partially protects steel against rust, This article is about the historical uses of black oxide. The "turning blue" process has nothing to do with hardening of the steel, or its compression. For this Instructable I'm using thread cutting oil. You have to apply the bluing fluid. Usually, you can find the manufacturers recommended ratio in the product manual. 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. Please note: As you are working with heat, please be smart, use your common sense, do the bluing process in a well ventilated area and keep a wet towel to hand. Youre just using stump remover to do it. What I forgot to mention in all of this is a detail that seems mundane, but it critically important: Wear cotton gloves. Hardened steel prevents knife blades from dulling and tools from bending and breaking. If you do not get crazy and over heat the steel there is no reason to be fearful of the process. Dont. Think big scars. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Dont touch the metal with your bare hands since it could cause severe burns. Use a steel tool to stir (remember the fumes). That means 50-60 revolutions to make a foot. 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 chemical, the bluing solution should be either Oxynate No. 3 years ago. Heat the area you'd like to drill just until it starts to glow red, then allow it to cool slowly. If youre using acetone to de-oil, dont be afraid to do it more than once. 5 years ago, I found that heating will turn steel silver ~> gold ~> violet ~> blue. You need to adjust the boiling point of the salts for your altitude. The part you want to place in the receiving part is cold often just placed in a freezer for a few hours. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. Cold blueing solutions usually just dont wear well. "datePublished": "2022-03-27", Once the steel is clean, you can begin heating it up. When youre done and have neutralized & washed off the Express Blue #1 solution, you then should spray down the barrel with water-displacing oil. it washes off with water. 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? Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing. Hes claiming that method is more durable than Blue alone. "@type": "Article", You can not do this method with Aluminium because it won't reach the temperatures required for bluing, it will just melt. Following the treatment in the bluing tank, relocate the components to a cold water tank. Why do you bother with all this crap?. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Cold blueing is OK for touchups, at best. Degrease and heat the items to be blued in a steel pan to about 700F. And I work alone in my shop, and lack the required (IMO) safety facilities that are needed. Soft, low-carbon steel was used, but strong materials were needed for the receivers of firearms. occasionally I'll buff it afterwards. And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. 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). When polishing something like the above rifle/shotgun, youve got a pretty light coat of rust, without severe pitting. Next you hold it in front of your heat source until a blue oxide layer covers the whole blade edge. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. }. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. Higher carbon contents will take longer to heat. Ive cut and pasted this to my notes on the cloud. Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. Historically, razor blades were often blued steel. SO, DG; unless I missed it, I am assuming the torch is used separate from heating the tank/ container with the boiling solution. However, the chemicals from the bluing process can accomplish uneven staining on aluminium and polymer parts. This process leaves a deep blue-black finish. This is how Colt made their rifles and pistols prior to Civil War you can read all about the process. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. You heat the outside member only when you do a shrink fit.). Now you slide the cold rod in, and the plate cools, gripping the rod. The usual mistake on buffing wheels is using too coarse a compound, and then the wheel becomes quite aggressive in removing material. "name": "Shooting Mystery", 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. 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. 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. DG should receive a stipend for his valuable contributions to TTAG. Another good test for determining when the steel is ready is seeing if a magnet sticks to its surface. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of your container as you don't want to disturb the process of what's happening! Drill bits and gun barrels are common examples. Heres instructions from Mark Lee Supplies on using their Express Blue #1. This is not advisable. Pour in I wish this article had come out sooner, since I did not know that 0000 steel wool may have oil in it. Its a pretty straightforward process. Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. 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. Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. It is slow rust blueing. Also remember, by adjusting the heat you can get whatever color you want. Even with safety glasses and a full-face shield, a rubber apron, rubber boots, etc it is possible to get salts into your eyes and all over the rest of you. WebBluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time. It is hazardous. 84 or Du-Lite 3-0. Answer When the first patch gets really funky, then drop that in your plastic garbage container (remember, these patches have been soaked in acid solutions! 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 How do I harden a steel hammer so that is lasts longer and is more durable? It cannot rust any further. (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. You might be able to start at 320 grit. Aluminium (Al) and polymer parts cannot be blued, and no corrosion protection is provided. There is something really rewarding about this technique. I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. NaOH will quickly and completely dissolve aluminum. Cold bluing is not particularly resistant to holster wear, nor does it provide a large degree of rust resistance. 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 one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. 8 years ago Ive used this method in a pinch to make a tap from a cheap mild steel bolt to chase out galled female threads. Now securely hold your piece with whatever you have chosen. It, too, must be oiled to provide any significant rust resistance. The rod was heated and the plate 2" square was inserted and the rod shrunk onto it. Just use distilled water. There are many simple ways to achieve good bluing. This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. 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). 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. This article has been viewed 914,567 times. Did you ever find out what oil they were using? Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. You have a degreased gun, and now you need to get the metal hot enough that the reaction will oxidize the steel as much as possible. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. If you drop a piece of paper in there, or hydrocarbon compounds (like oil or grease on your part). 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. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Take them out after a couple of minutes and then wipe them clean to remove excess oil. RF: Expect a write-up from me on Rust blueing and parkerizing in the next couple of weeks. If you are new to the subject and are in need of detailed instructions, then youve come to the right place. References Thanks for always being so willing to share, Sir. I can't stress how important the degreasing step is! I now want to reverse the process so I can drill and tap the metal tip. Glad that there are folks like you around. Just take them from the comments he posts. fascinated with blacksmithing, but have not had an income to even get it started. 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. Do NOT wipe/touch your metal with anything after degreasing as the whole purpose of cleaning was then for nothing. It is caused by a layer of oxide that forms when the steel is heated. ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. You can reassemble the gun after. "keywords": ["how to blue stainless steel"], The robot gives the steel valve seat a quick blast with liquid nitrogen and drops the seat right in place. The blue appearance of the oxide film is also used as an indication of temperature when tempering carbon steel after hardening, indicating a state of temper suitable for springs. Heat the Steel. 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). If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. What is your opinion of the 2 to 1 lye and potassium nitrate bluing solution? Alternatively. 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!). Wear safety glasses and gloves while working with hot metal. February 20, 2016 at 16:12. The parts are then oiled and allowed to stand overnight. Quenched steel is harder, but it becomes more brittle. Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. When youre done, attach the thermometer to the tank and fire up the burner. Once you get the colour you want, go outside to your oil container and fully quench your object into the oil! I use a pickling paste. Be patient in the first few minutes as the metal needs to reach the temperatures where it changes colour! You can experiment ultimately what oils to use. Wait for a day to let the bluing properly cure before you do anything else to it. Once you strip the blue & rust, then you can see what youre dealing with. Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. Submerge in water and scrape edge. 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. You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Blue-Stainless-Steel-in-5-Easy-Steps.jpg" Interesting and informative as always. -An old container filled with your chosen degreaser (unleaded petrol), -Your desired polished metal object/s (very important! Woodworkers doing furniture finishing will use 000 and 0000 wool, and they hate oil on their wool for rubbing down oil finishes. Even a fingerprint will affect the consistency of the colour. That seems wasteful. It turns out I have. You can get a IR non-contact thermometer for less than $20 at Harbor Freight. Dont scrub the solution onto the gun, just run a patch that is not dripping wet down one complete run on the barrel/action in one smooth stroke. You wouldnt need salts. At 700, you start losing your blues and the steel starts becoming a wispy silvery-blue, not a dark brilliant blue. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. BUT like so many power tools on guns, it is possible to create expensive screw-ups to fix on guns with power tools, and buffing wheels are no exception. 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. Use a coffee can or similarly shaped container as your quenching chamber. Should something happen, seek medical help right away. Also thanks DG! Further, I probably would have used a coarser wet-dry to prep the raw steel (this was a kit Kentucky long rifle) rather than the 1500 grit I used. If you have very light, fine pitting, you can polish this out. | 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. At the end of this heating process the crucible is removed from the oven and positioned over a bath of water with air forced through a perforated coil in the bottom of the bath. Depending on what solution you use, the tank temperature must be maintained somewhere between 240 and 310 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. ", informative and did not use technical language and concepts that would have left me floundering and none the wiser. Thank you, DG! When everything is set up, put on your protective gear and then get down to business. It is usually sold in a 1lb bottle for $3, you'll need 3 or 4 pounds probably. Use ice cubes. 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). Get it Feb 25 - 27. 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' 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. }, This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. Never know when it will come in handy. Let them cool down as you take a closer look at the bluing effect. 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). You can make a Caustic Soda KNO3 water bath: 65% Lye (aka sodium hydroxide) ", steel". I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! I have to finish my M76 and Galil first and buy the materials. % of people told us that this article helped them. Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. Hang the trigger group again, re-stock and you should be done. Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. By using our site, you agree to our. 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. There's also blued hardware available, like nuts, bolts, screws, and hinges. Are you sure you want to heat the steel to 700F in that early step? An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements.