Bluing?

[Screamineagle]

What are you guys using to blue your guns? I'm interested in getting into this for my own builds. Probably only do a handful per year. Was looking at some of the supplies on brownells. Any suggestions?
Steve

 

[jrm850]

If you are just doing a couple a year and don't mind a little extra effort, rust blueing is probably the least expensive and in my opinion the best blue. Other than that, standard sodium hydroxide/ammonium nitrate salt solution if you are going to do a bunch.

 

[X-RingCustomGunsmithing]

I use the No.7 Bluinging salts from Brownells at my shop. It works very well.

 

[shortgrass]

If you are just doing a couple a year and don't mind a little extra effort, rust blueing is probably the least expensive and in my opinion the best blue. Other than that, standard sodium hydroxide/ammonium nitrate salt solution if you are going to do a bunch.

Not economically feasible to set-up 'hot tanks' for just a couple of guns per year.

 

[cundiff5535]

If you are just doing a couple a year and don't mind a little extra effort, rust blueing is probably the least expensive and in my opinion the best blue. Other than that, standard sodium hydroxide/ammonium nitrate salt solution if you are going to do a bunch.

Not economically feasible to set-up 'hot tanks' for just a couple of guns per year.

^^Truth

 

[Screamineagle]

If you are just doing a couple a year and don't mind a little extra effort, rust blueing is probably the least expensive and in my opinion the best blue. Other than that, standard sodium hydroxide/ammonium nitrate salt solution if you are going to do a bunch.

Not economically feasible to set-up 'hot tanks' for just a couple of guns per year.

I really like how the bluing turns out though. What if I used smaller tanks? I hate the sound of rust blue! I see with the no.7 blue, I'd have $600 or so in supplies. Less, if I make all the tanks and stuff myself.
Steve

 

[Changeling]

Do a search on slow rust bluing like done years ago. There used to be complete instructions on the Internet but since it interferes with the HOT blue methods used these days , it is very hard to find the instructions along with building the bluing cabinet.

If you pursue this method be prepared for a "tremendous onslaught of customers", including myself!!

Let me know if you are going in this direction, please!

 

[shortgrass]

If you are just doing a couple a year and don't mind a little extra effort, rust blueing is probably the least expensive and in my opinion the best blue. Other than that, standard sodium hydroxide/ammonium nitrate salt solution if you are going to do a bunch.

Not economically feasible to set-up 'hot tanks' for just a couple of guns per year.

I really like how the bluing turns out though. What if I used smaller tanks? I hate the sound of rust blue! I see with the no.7 blue, I'd have $600 or so in supplies. Less, if I make all the tanks and stuff myself.
Steve

Hot blue tanks (like Brownells #7) need to be fired at least once a month, once a week is even better. When the chemical to water mix is correct the boiling point will be between 270-295deg. F (depends on the chemical that is used). That takes a lot of gas! Every time the tanks are fired, water and chemical need to be added so that the solution is correct. The chemical is heavy, so 25-40# bucket doesn't go very far. When the tanks are not in use the bluing salts try to "creep" out of the tank, covered or not (evaporation). when you've gotton all the 'goodie' out of the solution and you're ready to discard it, the PH needs to be neutralized, as it's considered hazardous material. Even cold, the soultion will chemically 'eat' anything that's organic. The area that the bluing takes place at needs to have positive ventilation as inhaling any will be hazardous to your health. Oh!, that organic matial that it'll eat includes wood and paper,,, the stuff many buildings are made of, as well as the fasteners that hold it all together (it'll rust the daylights out of anything that'll rust and left exposed to the solution it'll turn to nothing recognizable). To top it all off, a good bluing job is completely dependant on proper surface prep. Are you a 'metal finisher'? Maintaining the proper 'mix' and heat in the tanks is easy, proper surface prep and degreasing is the difficult part. I've seen quit a bit of work done by amatuers and much of it is very disappointing (I'm told I'm overly picky). If you want a finish that's easier to do, check out Parkerizing, its a lot more forgiving. Surface prep isn't as critical, but degreasing is. I've been rust bluing for 22yrs. (gunsmith school trained) and surface prep and degreasing are just as important with that process. (hot bluing and slow rust bluing are "a controlled rust process") If you're bound and determined to set-up hot tanks to blue just "a few guns a year",, have at it, its your dime. It'll take much more than $600 to do it right!

 

[DickE]

Tried Brownells and Du-Lite Chemicals. Much prefer the Du-Lite. check it out on Google.

 

[Eddie Harren]

I used Heat-Bath for years. Back in the early 90's I switched to Uni-Bath. Best move I ever made.

 

[Screamineagle]

Thanks guys! I'm not perfect, but I am a perfectionist. Whenever I do something, I like to do it right. I'm a tool maker, by trade, so you know the mentality. I'm going to do some more research on the rust blue method. Any good sources out there?
Steve

 

[shortgrass]

I didn't know Uni-Bath was even still around. When I did 'hot bluing' , as part of my business, I used Du-Lite salts, as that's what we used in school. I got tired of customers wanting a gun blued for a 1951 price. It took more time, face to face with the customer, than it was worth (to me anyway). They had NO understanding of metal finishing. I think most figured all you had to do was dip it in the tank and it'd come out looking like a new Superposed. Most have no idea of how labor intensive producing a blued finish is. That's why the new spray-on finishes are so popular, I guess. Now, I slow rust only. It's a more durable finish, anyway.

 

[jrm850]

They used Du-Lite at CST when I was there so that's what I used when I hung my shingle. If I remember correctly, it took between 7-8 lbs of salt for every gallon of water. My story sounds almost identical to Shortgrass', too much hassle per dollar. I set up shop in a converted grain Silo, and the salts didn't agree with the galvanized metal so I would drag the setup outside when I needed to blue. One day I found a dead Mockingbird in the salt tank, so I neutralized it and was in the process of getting a new batch mixed up when one tiny splash from the tank made it inside my safety glasses and landed straight in my eye. I had a high pressure nozzle on a water hose and started flushing within a second but there was still some damage. Luckily it was not directly over my pupil. When the Doc put the dye in my eye he said he could see exactly where the drop hit and which direction I sprayed. Nasty Stuff. Nothing but rust blue and sprayed on finishes from that point forward. If you were close to North Florida, there is a set of tanks and burners in storage at my office that I'm sure you could get for a song.

 

[Screamineagle]

Ok, looks like I'm wanting to go in the rust blue direction. I'll start getting stuff together.
Steve

 

[shortgrass]

They used Du-Lite at CST when I was there so that's what I used when I hung my shingle. If I remember correctly, it took between 7-8 lbs of salt for every gallon of water. My story sounds almost identical to Shortgrass', too much hassle per dollar. I set up shop in a converted grain Silo, and the salts didn't agree with the galvanized metal so I would drag the setup outside when I needed to blue. One day I found a dead Mockingbird in the salt tank, so I neutralized it and was in the process of getting a new batch mixed up when one tiny splash from the tank made it inside my safety glasses and landed straight in my eye. I had a high pressure nozzle on a water hose and started flushing within a second but there was still some damage. Luckily it was not directly over my pupil. When the Doc put the dye in my eye he said he could see exactly where the drop hit and which direction I sprayed. Nasty Stuff. Nothing but rust blue and sprayed on finishes from that point forward. If you were close to North Florida, there is a set of tanks and burners in storage at my office that I'm sure you could get for a song.

It is no wonder that true "bluing shops" are few and far between.