bluing steel with a torch

on Introduction, Hello my name is Joe and Im doing a project where Im trying to achieve the same outcome. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. I use a pickling paste. 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!). 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. The only way to do that is to heat it until the metal de-magnetises, quench it again, and then temper to the desired hardness. Treating with an oiled coating enhances the protection offered by the bluing. The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. 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). I like parkerization on some of my milsurps. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. This process is also the only process safely used to re-blue vintage shotguns. I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. You need to constantly be adding in a bit of water to bring the boiling point back down into the range you need. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. So As one newish to refined firearms ownership, what is the best way to store and protect a pistol or rifle from rusting, especially in areas like Oregon or Washington, Silicon socks, or ? I can't stress how important the degreasing step is! The hot washing soda tank typically used in gunsmith shops is caustic washing soda, and if you leave the gun in long enough, youll start to see corrosion on the gun before you get to the blueing step. The part that is to race the other is heated normally up to about 220 especially if it is an aluminum casting like a cylinder head. I rarely use them. 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' (meaning oxygen atoms are able to attach themselves to the outer layer of the steel)We did this with an electromagnet! The tank of distilled water you heat with a camp stove, the kitchen stove (Im not responsible for marital discord and disruptions of conjugal relations) or some other much larger heat source to a boil. Its essential to keep stirring the tank to prevent the forming of hot and cold areas. THANKS DG. It greatly helped me to learn how to blue a gun perfectly at home. It, too, must be oiled to provide any significant rust resistance. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. Technically speaking, bluing is more or less a conversion of red iron oxide (Fe2O3) to black iron oxide (Fe3O4). Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. Black iron wire You will need black iron wire to tie around any object you If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. 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. Oil binds with the metal and prevent it from getting air/chemicals to corrode. Ill detail why. Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. JUST DONT. 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. http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059 for 6-8 hours. However, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using Hydrochloric Acid). The salts here will be slightly less corrosive (ie, just the pure KNO3, no lye), but at 600F, you have a big physical risk right in front of you. You wouldnt need salts. 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. Either that or the steel wool. Large scale industrial hot bluing is often performed using a bluing furnace. Be patient in the first few minutes as the metal needs to reach the temperatures where it changes colour! Its much cheaper anyways. pliers, mole grips, -An old metal container (I know, a plastic container is pictured but always use a metal one) filled high enough with oil to completely submerge your steel object would be ideal. If the sights need to be stripped & blued, follow the same procedure, but dont polish on them. Question Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Shooting Mystery. Blue or Black rust is complete passivation of the steel surface Fe3O4. 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. You dont want to affect the hardness of your steel in critical areas like actions, bolts, bolt lugs, barrels, chambers, etc. If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. 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. on Introduction. Thanks for always being so willing to share, Sir. The differing rate of cooling for each area produced a different color creating that rainbow effect. You will get it. If you have very light, fine pitting, you can polish this out. If you want to blue something fast I have a cheap hot blue method: Lowes stump remover: WebStep 1: Preparing Your Materials You will need: -2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil) -oil -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any good Its a pretty straightforward process. I pulled the temp off the top of my head. Did you ever find out what oil they were using? High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. When youre done, attach the thermometer to the tank and fire up the burner. After three coats, washing and drying, the finish was not too bad, considering I was (and am) a rank amateur. Heating up a tank on the kitchen stove. If you cant, just get them out of the case and allow air to circulate around them. 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 Brand: Logix. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! You can not do this method with Aluminium because it won't reach the temperatures required for bluing, it will just melt. *Potassium Nitrate is an oxidizer. The cross section and size of parts affect the outcome of the finish and time it takes to achieve. . The de-greasing you do directly affects the uniformity of the browning or blueing. My apologies for the background noise in the first half of the video We had compressors running where I Alternatively. Aluminium (Al) and polymer parts cannot be blued, and no corrosion protection is provided. Spilling salts at this temperature will instantly result in fire, because the KNO3 is a powerful oxidizer all on its own, and the added thermal energy will light anything on fire all alone. Heat the Steel. If you have a wood or phenolic handle, use a propane torch to heat the blade only for about two minutes. The rod was heated and the plate 2" square was inserted and the rod shrunk onto it. To remove them, you put the action/barrel into a sturdy vise (padded with soft jaws) and you use a piece of brass rod to drift the sights out. Blue Metal Shell 13 in 1 Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering. 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. 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). 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. It will first turn gold, then orange, then red, purple, blue and then dark grey! 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. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. Mea culpa. "https://www.pinterest.com/theshootingmystery/", Should something happen, seek medical help right away. We have all kinds of rifles and shotguns with recievers made from non-Fe alloys again we do not give it a second though or break out the hardness tester. Heat the gun parts. Also buffing wheels pre blue. "@type": "ImageObject", First, let us go through a couple of bluing concepts that you have to know in order to achieve the desired result. 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. The part you want to place in the receiving part is cold often just placed in a freezer for a few hours. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. Get it Feb 25 - 27. These work by depositing a coating of copper selenide on the surface. If you are new to the subject and are in need of detailed instructions, then youve come to the right place. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Free shipping for many products! (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). After References This process leaves a deep blue-black finish. Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). it takes a long time to heat up a long (ie barreled action length) tank that is, oh, three barrels wide. Thoroughly degrease the area to be reblued with acetone. *700F is very close to the heat treatment temperature of some steels. Hot NaOH is so alkaline it is great as dissolving organic materials. This is a great time to point out that leaving guns in gun cases, especially the woolen/fleece cases, in the back of a closet, is one of the most sure-fire ways to rust the value completely out of a gun. 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. When the liquid stops bubbling, remove the metal from the container and wipe off any excess liquid. Mess. 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. Hot blueing is a good process, especially if you have a lot of iron to shove through the blueing process quickly. Heating will make the metal better in absorbing the bluing liquid. I can then get the temp to be 600F spot-on in a lead melting pot. NaOH is nasty stuff. The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.