bluing steel with a torch

Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. The rust then turns to black-blue Fe3O4. 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 Torch Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. 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. I have at least three cold blue solutions in my shop including Oxpho-blue, 44-40 and others. It, too, must be oiled to provide any significant rust resistance. What I forgot to mention in all of this is a detail that seems mundane, but it critically important: Wear cotton gloves. "I have very limited knowledge as to how metal can be manipulated for different applications. When youre using polishing paper, you think that 600 grit is very fine, and it is taking you hours to polish out something to 600. The steel was mild steel and had very little carbon content. "sameAs": Theres nothing I see as super-dangerous about blueing other than trying to do hot salt blueing without all the correct safety equipment and precautions. I agree used oil works better and adding some copper and graphite seems to deepen the color and add more purple or plum to it. "@type": "Article", Knowledge is the power and fear is the opposite of power it cripples the mind and the body and almost always guarantee's a poor decision will be made. Bluing 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. For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. Also thanks DG! When Im polishing on barrels, I polish lengthwise. When heat treating a forged blade you get the whole knife glowing, then submerge just the blade in the oil for 8 seconds. Very helpful! 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. 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). It provides the stainless steel surface with a layer of protection, giving rust and corrosion resistance while reducing potential glare as well. Bluing Stainless Steel: What You Can and Cant Do - Forging World (NaOH from Ebay soap supplies). Add in the 250F+ temperatures of the salts when they hit your skin, and youre both burned thermally and chemically in seconds. Ive used this method in a pinch to make a tap from a cheap mild steel bolt to chase out galled female threads. Check out the video:https://hackaday.io/project/21947-makers-vise/log/60914-coloring-steel-with-magnetism. Free shipping. You can then u. se a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. Keep a fire extinguisher near your workstation in case of a fire. There are many methods you can use to blue the steel. To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. this article statement 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. Excellent info. Mea maxima culpa - and I left my comment up rather than delete the thread (for now) just so I could reply and admit the My Dumb, rather than skulk away cleanly >;-), Question (Its Crystalline Potassium Nitrate 100%) $6.18 } Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 914,567 times. When putting water in your boil-out tank, use distilled water if you have water with high mineral content. You MUST plug your barrels, gas cylinders, remove your pistons, etc. 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. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time. Quenching the steel rapidly cools it so the alloys inside harden together. Wear thick gloves so you dont burn yourself. If everything appears good, then you can transfer the components into a hot water tank. Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. 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. This is an alternative method for creating the black oxide coating. 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. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. 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. Haha. 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). Different colors can be achieved through variations of this method including quenching in oil instead of water. My first time wasnt a stunning success. 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. I want to add rainbow color to safety razor blades that would be used again, how can I do this? You want 0000 steel wool for carding between coats. The cross section and size of parts affect the outcome of the finish and time it takes to achieve. I wasnt planning on doing it for a few months. I wouldn't recommend either. -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. For more information on using a blowtorch and protecting the steel, scroll down! Woodworkers doing furniture finishing will use 000 and 0000 wool, and they hate oil on their wool for rubbing down oil finishes. Now you slide the cold rod in, and the plate cools, gripping the rod. Historically, razor blades were often blued steel. And thats about everything you need to know about stainless steel bluing. Whats the difference between Brown Express and Blue Express? The reason why blued guns rust is that something was allowed to attack the surface blueing and get through it to new steel or the blueing job wasnt deep enough to complete passivate the surface from red rust. I have in the past few years became more and more. You might also want to read our article on how to easily darken stainless steel or blacken stainless steel for more ways to personalize your gear. The higher temperatures of the other processes as well as their caustic nature could weaken the soldered joints and make the gun hazardous to use. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", 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. it washes off with water. Your container should be relatively larger than your object. And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. I have always wondered about storage in gun soft cases or the foamed Hard cases, and humid or dry, heat and cold. Even a fingerprint will affect the consistency of the colour. List Price: $18.64 $18.64. (You say the rod was heated, but it couldn't have been, as it was on the inside. FigureLLC. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Gas burners can usually do the job for this. Wipe them down with WD-40 on a regular basis. Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. Heat the Steel. All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements. Ill go into parkerization later this week. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer! That way, you can still use your oven for the rest of the evening. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. And I work alone in my shop, and lack the required (IMO) safety facilities that are needed. It is usually inadvisable to use cold bluing as a touch-up where friction is present. How to Blue/Re-Blue a Gun - The Truth About Guns The parts are then oiled and allowed to stand overnight. If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. How to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch- A Step-by-Step Guide For the color change to be uniform you have to remove the grease, oil, paint etc or it looks blotchy. Examples of this finish are common on older pocket watches whose hands exhibit what is called 'peacock blue', a rich iridescent blue. What did you use for polishing your pieces and Im guessing you polished then added the chemicals after?Thanks, Joe, Question 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. You can make your own desiccant packs with kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). The color is oxide, but I believe you can scrape it off. Its easy enough to color metal with a torch, but it has always been a hit-or-miss process for me, and when it was a big hit, I was rarely able to re-create how it got that way. These include hot bluing, cold bluing, niter bluing, and so on. You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. The wire is extremely small in diameter, so you have to take that into consideration. 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!). So I buffed down the barrel with steel wool and started over heating the barrel in the oven before taking it outside to add the solution (which is nitric acid). You can get a IR non-contact thermometer for less than $20 at Harbor Freight. Its the corrosive gift that just keeps on giving. Keep them in that state while you heat them but be sure to not boil up the tank. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. }. 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. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. 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. Ships from and sold by Direct-Wholesale. It repeats the process adn by the time the head moves on to the next station all the parts are seated presumably for the life of the head. Then, you can put the components back into the bluing tank and increase the temperature until you see the blued steel. It is usually sold in a 1lb bottle for $3, you'll need 3 or 4 pounds probably. Once the solution reaches its boiling point, turn down the burner to about one-third of the boiling temperature and let it stay there. It is hazardous. OK, now with the sights out and the trigger group off, you can put on the rust/blue remover on the barrel/action. tighter your arc, the less the heat input will be. I dont have that much blueing to do in my shop, so I dont use hot salts. [ You can reassemble the gun after. Use Hot Bluing And Cold Bluing To Give Your Steel That Have proper ventilation and use proper modern safety gear! This item: Special Blue Full Metal Butane Torch (Gold) - Refillable Flame Lighter- Culinary Torch - Welding Torch - Adjustable Dual Flame for Desserts, Creme Brulee, BBQ and Baking. This heating forms the blue on the plate. The differing rate of cooling for each area produced a different color creating that rainbow effect. The differential cooling causes patterns of colors to appear as well as hardening the part. This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. You should keep guns in a safe, if you can. Your 700F temp is too high, IMO. Do NOT wipe/touch your metal with anything after degreasing as the whole purpose of cleaning was then for nothing. I can't stress how important the degreasing step is! Ill wait for and look forward to your article! I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. the cost of the burners or heaters to heat up all these tanks really only practical if you have natural gas available I am simply trying to learn anything and everything that there is to know about it. *700F is very close to the heat treatment temperature of some steels. This crucible was heated to 730C (1,350F) for up to 6hours (the longer the heat was applied the thicker the case hardening). DIY Gun Bluing I wish I had known more about the process, heating (I was working outside on a 60 degree day) I may have to check with my friend to see if it needs reblued again, Im sure he never shot it. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. The melting point for KNO3 is 633F. Did you ever find out what oil they were using? The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. When youre done and have neutralized & washed off the Express Blue #1 solution, you then should spray down the barrel with water-displacing oil. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Blue-Stainless-Steel-in-5-Easy-Steps.jpg" 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. http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. 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. Repeat 3 times. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of your container as you don't want to disturb the process of what's happening! NaOH will quickly and completely dissolve aluminum. 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. Blue Bluing Steel 4 years ago WebBluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. Central Texas. They should send you a stipend for your time. 4 Ways to Blue Steel - wikiHow Tenifer get's up to (1077F) last I checked and was the 5th step in Glock heat treating after that they Pakerize it. Note that it has to be a different tank from the one you used for Step 2. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. 2 years ago, For the record The gentleman said multiple times that the plastic container shown in the pictures was just for the instructional photos and to be sure that the container is made of metal for this process, (Homer Simpson smacking his forehead: "DOH! Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, so the hot steel will take longer to cool and reduce the chance of it cracking. These processes were later abandoned by major firearm manufacturers as it often took parts days to finish completely, and was very labor-intensive. In comparison, rust, the red oxide of iron (Fe2O3), undergoes an extremely large volume change upon hydration; as a result, the oxide easily flakes off, causing the typical reddish rusting away of iron. -A heat source. How to Colour Steel With HEAT : 5 Steps (with Pictures) 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock. Hot. Dont mess with hot salts. Glad that there are folks like you around. Fortunately, this is easily had at any hardware store: WD-40 is a water displacing product, not a lubricant (contrary to widespread advertising). Bluing, being a chemical conversion coating, is not as robust against wear and corrosion resistance as plated coatings, and is typically no thicker than 2.5 micrometres (0.0001 inches). "author": "Christopher Graham", 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. "width": "1500", Contemporary heat-treatable steels did not exist or were in their infancy. I handed a buddy my wallet and cell phone, and stepped under the safety shower and got wet. ", the wrong quality steel. Heat the area with a torch until it stops sweating. 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. Oil-free steel wool is also sold by woodworking shops. RF: Expect a write-up from me on Rust blueing and parkerizing in the next couple of weeks. Hardening will cause it to be more brittle, which could cause the hammer to chip and cause injury. This is how Colt made their rifles and pistols prior to Civil War you can read all about the process. Slow rust blueing can take a week or more to accomplish, but it is a durable blue job like no other. blue steel However, if the bluing effect isnt satisfactory, then you can try giving the components an acid bath (using Hydrochloric Acid). If you have very light, fine pitting, you can polish this out. Answer for 6-8 hours. 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. "I am nearly 16 and can not wait until I have my drivers license. 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 The colours range through straw, gold, brown, purple, blue, teal, then black. "publisher": { All blued parts still require oiling to prevent rust. Heat the gun parts. Bluing is most commonly used by gun manufacturers, gunsmiths, and gun owners to improve the cosmetic appearance of and provide a measure of corrosion resistance to their firearms. Blue or Black rust is complete passivation of the steel surface Fe3O4. So basically, youll want the rifle in the vise with the muzzle pointed to your left. This process leaves a deep blue-black finish. Hang the trigger group again, re-stock and you should be done. This process was repeated until the desired depth of color was achieved or the metal simply did not color further. Bluing is a process usually used by gun owners and firearms manufacturers to improve the aesthetic value of their weapons. Blue Alternatively. No. . I wish this article had come out sooner, since I did not know that 0000 steel wool may have oil in it. 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. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. Wear safety glasses and gloves while working with hot metal. 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. The steel will pull some of the carbon out of the oil while quenching and harden the outer portion of the metal. Should something happen, seek medical help right away. On another thread, we can go into nitre blueing, which is basically heating pins/screws/bits/bobs to 600F in a molten salt bath. This article was very, "I've been working with steel since I was a child, and reviewing these proper methods and skills makes my projects, "It surely educated me on several points. "https://www.reddit.com/user/theshootingmystery" Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. JUST DONT. Remember the oil is probably gonna release some smoke/fumes once the piece is quenched so as said before: please do this step in a well ventilated area. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 His enthusiasm for handling firearms and hunting gear inspired him to create the Shooting Mystery blog. 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 Often it does provide an adequate cosmetic touch-up of a gun's finish when applied and additionally oiled on a regular basis. The process isnt intended for bronze. In literally 10 seconds on a buffing wheel incorrectly applied, I could screw that up to a point where it might take be eight+ hours of hand polishing to recover my prior results. Hot blueing is a good process, especially if you have a lot of iron to shove through the blueing process quickly. 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. My dad keeps his in a big safe with large desiccant packs that he threw in there. This is one of the reasons rust and fume bluing are generally more rust-resistant than other methods. Thats one way to get dyspeptic to write articles! Fill the tank with a suitable amount of water then add in the bluing salt using the correct ratio. Where/how did you think I got to the point I could make nice guns? 1. Posted December 21, 2009. Any gun. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. Alternatively, You could store them in a hard case (like a pelican with a purge) and throw some desiccant packs in there as well. You might need two applications to clean up more deeply rusted spots. Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). Then you pull it out and scrape off the oil along the blade edge. Its much cheaper anyways. Besides those, you must also have water displacing oil and cleaning solution (Dicro-Clean 909). How to Blue (Bluing) Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil You work on nice guns! Rust bluing is also used on shotgun barrels that are soldered to the rib between the barrels, as hot bluing solutions melt the solder during the bluing process. 2mm wire has a circumference of ~0.25in. An iron wire, stainless dipper, and part basket are required to handle the guns components and adjust the bluing solution as well. There are also methods of cold bluing, which do not require heat. Prepare the components of the metal surface before you attempt to blue using your tools. Blued Pivot Steel Also buffing wheels pre blue. Even at room temperature, the salts are highly caustic and will eat into your eyes or skin in seconds not minutes. How to Blue Bluing Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 13 in 1 Metal Shell Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering at the best online prices at eBay! Reply The tempering reduces the amount of martensite and thus makes the steel softer. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. To remove pitting and keep the barrel profile intact requires skill with a file, and that requires hands-on training. Quenched steel is harder, but it becomes more brittle. If you are referring to torch bluing, the I use kerosene to wet my paper from 500 on up. Technically speaking, bluing is more or less a conversion of red iron oxide (Fe2O3) to black iron oxide (Fe3O4). Excessive buffing on stainless steel could result in a grainy appearance so do it with care. After that, slowly and steadily stir the solution in the tank to dissolve the salt. Wait for 10 15 minutes and then take out the components. Soft, low-carbon steel was used, but strong materials were needed for the receivers of firearms. I didnt drop outta my mommas womb being able to do this stuff. But since this was my first project, with an inexpensive kit as a learning tool, and as I intend to do this again with a much more expensive kit, my trials and errors and your voice of experience will be very useful the next time around. 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. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience :) ). Did you make this project? What is your opinion of the 2 to 1 lye and potassium nitrate bluing solution? I had to sand and restain the stock, and sanded the barrel from 120 down to 400 grit the pitting was so bad. Bluing may be applied by immersing steel parts in a solution of potassium nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and water heated to the boiling point, 275310F (135154C) depending on the recipe. Either of these two methods is called 'hot bluing'. 1/16-inch pivot wire has a circumference of ~0.2in. Hot bluing is the current standard[6] in gun bluing, as both it and rust bluing provide the most permanent degree of rust-resistance and cosmetic protection of exposed gun metal, and hot bluing takes less time than rust bluing. 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.