Slow rust blueing

[Morningstar]

Hi fellow tinkerers and anoraks
I fancy having a go at Slow rust blueing on a couple of rifles! please don't suggest birchwood casey or any of the micky mouse one touch jobs that rub off.
I know Brownells do Oxpho but I can't find a stockist in this country

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...le=OXPHO-BLUE~

I have found this stuff though `Gunguard Slow Blue Solution' at

http://www.blackleyandson.com

Not a Good company to deal with I have discovered, put an order through a week ago , paid visa debit- No invoice recieved- phoned 3 time today- no answer- engaged- no answer- no replies to 2emails asking for comfirmation of order- cancelled order I would not recommend them folks they seem very Micky Mouse

So folks , who has tried doing it and what results did you get?

Any pointers most welcome

ATB graham

[Grayling]

Cheers for the links Graham, keep us informed how you get on, I really would like to have a go myself .

By like MallyAllys favourite book title reads


Over the Cliff...... Written by Hugo First .

[Morningstar]

OH GOD!!!

Your at it again
Don't let him get away with it Mallyally ( fight - fight)

I bet I end up the Guinea Pig come lifes victim again! And have to test more micky mouse solutions.
I know we can go halves on the cost of me testing it Grayling

ATB Graham

[edbear2]

This looks interesting!.......I, like many others I suspect, am always on the lookout for a quality blueing solution......brownells is supposed to be the dogs, but try finding it over here!....I have had some good results with birchwood on a complete gun, but you really have to 110% follow the instructions and not rush it!......degreasing is critical....as is the time you leave it on and the number of applications.....I used half a box of latex gloves to ensure I never touched the metal parts, and also applied the solution by putting some on a glove and quickly going over the whole cylinder...then quickly blend with 0000 steel wool before washing......lots of washing/drying cycles and 8 applications, plus the barricade/overnight cure really does make a difference... gave me the best result yet, but I am going to try some of this and see what happens!

[keith66]

Slow rust blueing solutions are more properly know as browning. Blackleys sell solution as do Peter Dyson & sons. The metal work has to be properly degreased first then the browne is applied. You leave it anything up to 2 days depending on temperature & humidity until it is covered with a layer of red rust.
If you want it to be brown as on a damascus barrel you scratch or card the loose rust of with fine wire brush or similar and repeat until its the shade of brown you want. If you want it blue you boil the part before carding the rust off the rust is then converted into blue black magnetic oxide.
Several passes may be required to get the right depth of colour.
The solutions contain Mercury so are horribly poisonous! so be careful!!!
Angiers Book Firearm bluing & browning is a mine of info and gives a good insight into how its done.

[T 20]

There are sevaral American gun sites which give the formula for mixing up your own Blueing salts.
The only problem is that most solutions seem to contain Amonium Nitrate which is a controlled substance.
If you mix Amonium Nitrate with a well known Hydrocarbon you produce a high explosive paste (remember the IRA).
If anyone could get the Blueing solution I'd be happy to have a play with it as I already have some long stainless tanks ready and waiting.

All the best Mick

[CRX]

Hi Graham,

Like Eddie, I have had some nice results using Birchwood Casey products, by following the instructions (to the letter).

Redair who used to be on here untill he got banned some time ago, used to have his own hot bluing tanks, with which he used to produce really excellent results, which were as good as anything that I have ever seen. Having spoken to him at length on the subject, I decided not to go down that route following his warning regarding health matters etc.

Here is a link that you may find interesting:-

http://www.geocities.com/kemays/formula.htm

One other thing that Richard (Redair) said was that if you decide to use your tanks inside a workshop, then everything inside will become corroded from the atmosphere created by the fumes given off, which rather dampened my enthusiasm for the venture.

I hope this helps.

Atb

Robin.

[keith66]

The formulas containing Ammonium nitrate are the commercial caustic process where the parts are dipped into a hot caustic bath, this is a one shot process as used by virtually all production gunmakers. There is an excellent thread on how to do it at home complete with photos on the Roderus custom Gunworks home gunsmithing forum, the process is not for the faint hearted!
The slow rust process uses an acid base with other chemicals to promote rusting it is slower but ultimately can give superb results, it is often used on shotgun barrels as they are often soft soldered together. There are literally hundreds of recipes.

[Mike95]

Some time ago I bought from Chronos Engineering a bottle of steel blacking substance plus acid etching substance, sold for model engineers to black steel model parts. Not used it yet but will give it a try in due course and report back.

Mike95

[T 20]

Here is a link that you may find interesting:-

http://www.geocities.com/kemays/formula.htm

One other thing that Richard (Redair) said was that if you decide to use your tanks inside a workshop, then everything inside will become corroded from the atmosphere created by the fumes given off, which rather dampened my enthusiasm for the venture.

I hope this helps.

Atb

Robin.

That is what I've been looking for.

What a brilliant site, thank you very much Robin.

Basically the blueing liquid is a mix of Milking parlour pipe cleaner and Nitram fertilizer.

I'm definitely going to have a go now as I can get the ingredients for free.


Thanks again Robin


All the best Mick

[CRX]

That is what I've been looking for.

What a brilliant site, thank you very much Robin.

Basically the blueing liquid is a mix of Milking parlour pipe cleaner and Nitram fertilizer.

I'm definitely going to have a go now as I can get the ingredients for free.


Thanks again Robin


All the best Mick

Hi Mick,

I noticed from your earlier post that you have some Stainless Steel tanks ready.

When I was talking to Richard he said that S/S was not the best material to use, he said that it should be normal steel, although I can't remember why.

Recently I spoke to Sean Hill and he said the same thing, he has just replaced his tanks by the way.

Kind regards,

Robin.

[T 20]

Hi Mick,

I noticed from your earlier post that you have some Stainless Steel tanks ready.

When I was talking to Richard he said that S/S was not the best material to use, he said that it should be normal steel, although I can't remember why.

Kind regards,

Robin.

Thanks Robin

In one book I read Stainless tanks were recomended, but that was a different mix to this one. It's no problem though I'll just have to fold some tanks out of 3mm mild steel and bead blast them to remove the slag. After the first use they should end up blued inside anyway (I hope) and be easy to empty and clean.

All the best Mick

[spartan]

Some time ago I bought from Chronos Engineering a bottle of steel blacking substance plus acid etching substance, sold for model engineers to black steel model parts. Not used it yet but will give it a try in due course and report back.

Mike95

mike i have tried this stuff, to be honest its not very good, it is selinious acid based. when they do demos of it at exhibitions all they ever black is bolts and very rough metal, they claim its as good as hot blacking, no way. i took a polished piece of steel to show where they where demonstrating it, to say the least it was not good, when i showed them a piece i hot blacked to compare against it, no comparison, i bet they wished i had not turned up that day. i hate to see people advertise products that claim to be the dogs danglies , and make money from products that dont do what they say.

i used to do proper slow bluing on shotgun barrels, but i no longer do it as the fumes would kill you. it was full of horrible chemicals and poisons, all it would do is put you in a early grave. my advise steer clear of it

shaun

[Mike95]

Thanks for that Spartan...looks like it is back to the gunblue!

Mike95

[Garry]

I know it's not blueing, but has anyone tried Electroless Nickel plating?
http://www.caswelleurope.co.uk/electronic.htm

The 1.6 litre kit is £79, but I don't know how many pistols you might get out of it. I think it says coverage is 150 square inches.