bluing steel with a torch bluing steel with a torch

If you have a wood or phenolic handle, use a propane torch to heat the blade only for about two minutes. This is often achieved without chemicals by simply heating the steel until a blue oxide film appears. When everything is set up, put on your protective gear and then get down to business. Hot NaOH is so alkaline it is great as dissolving organic materials. I have at least three cold blue solutions in my shop including Oxpho-blue, 44-40 and others. There can be different layers you have to apply. If you look at the temps that Tenifur(SP) and Melonite(sp) and early Pakerizing processes used this is nothing. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer! High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. You can improve your results by doing two things: 1. When the liquid stops bubbling, remove the metal from the container and wipe off any excess liquid. Initially case hardening was used but did not offer any aesthetics. That said, heres the truth: The best blueing you can have on a gun is simple, safe to do, but takes a long time. There wasnt a whole lot of pain just yet until my buddy took the safety bottle of vinegar solution used to neutralize the alkaline NaOH salts, and then the pain was there. Once the solution reaches its boiling point, turn down the burner to about one-third of the boiling temperature and let it stay there. Use hemostats to hold a cleaning patch wetted with the solution and apply in nice, long, even strokes. References This answer was tested with a utility knife blade and it drilled through with ease. Turn the heat on and give a good regular stirring until it gets very hot and starts to steam. Once it's cooled down, take the object out of the oil and place it on a piece of paper/cloth and let it set for about 20 minutes. Be careful since considerable heat might be generated in the process. At 700, you start losing your blues and the steel starts becoming a wispy silvery-blue, not a dark brilliant blue. The inside barrel was saved by the fact it was so full of lead fouling. As I'm bluing round pieces I slowly and evenly rotate the piece over the flame to equally disburse the heat. on Introduction. 4 years ago The color is not oxides, when steel is heated at relatively low heats (300-600 degrees Fahrenheit) it changes colors from light yellow to a deep blue, after 600 it turns back to a steel color. If you want it smoother/shinier, you can polish up to 600 grit, with wet-or-dry paper. Youre a gunsmith who has a lot of nice guns! 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. While I am certain that I could do it myself, you already have all the bits and parts and stuff so it is worth my dollars to buy a gunsmiths time to have this done for me. Now you slide the cold rod in, and the plate cools, gripping the rod. Either of these two methods is called 'hot bluing'. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ", the wrong quality steel. You dont want to affect the hardness of your steel in critical areas like actions, bolts, bolt lugs, barrels, chambers, etc. After 3 years ago "@type": "ImageObject", Note: I know a plastic container is pictured but always use a metal one! This article has been viewed 914,567 times. : Make sure it is made from Mild Steel or Titanium. 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. Oxides come after its been heated to a red heat and cooled. 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. WHERE or when would the torch get used? This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. Cold blues will react with steel at room temperature, but you get more aggressive reactions when you heat the gun to, oh, 150 to 200F. How to colour steel with heat (hot oil finish) is a simple but effective way of achieving a desired colour of choice.The colours are fantastic and often come out in a beautiful two-tone shine. If the sights need to be stripped & blued, follow the same procedure, but dont polish on them. Share it with us! The practice of bluing steel takes time and an exquisite eye for detail. Then you can express blue it with a propane torch and a tank of boiling water. JUST DONT. I have done a cold blue on a very rusted .22 for a friend. Rinse them in a cold water tank after. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dwEQfHK1tk_ZeaA4PniOA/", ", https://mgs.edu/making-chisels-skips-newsletter/, http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm. The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. Interesting and informative as always. Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. -An old container filled with your chosen degreaser (unleaded petrol), -Your desired polished metal object/s (very important! You risk a big fire that is self sustaining by the reaction itself. The part you want to place in the receiving part is cold often just placed in a freezer for a few hours. DG thank you. Sometimes at this point, I come just a fraction away from the heat to go through colours a bit slower. This crucible was heated to 730C (1,350F) for up to 6hours (the longer the heat was applied the thicker the case hardening). Hes claiming that method is more durable than Blue alone. 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. Remove any previous finish. That seems wasteful. When the first patch gets really funky, then drop that in your plastic garbage container (remember, these patches have been soaked in acid solutions! If a bank transfer is made but no receipt is uploaded within this period, your order will be cancelled. Try it on some unimportant pieces first. Bluing is also used in seasoning cast-iron cookware, to render it relatively rust-proof and non-stick. For the color change to be uniform you have to remove the grease, oil, paint etc or it looks blotchy. Put all the components into the tank and wait for 5 15 minutes. Ships from and sold by Direct-Wholesale. Reply If you want to blue something fast I have a cheap hot blue method: Lowes stump remover: Just dont do it. Add in the 250F+ temperatures of the salts when they hit your skin, and youre both burned thermally and chemically in seconds. "description": "If you want to find out how to blue stainless steel, then you've come to the right place. of the steel than do not even try this on something that is anything other than artistic in nature! Next you hold it in front of your heat source until a blue oxide layer covers the whole blade edge. It can soften up some paints and plastics. That way, you can still use your oven for the rest of the evening. How to Blue Stainless Steel in 5 Easy Steps: Complete Guide Blow torches only heat a small concentrated area. 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. Wear thick gloves and a face mask before you quench your steel so the water or oil doesnt splash onto your hands. Theres a reason why I buy up clapped-out guns and stuff where people look at me with a WTF?! 8 years ago This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. The object on the left is a custom mild steel potentiometer knob! 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. RF: Expect a write-up from me on Rust blueing and parkerizing in the next couple of weeks. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 99. Pull it out of the tank and place on a drain rack. 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! I wouldn't recommend either. Heat the area you'd like to drill just until it starts to glow red, then allow it to cool slowly. When you add water to a hot salt tank, you get an explosion of steam, and you need to develop some skill in adding the water with a very fine copper pipe on your water hose to prevent steam blow-outs spattering salts all over you. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://shootingmystery.com/blue-stainless-steel-beginners/", blue steel Hardening will cause it to be more brittle, which could cause the hammer to chip and cause injury. (And taking, out of *your* hide). Some people might not have a tank long enough to contain a barreled action to boil out. [4], Bluing can also be done in a furnace, for example for a sword or other item traditionally made by a blacksmith or specialist such as a weapon-smith. 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. The differing rate of cooling for each area produced a different color creating that rainbow effect. Right now I'm working on excavator replacement pins! All those materials the leather and bone the coal where sources of carbon and other trace elements. I don't understand why you are submerging it in oil? If I remember right they then heated them up a bit and applied fish oil orignal and I think latter switching to linseed oil to protect the finish and give it that wet look. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. Is the torch used to heat metal ..ONLY.with Cold bluing? This is all from memory so I might have left some stuff out. 3 years ago. There are many methods you can use to blue the steel. Heat the gun parts. this produces better, less turbulant gas flow, which will reduce heat traces. While still hot and while wearing rubber gloves rub the bluing compound Into the steel with the steel wool. Wear safety glasses and gloves while working with hot metal. Thermal Bluing - The Process of Heat Treating Watch Hands Its a good process for processing lots of guns, but I simply cannot recommend it for people who just want to do a gun here or a gun there.. Excessive buffing on stainless steel could result in a grainy appearance so do it with care. How to Harden Steel: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow The process isnt intended for bronze. You can then u. se a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. My apologies for the background noise in the first half of the video We had compressors running where I had to shoot this This video shows how to blue steel parts using an oven or torch and quenching in oil This method is not the professional method using bluing salts but can be done in your home with a torch or if you have access to a high temperature oven This method will provide your parts some protection from corrosion and show how to achieve different colors in the steel by varying temperatures I am not a professional so please spare me the that s not hot bluing and other criticisms If you don t like it turn it off Hope this comes in handy for someone, How to take apart disassemble and put together assemble a 1911 pistol 1st method, Stevens 20 Gauge Break Action Shotgun Project - Part 4 Cold Bluing with Brownells Oxpho-Blue Creme, Van's Instant Gun Bluing - Removing Gun Rust, Cold bluing Steel blackening How to use Tifoo Black Devil - burnishing steel, Gun Bluing - Colt Official Police 38 Special, Vintage Screwdriver Cold Bluing Br nierung Restore No 2, Slow rust bluing O1 knife blades part two, Easy and Fast bluing touch up Presto Gun Blue Pen, DuraBlue Spray-on Bluing Aerosol Application Process Polished Version, Axe Restoration Part Two Bluing With Birchwood Casey Superblue, Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black Super Blue and Metal Work on a Tanfoglio TA22S, Gun Bluing using cold blue and heat Weihrauch HW35 E Restoration, Perma Blue Gun Blue Paste Birchwood Casey. These minerals (often calcium and magnesium compounds) tend to result in blotchy and uneven results. Never know when it will come in handy. Its much cheaper anyways. 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. Probably the main one is the content of so-called "carbon, "I was looking at making a set of plate armor and I wanted to see how to harden the breastplate. I have to finish my M76 and Galil first and buy the materials. WebHeat the blade for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven set on 325 Fahrenheit if the handle is metal. Commercial products are widely sold in small bottles for cold bluing firearms, and these products are primarily used by individual gun owners for implementing small touch-ups to a gun's finish, to prevent a small scratch from becoming a major source of rust on a gun over time. I believe the change of color is due to a growing thickness of an oxide layer. I used Brownells Plum Brown, a product that requires that the barrel be heated to 275 degrees to activate the reaction. For more information on using a blowtorch and protecting the steel, scroll down! Browning a gun gives you a nice, even brown patina finish of red rust on a gun. The parts must be observed constantly for colour change. Heat source You will require at least one burner for bluing salts and two hot water burners. 2. Ill be saving this for the future. Steel It is one smoooooth profile, from one end to the other. for 6-8 hours. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", To heat this, I use a Coleman camp stove and a 15# jug of LPG gas. 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. 3.3k. There is something really rewarding about this technique. ", not only fun, but also profitable. 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. Just let any residual matter evaporate/dry. You can not do this method with Aluminium because it won't reach the temperatures required for bluing, it will just melt. 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. Ventilation is important. Most knives, rifle receivers and barrels are heated to at least 1200F and cooled and drawn at 490F-700F. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. And for the next (after the next) installment, how to do hard case coloring. I hope to someday have good knowledge to pass on to people, heh. 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. What I forgot to mention in all of this is a detail that seems mundane, but it critically important: Wear cotton gloves. You should put the brass drift (which you can make out of a piece of brass rod about 1/4 in diameter) on the sight base, and then start tapping the end of the drift with a small hammer. However, the chemicals from the bluing process can accomplish uneven staining on aluminium and polymer parts. Bluing is also used for providing coloring for steel parts of fine clocks and other fine metalwork. Thank you, DG! Accidental exposure to the chemicals could result in serious injuries. So basically, youll want the rifle in the vise with the muzzle pointed to your left. The tempering reduces the amount of martensite and thus makes the steel softer. In order to confirm the bank transfer, you will need to upload a receipt or take a screenshot of your transfer within 1 day from your payment date. The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. 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. I ended up with some spots where the browning did not take, and a few dull spots, most of which I was able to buff out with steel wool soaked with gun oil. They are still sometimes used by gunsmiths to obtain an authentic finish for a period gun of the time that rust bluing was in vogue, analogous to the use of browning on earlier representative firearm replicas. Approved. 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. Its a good process, but it isnt a 1:1 replacement for blueing. 1. You will need:-2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil)-oil -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any goo All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. I like parkerization on some of my milsurps. It was left in a flannel gun case in the back of a moist closet for 25+ years. Heat the area with a torch until it stops sweating. 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 You can then use a soft brush to gently remove all the residue of the cleaning solution on the components. I have in the past few years became more and more. Ill detail why. Many double-barreled shotguns are soft soldered (lead) or silver brazed together and many of the parts are attached by that method also. I like 1.5 wide shop cloth myself). This signifies that the steel is tempered. 2. [ 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. The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. 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. The difference is immersion in boiling water for bluing. Oil and grease really are the enemy because youre trying to (literally) corrode the metal. You heat the outside member only when you do a shrink fit.). Dont. Why do you bother with all this crap?. very easy way to get a blue finish on steel - Fit and Finish Also thanks DG! Metal parts that look black or blue-black are usually blued (rather than painted). The name of the process actually comes from the blue-black appearance of the black iron oxide. Bluing is a process usually used by gun owners and firearms manufacturers to improve the aesthetic value of their weapons. Keep them in that state while you heat them but be sure to not boil up the tank. Use a steel tool to stir (remember the fumes). 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 Its for mild steel, which must be greased, oiled or otherwise coated with something to stop it from rusting almost immediately. 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? Just take them from the comments he posts. I use it, oh so cautiously in making my biodiesel. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Shootinglogo.png" Ive cut and pasted this to my notes on the cloud. 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. the cost of all the tanks you need for rinse & boil-out Dont drop or try to bend the steel once its removed. 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. Next wash your piece in your chosen degreaser for a minute or so to get rid of all grease/fingerprints that was on the metal. Fortunately, this is easily had at any hardware store: WD-40 is a water displacing product, not a lubricant (contrary to widespread advertising). They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. For the final step, we let the components cool down in water displacing oil. Oil-free steel wool is also sold by woodworking shops. 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). Even at room temperature, the salts are highly caustic and will eat into your eyes or skin in seconds not minutes. (Its Crystalline Potassium Nitrate 100%) $6.18 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. Most cold blueing agents contain some selenium dioxide in them to enable to them to react at room temps. A couple bottles of aged bourbon minimum. On another thread, we can go into nitre blueing, which is basically heating pins/screws/bits/bobs to 600F in a molten salt bath. Im asking because theres a guy on YouTube recommending Brown Express first, then several layers of Blue over that. fascinated with blacksmithing, but have not had an income to even get it started. WebBluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. Although the steel parts, such as anOrdains watch hands, are near enough miniscule, each Dont just leave them on a surface that could corrode or burn), get a new patch into the hemostats, soak, wring out, and keep going. Keep heating the steel until you notice a blue color form on the metal. 6 years ago. Not blessed with a climate controlled safe. I plan on doing this on a couple of older beaters first. WebThe gun bluing process Start with 1 gallon of water and add it to a deep fryer that has been thoroughly cleaned. Often it does provide an adequate cosmetic touch-up of a gun's finish when applied and additionally oiled on a regular basis. Ive hot salt blued guns in a shop with the proper equipment and you can shove a river of iron through a single hot salt tank in an afternoon. No. This article received 28 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. "I am nearly 16 and can not wait until I have my drivers license. I now want to reverse the process so I can drill and tap the metal tip. February 20, 2016 at 16:12. You can make your own desiccant packs with kitty litter (I would recommend the unused variety). This is as deadly as the lye-based hot salts, but more for the temperature of a large batch of salts. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bluing Stainless Steel: What You Can and Cant Do - Forging World Because so many people are trying to do this sort of thing on the cheap, thats when I start thundering in my warnings about safety. . If you drop a piece of paper in there, or hydrocarbon compounds (like oil or grease on your part). Before operating your torch, read all instructions so you know how to handle it safely. Torch To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. You can get a IR non-contact thermometer for less than $20 at Harbor Freight. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. I like using acetone to strip the heavy oil on guns, because it lightens up the oils and makes them easier to strip with a water-based cleaner. If you cant, just get them out of the case and allow air to circulate around them. A non-linear resistance property of the blued steel of razor blades, foreshadowing the same property later discovered in semiconductor diode junctions, along with the ready availability of blued steel razor blades, led to the use of razor blades as a detector in crystal set AM radios that were built by servicemen (as foxhole radios) or by prisoners of war during World War II.[8]. it would appear these sights are drifted into dovetails. You need to constantly be adding in a bit of water to bring the boiling point back down into the range you need. They should start gassing up approximately 2 to 3 minutes after exposure. SO, DG; unless I missed it, I am assuming the torch is used separate from heating the tank/ container with the boiling solution. http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. It is also used by machinists, to protect and beautify tools made for their own use. YouTube - Nitre bluing a few gun parts. Christopher Graham writes all the content and reviews on this site with the help of his team of hunters and shooters. Heating will make the metal better in absorbing the bluing liquid. Ill go into parkerization later this week. Add 5 lbs of regular table salt to the water. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. 35% Potassium nitrate (aka saltpeter), http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-36054.html. Besides those, you must also have water displacing oil and cleaning solution (Dicro-Clean 909). Not every manufacturer puts bittering agents in the solution and as one poison control nurse told me: (t)here is nothing you can do and it aint the good death.. "url": "https://shootingmystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Blue-Stainless-Steel-in-5-Easy-Steps.jpg" 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. "@type": "Article", My current rifle builds are going to be parkerzied. just fyi, the old school method of case hardening steel is to get the piece so hot that a magnet will no longet stick to it and quickly quench it in used motor oil. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. By the time I was done it looked like it was a beat up 5 year old gun rather than a 1930s bolt .22 that came from a scrap yard. Cold blues will react with steel at room temperature, but you get more aggressive reactions when you heat the gun to, oh, 150 to 200F. You then oil or wax over the finish when youre done. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. Heat the gun parts. That surface rust on the barrel could be polished off easily. It provides the stainless steel surface with a layer of protection, giving rust and corrosion resistance while reducing potential glare as well. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. Make sure the piece is chemically clean, sandblasting followed by power wire brushing is good then stop heating when you hit purple because the heat will travel. Any more advice is welcome SteelJunkee Joined May 6, 2018 Messages 891 There's also blued hardware available, like nuts, bolts, screws, and hinges. This method must not be used on critically heat-treated parts such as receivers, slides or springs. "I have very limited knowledge as to how metal can be manipulated for different applications. You work on nice guns! on Step 1. Now securely hold your piece with whatever you have chosen. For the chemical, the bluing solution should be either Oxynate No. Where/how did you think I got to the point I could make nice guns? However, there are certain characteristics differences between the materials so knowing clearly how to blue stainless steel is really important. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 I dont have that much blueing to do in my shop, so I dont use hot salts. Tenifer get's up to (1077F) last I checked and was the 5th step in Glock heat treating after that they Pakerize it.