Oil Blackening my old enfield? Is it safe?

ShawnC6 said:
If the max you got to was 300f it could be fine. That temp wouldn't do much tempering, more of just a stress relief. Especially if not held at temperature for a long time.
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Yeah.... but only going to 300F won't be enough to char any motor oil worth anything. Hell, it won't even make cooking oil char. You've got to go a lot higher than that.

The other option is that oil ON a part might light up and burn away to leave a charred layer. But it's not a layer that will be bonded strongly to the metal and will clean away with normal gun solvents and even gun oil.

All in all it's just a poor way to color the metal. And a risky one at that.
 
Only time I use old motor oil is after a slow rust blue. After the last coat has been carded and it's still warm from the boiling tank I wipe it down with used, blackened motor oil. The carbon it it seems to bond or impregnate really well to the black oxide and make it even darker.
 
Probably best to go with what "Trevj " says and cold blue or dura-coat the rifle as carbon content of steel and uniform and constant heat temp would never be achieved.
 
BCRider said:
Yeah.... but only going to 300F won't be enough to char any motor oil worth anything. Hell, it won't even make cooking oil char. You've got to go a lot higher than that.

The other option is that oil ON a part might light up and burn away to leave a charred layer. But it's not a layer that will be bonded strongly to the metal and will clean away with normal gun solvents and even gun oil.

All in all it's just a poor way to color the metal. And a risky one at that.
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Yeah I wouldn't do it...
 
CanadianBaconPancakes said:
Well, its oil change time... Ill have 8 litters of nice used oil I would like the blacken my old enfield with. Dose anyone see anything damaging to the metal to heat, quench, heat, quench, and so on?

Thinking of using a propane and or map torch.. Also using synthetic oil ( mobile 1)

I think this would be a better alternative to paint and more durable then bluing, along with FREE :D


If all good, Any tips? This will be my first time.
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Do not do this.

Do you know what the receiver material is? Depending on which manufacturer and year and model this changed. Different materials react in different ways to heating and quenching.

You may embrittle the receiver, or soften it.

Basically some receivers will only be hardenable by carburizing, others by heating and quenching.

Do you know what the required Mechanical properties are?

Do you know where and how to harden the locking recesses?

If you were to parkerize an Enfield action you will clearly see the hardening of the receiver.
 
buckbrush said:
Colt used to use a fire blue, heat and charcoal were involved apparently.
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Yeah, whole different gig there.

If you polish up and degrease a stick of mild steel and heat one end, the range of colors that develop, are a pretty decent indicator of the temperature reached. Look up a steel color/temperature chart online. Pretty common method for a blacksmith to draw the temper n a hardened part. Pretty rare for one of those blacksmithed parts to be subject to the pressures of a cartridge rifle!

By carefully heating a polished and clean part up, you can in fact, control the color of the end result.
If it is clean.

Common on screws used on watches and antique clocks. Either heated in a controlled temperature oven, or heated in a tray of brass filings, over an alcohol lamp, and removed as the color develops. There is some hit and miss with it, but the worst case is that you have to polish the screw and retry.
It's a very pretty blue, when done well, but it is not durable if there is any handling of the particular part.

Not quite the same as trying to get a gun action hot enough to sizzle used motor oil over the outside of.

Similar but different results are got by dipping the parts in molten salts, and Hot Bluing is a variation of that, with different colors from the ratio of the constituent parts of the salts used, as well as the alloy. And careful temperature control. And surface prep.

Cheers
Trev
 
mikeystew said:
Only time I use old motor oil is after a slow rust blue. After the last coat has been carded and it's still warm from the boiling tank I wipe it down with used, blackened motor oil. The carbon it it seems to bond or impregnate really well to the black oxide and make it even darker.
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Now THIS is a post worth keeping to one side for some time in the future.

Does this dirty oil treatment make it run to pure black or does it retain the blue highlights under sunlight?
 
BCRider said:
Now THIS is a post worth keeping to one side for some time in the future.

Does this dirty oil treatment make it run to pure black or does it retain the blue highlights under sunlight?
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It definitely retains the blue hue when the light hits it right, but it for sure darkens it, and just deepens the look of the blue. I like putting it on while the barrel is still quite hot, and Immediately after carding. I'll even use some old oil in the steel wool for the very very last carding. I let the piece soak in as much oil as it'll hold for 24 hrs after the final boil/card. Next day, rub the oil off, then I put on a thin coat of dexron III ATF.

Here is a few pics of the results I get after a rust blue with the black motor oil treatment.





Here you can see the blue hue




Without the light though it looks pitch black
 
Actually not a stupid idea as I *believe* the original finish on Fazakerly No4s was a carbonized oil. I believe they heated the rifles in a furnace then sprayed or dipped them with linseed oil. I suspect motor oil would require too much heat.


Edit: English and Australian factory refurbs got a carbonized oil finish. My Fazakerly has the finish.
 
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I'll have to remember that for the next one I do.
mikeystew said:
Only time I use old motor oil is after a slow rust blue. After the last coat has been carded and it's still warm from the boiling tank I wipe it down with used, blackened motor oil. The carbon it it seems to bond or impregnate really well to the black oxide and make it even darker.
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