Case hardened look? on an old action

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boxhitch

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Have been looking at a rifle with some age to it, and most of the original finish is gone
Instead of reblueing, wondering if a diy case hardened finish can be created without getting too carried away with the actual process
maybe burning some solution onto the surface with a torch?

or is proper case hardening the way to go, maybe giving some actual benefits?

rifle is 90 yo but needs some help in the cosmetic dept.

tia
 
A somewhat case hardened look can be had with cold blue. Wet the surface with water and apply with a Q tip. The water with dilute the blueing at different rates and create a “mottled” look. The beauty is if you don’t like it it is easy to strip back off and try again.
 
Interesting approach, but what about the browns and greys? Not something that would turn my crank.
I think you should consider how it would have been finished when built, although some folks just like case hardening. If the gun justifies the expense and that is what you want, get it case hardened. Oskar Kob in NS does wonderful work and his turnaround time is unbelievable.
 
boxhitch said:
Have been looking at a rifle with some age to it, and most of the original finish is gone
Instead of reblueing, wondering if a diy case hardened finish can be created without getting too carried away with the actual process
maybe burning some solution onto the surface with a torch?

or is proper case hardening the way to go, maybe giving some actual benefits?

rifle is 90 yo but needs some help in the cosmetic dept.

tia
Click to expand...

Basically no, there’s even this guy in the states who sells a chemical process that allegedly imitates the colours Cold FX, and it doesn’t work.
 
Steel F/X has a jelly type product as well. Haven't used it yet, but is suppose to be an excellent product for faux case coloring.
 
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boxhitch said:
steel x ?
Click to expand...

Correct, I used the Stainless FX, Copper FX, Halo gel and a few others. Really cool for arts and crafts, leave it off your firearms.

I found from metal to metal, depending on the age or type of steel the affect varied too much, the results were nowhere near as vibrant as the samples shown and it had no longevity, even with a clear coat it faded.

I’m not calling it snake oil, but for what the product cost me and the time wasted it wouldn’t have cost me much more to pay a professional for a true CC hardening.
 
Found more info that I was after
I had a faint memory of doing something like this back in high school metals class
now I think it was playing about with copper sulphate that gave me the idea
Not sure I want to tackle a rifle action yet, still looking for something not requiring the purchase of a whack of special concoctions

may just toy with the Cold Blue for a test, just happen to have a small jar here
 
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