Home bluing method

tokguy

tokguy

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Good day. Hope you are finding lots of projects to occupy your time.
I'm getting my toes wet again so to speak.
There is a worn old cooey model 60 ( 1st model ever I've been PM'd) that the young lad down the road will be getting soon; the gun owes me nothing, and it looked like 10 miles of bad road...the lads mom only has a 10/22, not an ideal 1st gun.
The barrel is rusted and pitted on the outside and possessing great rifling on the inside.
FEz2S8Ml.jpg

Got the bbl looking about as good 'In the White as it'll get. But I'm short on Cold Blue. I could order some in, but that'll take a while...and I take the self isolation seriously.

I tried to talk my Gal into peeing in a jar for me ( women's pee is more acidic ), to no avail Laugh2
Any home recipes that actually work that anyone would like to suggest?

BTW; that is the 'Before' Picture, not the present condition
 
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Draino Kitchen Crystals boiled around 275 degrees F. Boil until you get the color you want and immerse in cold water.

If it isn't dark enough after the first attempt, heat up your solution again and boil it longer.
 
bearhunter said:
Draino Kitchen Crystals boiled around 275 degrees F. Boil until you get the color you want and immerse in cold water.

If it isn't dark enough after the first attempt, heat up your solution again and boil it longer.
Click to expand...

I'm very interested, as I want to blue my brother-in-law's shotgun and have no proper bluing kit, nor are they readily available due to COVID-19. So you're saying after proper prep (degreasing, de-rusting, etc), I'd put the metal into a boilable container and boil at 275, take out, check colour, and so on?
 
I'm guessing I'll need to build a bath that can handle heat then? Oh well I was going to do one sooner or later... Now is as good a time as any. I've got a Mauser that needs refurbing as well
 
I'm not a scientist but good luck getting an aqueous solution of anything to 275 degrees F without a pressure vessel.
 
22 rust

not to spoil your fun but any decent blue job is a lot of work and money and learning how about you strip the gun sand off the rust andstock finish do a nice job and camo the old girl its the in thing that may be fun as well try to pick and follow a pattern you like just a thought
 
coyoteshooter said:
not to spoil your fun but any decent blue job is a lot of work and money and learning how about you strip the gun sand off the rust andstock finish do a nice job and camo the old girl its the in thing that may be fun as well try to pick and follow a pattern you like just a thought
Click to expand...

I did ponder the easy way...paint. I need the practice for more valuable pieces anyhow.
But thanks for the input.
 
I restored a Model 60 around a decade ago, I used the nitric acid fuming method. I skipped the boiling stage and left the finish at a uniform, deep, and rich brown. It worked well but in subsequent trials I couldn't get predictable performance.

This winter I made and blued a floorplate for an old NAACO grizzly, I used ferric chloride mixed with a bit of distilled water to a urine colour, with a splash of nitric acid to give it a bit of bite. The process took about 2 weeks and I am pleased with the results, so much so that I'll use that method to blue my underhammer rifle project if I ever complete it.
If you don't have tanks to boil your parts you could look into making a steam box. I boil but there are many who swear by the steambox for rust bluing.
 
Sodium Hydroxide without an oxidizing agent will not work well. Sodium nitrate or Ammonium Nitrate is also needed for an effective hot bluing solution.
Rust bluing, as described above, works well and only requires a boiling tank, not a hot caustic tank.
There is an art to this work. It is not a simple slam dunk.
There are Express bluing solutions that accelerate the rust bluing process. Perhaps not pleasing to the most descriminating.
Instant bluing solutions are not a durable finish.
 
Waba said:
I restored a Model 60 around a decade ago, I used the nitric acid fuming method. I skipped the boiling stage and left the finish at a uniform, deep, and rich brown. It worked well but in subsequent trials I couldn't get predictable performance.

This winter I made and blued a floorplate for an old NAACO grizzly, I used ferric chloride mixed with a bit of distilled water to a urine colour, with a splash of nitric acid to give it a bit of bite. The process took about 2 weeks and I am pleased with the results, so much so that I'll use that method to blue my underhammer rifle project if I ever complete it.
If you don't have tanks to boil your parts you could look into making a steam box. I boil but there are many who swear by the steambox for rust bluing.
Click to expand...

I'll build the burner box, it isn't that hard lol. I live on an Acreage, got all kinds of stuff kicking around.
 
saskbooknut said:
Sodium Hydroxide without an oxidizing agent will not work well. Sodium nitrate or Ammonium Nitrate is also needed for an effective hot bluing solution.
Rust bluing, as described above, works well and only requires a boiling tank, not a hot caustic tank.
There is an art to this work. It is not a simple slam dunk.
There are Express bluing solutions that accelerate the rust bluing process. Perhaps not pleasing to the most descriminating.
Instant bluing solutions are not a durable finish.
Click to expand...

I'd really like to try rust bluing this year, but -- who would have the solution in Canada?
 
Generally you can use any express browning agent as a bluing agent as well the difference being adding heat to convert the rest ferric oxide to black ferric oxide. You can do this with a boiling trough (I made some out of aluminum rain gutters & a 3 burner camp stove) a steam tube or just pouring boiling water (a kettle) ... Your final finish and colour will be based on the solution itself, amount of heat applied and if you have any contaminants in your water. (use distilled water)

If you are browning a sweat box will VASTLY speed up the process

box.jpg


all I needed to keep this box warm and moist was a small tub of boiling water - didn't even need a hot plate or anything.

PJs in North York makes a good express blue

Browning you can get from nearly every muzzle builder supply - most will ship these items as well.
 
sean69 said:
Generally you can use any express browning agent as a bluing agent as well the difference being adding heat to convert the rest ferric oxide to black ferric oxide. You can do this with a boiling trough (I made some out of aluminum rain gutters & a 3 burner camp stove) a steam tube or just pouring boiling water (a kettle) ... Your final finish and colour will be based on the solution itself, amount of heat applied and if you have any contaminants in your water. (use distilled water)

If you are browning a sweat box will VASTLY speed up the process

box.jpg


all I needed to keep this box warm and moist was a small tub of boiling water - didn't even need a hot plate or anything.

PJs in North York makes a good express blue

Browning you can get from nearly every muzzle builder supply - most will ship these items as well.
Click to expand...

Browning works just fine for a duck gun, IMHO.

I'm sure there's a bunch of it in the basement I just cleaned out, but no idea what it's labeled as.
 
TheCoachZed said:
I'd really like to try rust bluing this year, but -- who would have the solution in Canada?
Click to expand...

Not that hard to make. Strong acid, steel wool, hydrogen peroxide. Just be VERY careful because it is potent stuff when you are done. Full PPE required. If you can't figure out how to make it from this and a chemistry class, probably shouldn't be trying it.
 
TheCoachZed said:
I'd really like to try rust bluing this year, but -- who would have the solution in Canada?
Click to expand...

I've used this on various muzzleloader a over the years with great results.

Plumb Browning Solution
1/2 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoon of vinegar
8 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide

Before browning, sand metal with 320 grit sandpaper and degrease with acetone (nail polish remover) before and after each coat. Heat the metal with a propane torch to speed up the process before each coat, though it is not a mandatory step. Wipe on the solution. Do not spray it on as it gives an uneven Coat. Card the metal (rub it) after each coat with an old piece of denim. Once you reach the desired colour, neutralize the metal after you are done by putting it in motor oil. I personally put the metal pieces through eight coats of the solution and was very pleased by the transformation from a white barrel to the brown.

Hope this helps.
Cheers
 
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