Recommend somebody that does quality rust bluing?

The Kurgan

The Kurgan

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I have a M98 bolt with a turned down handle that was recently hot blued. The problem is that my bolt is now tri-coloured! The bolt body is a nice deep black, the bolt handle is a plum-purple (probably due to high nickel content in the handle) and the brazing line is a copper colour. I know it would be easier to simply polish it "in the white", but I would much rather have it blued and the additional protection bluing provides. It is my understanding that rust bluing will take to braze and nickel steel better?
 
It's a bolt on a factory Mauser Sporter, not a K98. The funny thing is that the factory shroud is also a purple hue and it has the original finish. The bolt came to me "in the white" with really ugly jewelling. The braze line was barely noticeable.

View attachment 448874
 
Rust bluing turns ni-chrome steel a dark graphite gray with the regular alloy turning out jet black. Blacking bronze takes other chemicals and those may interact with the bluing so would be touch and go. Not hard though.
 
sorry - your issue is not the quality of the job, but the composition of the metals in the bolt, if your handle and body came out different colours the metals are different (which seems odd)

if you want it all the same colour ceracoate or hot blue it... nothing but a finish will blue your bronze/
 
Liver of sulfur will blacken bronze. Ammonia chloride compounds will blacken ni-chrome alloys especially if combined with aqua regia or Niedner solution.
 
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sean69 said:
sorry - your issue is not the quality of the job, but the composition of the metals in the bolt, if your handle and body came out different colours the metals are different (which seems odd)

if you want it all the same colour ceracoate or hot blue it... nothing but a finish will blue your bronze/
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Just to clarify... the hot bluing job was top notch. I had it done in the US by Precision Bluing. Under natural light or sunlight, the colours look quite even. Under artificial light, especially when photographed, you can quite clearly see the tonal differences. The bolt itself is made of a very hard and durable steel, probably also with a higher nickel content. The bolt handle was likely added by a competent gunsmith after the fact, though there is also evidence to suggest the bolt was "turned down" at the factory as it was a factory option at the time--and delivered partly "in the white". Either way, a brazing alloy was clearly used to join the bolt handle to the bolt body (definitely not low heat silver solder). The bolt handle is also clearly made of a high strength, very hard steel, probably a nickel steel. My inquiry was whether or not a quality old fashioned rust blue would yield better results? It appears, based on some of the responses, yes. Another interesting fact is that the bolt shroud is of the same colour as the bolt handle, and it has its original factory finish. This leads me to believe it is made of the same or similar steel, and also supports the possibility that the bolt handle is a factory original piece. While not shown in the photos, the bolt body itself (under artificial light) also shows a slight progression to a purple-plum hue towards the bolt head. There's a whole lot of nickel going on! :)
 
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The Kurgan said:
Just to clarify... the hot bluing job was top notch. I had it done in the US by Precision Bluing. Under natural light or sunlight, the colours look quite even. Under artificial light, especially when photographed, you can quite clearly see the tonal differences. The bolt itself is made of a very hard and durable steel, probably also with a higher nickel content. The bolt handle was likely added by a competent gunsmith after the fact, though there is also evidence to suggest the bolt was "turned down" at the factory as it was a factory option at the time--and delivered partly "in the white". Either way, a brazing alloy was clearly used to join the bolt handle to the bolt body (definitely not low heat silver solder). The bolt handle is also clearly made of a high strength, very hard steel, probably a nickel steel. My inquiry was whether or not a quality old fashioned rust blue would yield better results? It appears, based on some of the responses, yes. Another interesting fact is that the bolt shroud is of the same colour as the bolt handle, and it has its original factory finish. This leads me to believe it is made of the same or similar steel, and also supports the possibility that the bolt handle is a factory original piece. While not shown in the photos, the bolt body itself (under artificial light) also shows a slight progression to a purple-plum hue towards the bolt head. There's a whole lot of nickel going on! :)
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Well, your "brazing alloy" is almost certainly Silver Solder, and the real thing, not the low temperature crap that is so handy to use when you do not wish to chuck a bunch of heat in to a part.

Properly done silver solder joints are nearly as strong, if not stronger than the parent metal of the parts joined. Which is why it gets used a lot, despite it's cost.
Hot bluing tends to make silver solder turn yellow.

But, given the care that went in to the fit up, may well be brazing alloy, farmered together...

Rust bluing will create a different look than the hot blue, but won't do anything to the joint material. It may or may not make the bolt match the handle ant better. Usually, to avoid visible lines, fair amounts of care are taken with the fit up, or the areas are set up so that only a barest minimum line is visible if at all. Not so much in this case, though...

IIRC, Brownell's sells a product called Solder Black, or as per the above, you can experiment with various chemicals to hide the line. Experiment on the underside of the joint, eh?
 
This is an Anschutz .375 H&H with Bohler Antinit barrel and FN98 action. When it came to me, the barrel was nearly brick red with the bands being a general black and the action a graphite color. Plum colors can occur from different temperatures, different chemicals in the brew ie copper, and different metal alloys, usually nickle-chrome, and hardness, as the nature of the material is fundamentally changed when harder or softer...bolt heads and shrouds are quite hard. As a Mauser 98 bolt was drop forged from one piece, it's fair to assume that your bolt handle whether made at the factory or elsewhere was not the standard forging alloy and was likely made on a turret lathe from a material more suitable for turning -- seemingly a steel similar to the shroud. Regardless, when faced with different alloys it's best to use a combination approach to rust bluing and to be patient with the results, as trying to get aggressive will result in a pitted surface finish.

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Fantastic responses, and very helpful (photos didn't load though). I can see how hardness changes the fundamental structure of the steel and thus lends itself to different bluing results. It appears that the bolt head is harder, like the shroud and handle. My gut is telling me to "embrace" the plum tones and leave well enough alone. As for the braze line, it's not that noticeable unless you photograph it up close. I might try using my Birchwood Casey blue "pen" on the line, starting with underneath first.
 
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Investment cast bolt handle.I have seen them before, can't remember the maker.May be from Brownells.I would Gunkote it.Here is some of the belgian blue i mixed up
knxoYfo.jpg
 
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Seeing the near invisible line while in the white, I'll double down on that being silver solder, not braze.

I think the Guncote is about the most workable idea other than just living with it.
 
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