Rust bluing

[Winchester30-30]

Hey guys, so extensivly talking to my gunsmith and i came upon the idea of "slow rust bluing" the process of which you let the gun rust card it off, using a heated box,

Is there anyone here who does this? or knows how to do it that would be willing to help me out?


Thanks
Winchester30-30

 

[blauber]

Lots of info on here already - do a search and find what you're asking for.

 

[BigUglyMan]

Pudelpointer can do it. Whether he would do it for someone I can't say but I know that he can do it and would probably give you some pointers.

 

[MC One Shot]

It is an easy process to do. Search online and you will find all the info you require. BP people use this process a lot. Go to your local gunsmith and get a few trashed barrels and practice the process with those. Good luck and show us your results.

 

[Winchester30-30]

thanks, i talked to my gunsmith and well on the best of days hes not much help, its only a hobby to him now as he doesnt dont alot, ive been trying to google it, but i only found maybe one page on it,

 

[buoff]

I rust blue a scope mount in my garage using Radocy solution from pjsproducts.com and boiling water. There is video on Youtube you can watch on how to do it.

 

[Winchester30-30]

i think i want to go with the traditional way of bluing, with rusting then boiling then carding it off,

 

[JunktownJerky]

Look on blacksmithing forums for techniques on how to do this.

 

[Magellann]

Ive seen info on the slow rust method, I just can't remember where, it showed the box he made and all the details involved.

 

[Mauser98]

i think i want to go with the traditional way of bluing, with rusting then boiling then carding it off,

Slow rusting bluing is a relatively simple process but to be successful, attention to detail is important. It is also fairly time consuming.

In a nutshell, the process is:

1. Polishing. I usually go to 320-400 grit then give the metal a good rub down with a gray 3M scotch brite pad

2. Degreasing. Very important step. The metal must be absoluely oil free. I wash down with dish detergent then Super Clean Engine Degreaser. Wear rubber gloves for the rest of he process.

3. Apply the bluing solution.

4. Hang the parts so they'll rust. I use a damp box where I can get 90*F and 80-85% humidity for 2-3 hours.

5. Place the parts in boiling distilled water for 10-20 minutes.

6. Card the parts to remove the loose black crud that appears after boiling I use a carding wheel available from Brownells.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 until satisfied with the results. I go 4-7 cycles.

8. Oil the parts with a light oil. After a couple of day, I give the parts a good rub-down with paper towell to remove residual carding crud. Then I reapply oil and leave until I need the rifle. I believe this makes for a tougher blue.

Here's a sample using Gun Goddess solution.

 

[Yukon1911]

Slow rusting bluing is a relatively simple process but to be successful, attention to detail is important. It is also fairly time consuming.

In a nutshell, the process is:

1. Polishing. I usually go to 320-400 grit then give the metal a good rub down with a gray 3M scotch brite pad

2. Degreasing. Very important step. The metal must be absoluely oil free. I wash down with dish detergent then Super Clean Engine Degreaser. Wear rubber gloves for the rest of he process.

3. Apply the bluing solution.

4. Hang the parts so they'll rust. I use a damp box where I can get 90*F and 80-85% humidity for 2-3 hours.

5. Place the parts in boiling distilled water for 10-20 minutes.

6. Card the parts to remove the loose black crud that appears after boiling I use a carding wheel available from Brownells.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 until satisfied with the results. I go 4-7 cycles.

8. Oil the parts with a light oil. After a couple of day, I give the parts a good rub-down with paper towell to remove residual carding crud. Then I reapply oil and leave until I need the rifle. I believe this makes for a tougher blue.

Here's a sample using Gun Goddess solution.

Very Nice!

 

[Winchester30-30]

Thank you! that was very helpful!! when doing all this do you plug the barrel? also when you start to polish the stuff do you start from 120 and work your way up? all the bluing has been removed, so its down to the bare metal just not polished up

 

[tiriaq]

I have used the Radocy hot water - as opposed to cabinet - bluing. Very satisfied with the results; job is finished faster than using the box.
Metal prep is important for any bluing. All original finish is gone. Metal prep will take longer than bluing. Thorough degreasing is critical.
I prefer to plug bores. I use a threaded rod through the bore, with plugs and threaded retainers to cork it tightly.

 

[cody c]

What is meant by "carding it off"?

Do you need a container of a specific material (will aluminum work) for the heated container?

Is there release of toxic chemicals (can I heat this on the BBQ or do I need something specific)?

Where do you purchase the rust blueing solution from?

Looks good, I've been thinking about blueing a couple rifles for a while, one being a cooey trainer that wouldn't be worth the money invested if I took it to a gunsmith.

Also, can you polish the blueing after to give it a real polished glassy look?

 

[Mauser98]

Thank you! that was very helpful!! when doing all this do you plug the barrel? also when you start to polish the stuff do you start from 120 and work your way up? all the bluing has been removed, so its down to the bare metal just not polished up

I don't plug the barrel when I blue. When I degrease, I include the bore. When the barreled qction comes out of the boiling water, it dries instantly. When the metal has cooled, I run a clean patch through the barrel to remove crud. The cleaning rod has been degreased.

When I polish I start with the finest grit I think will work to smooth the metal - usually 220 grit then 320 then 400 then grey Scotch-Brite. If 220 isn't doing the job I'll drop back to 150 and if that doesn't work 80 grit. One rifle required draw filing to get the pits out.

There's no need to remove old bluing prior to polishing. The polishing takes care of it.

What is meant by "carding it off"?

Do you need a container of a specific material (will aluminum work) for the heated container?

Is there release of toxic chemicals (can I heat this on the BBQ or do I need something specific)?

Where do you purchase the rust blueing solution from?

Looks good, I've been thinking about blueing a couple rifles for a while, one being a cooey trainer that wouldn't be worth the money invested if I took it to a gunsmith.

Also, can you polish the blueing after to give it a real polished glassy look?

During the boiling process, the red rust that formed on the metal during the rusting phase is turned to black rust. Some of the black rust is formed as a loose, soot-like material on the surface of the metal and must be removed before the next application of rust solution. Carding is the term used to describe removing the loose material. Fine degreased steel wool works well. I used a fine wire wheel from Brownells that is specifically made for carding. It's mounted in my drill press and turns at about 500 rpm.


My boiling tank is stainless steel. I don't know if bare aluminum is suitable. My first tank was made from a 3' piece of aluminum rain gutter with the end caps sealed with hi-temp silicon.

The neat thing about rust bluing is that there are no caustic super-heated chemicals involved. Just boiling distilled water. I can't say if there are any toxic chemicals released.

For someone wanting to do some rust bluing, I recommend Laurel Mountain Barrel Brown and Degreaser. I find it gives excellent results and is available from Brownells for direct shipment to Canada. Currently I am using a product called Gun Goddess from the Halfmoon Rifle Shop in Columbia Falls, Montana. He won't ship to Canada.

Generally rust bluing gives a matte finish compared to the high gloss attainable with caustic bluing. But the term 'matte' is pretty subjective. Some of my jobs have turned out glossier than others. It depends on type of metal, rust time, chemical used, degree of polishing, number of rust cycles. In my experience, polishing the final finish doesn't improve the shine and may damage the bluing.

I forgot to mention in my first post that, after oiling, the last step is to apply a good quality paste wax. I use a museum grade conservators wax called Ranaissance. This prtects the blue and gives a nice sheen.

 

[Winchester30-30]

Mauser98 thank you for all the info! im most likely going to do the rust bluing process! i want to try it,

 

[SandRoad]

Degreasing can also use chlorinated brake cleaner. Cheap and effective.

If anyone is interested in various formulas of rust bluing, there is an old book that has been reprinted many times. Posted links to it in an older post.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/947820-Rust-Bluing-solution