Carding in the Rust Bluing

[ike]

Could someone please explain what carding means.

 

[Packdog]

Ike,
Carding is when you wipe the rust off a part that is being rust browned. There are many different ways. For the sake of this lets talk about a barrel but it could be any part. Let the barrel rust and then you wipe or card the loose rust off and repeat the process. Some use denium cloth, fine wire wheels, burlap, steel wool(careful some has oil in it that will stop the rusting process)and or 3M green scrub pads. I have heard guys soak the material in denatured alcohol to remove any oil also. I'm sure other will chime in with various different methods.
Hope that helps.
Ken

 

[pulaski]

Ike , packdog kind of put that one right in the middle of the bullseye.
"Carde" is from the French and originally was a wire brush for raising the nap on cloth.
Take a wire brush (fine) to a rust blued barrel and you are "carding" the barrel .
Just my two cents.

 

[George Holton]

:applause: Very good ,both of you. Bob

 

[ricklandes]

I like to use fine wired wheels about .03 to .05 wire diameter for the samller parts. And with the 0000 steel wool I degrease it with lacquer thinner a couple of times. This works well for the larger part areas.I also like to use nitrile gloves when working with rust bluing.

A final note about the rust bluing...do not get to discouraged when (not if) the darkness varies with the first few coats...it will blend and homogenize as you add more coats.

Many sources will specifiy boiling in distilled water. I used water from a local artisian well. It has a high amount of lime/minerals that I feel adds to a faster/harded rust blue finish. I do not recommend you try it until tested, if this water is available in your area on a good part,on a piece of scrap