nathanbowenarrow
36 Cal.
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Can any one share how to rust blue a rifle? Is it the same process as browning only with different solvents?
Thanks for the help
Nathan
Thanks for the help
Nathan
-
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How to rust blue
- Thread starter nathanbowenarrow
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ya might what to try to git ahold of these guys....i'm having them do my iron on my lancaster in a rust blue....barrel fer bout 100.00 bucks and butt plate, trigger guard, lock plate and lock fer bout 75.00 more..............bob
restoration firearms
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i cant believe they charged you that much bob . were they in the white when you took them in .
sorry but all you have to do is boil your rust browned parts in water and it will become black . this is called rust blueing . of course you have to do this before you start oiling up things and during the carding process when browning .
i have never tried it with comercial browning products but i do know if you use a humidifior to creat a coating of iron oxide. that oxide become Black iron oxide when boiled in water .
sorry but all you have to do is boil your rust browned parts in water and it will become black . this is called rust blueing . of course you have to do this before you start oiling up things and during the carding process when browning .
i have never tried it with comercial browning products but i do know if you use a humidifior to creat a coating of iron oxide. that oxide become Black iron oxide when boiled in water .
greytop13
36 Cal.
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Here's the process I used with great success from a previous archived thread:
"My technique can be done for about $20, if you have to buy all the
"chemicals," depending upon prices where one lives. A bottle of browning will do 2 or 3 barrels, so it gets cheaper if one goes in with a pard or two and split the costs. It generally takes 4-6 "treatments" that each take less than five (5) minutes, once every 12 hours. Depending upon the time of year and humidity inside, I have stretched the 12 to once every 24 hours with the same results.
Without building a "sweat box," this process entails using a liquid, "cold acid" browning solution but modifying the atomic reaction to produce a black rust-blue (so-called "blue" in America) instead of a rust-brown finish.
The finish is deep, durable, and long lasting as was the original.
1. There are many acid browning liquids on the market that will work. For beginners, I recommend Laurel Mountain Forge's "Barrel Brown &
Degreaser." The reason why is that a good finish is highly dependent upon degreasing the barrel. Laurel Mountain is self-degreasing, which eliminates any traces of oil or grease one may have missed!
2. The barrel needs to be stripped of its modern bluing . Birchwood Casey makes a good rust and bluing remover. Brush it on, let it set, steel wool and/or Scotch-Brite it off. It usually takes 5-6 times to fully strip the old bluing . A buffing wheel with emory grit is faster, but takes more time being sure all traces of grit residue is removed as it will interfere with the process and leave spots and streaks. Warning: steel wool tends to be oily as well.
3. The barrel needs to be removed from the stock, the nipple and muzzle plugged. I use my daughter's Play-Doh. One does not want acid to get inside the bore.
4. Wearing latex surgical gloves, or clean work gloves, wipe the barrel
down with a soft cloth and a solution such as paint thinner, paint remover, acetone, automotive carburetor degreaser, etc. When done, wipe it down with rubbing alcohol .
5. Take a 48 inch section of white 2.5" PVC "plumbing" and two end caps. Measure in about 2 inches from the end caps, and then cut a 2 inch wide section from mark to mark with a saber saw. This makes a scalding trough.
Some lads with no tools use the PVC with only one end cap. Others can use their bathtub when their wife is out shopping. A "trough" is not required, it just makes it easer.
6. Never touch the degreased barrel with your hands (fingerprints are oil- wear gloves or use a cloth or clean rag). Lay the barrel up on top of a piece of wood at either end.
7. Pour a little Laurel Mountain solution into a Dixie cup, lid, or even a small bowl (this keeps the main bottle uncontaminated.
8. Using a wool swab, or just a little folded square of lint-free cloth, apply a light coating of solution to the barrel being sure to cover uniformly and evenly.
9. Return in 12 hours. The barrel will have turned orange and yellow in
places. The places you missed will be silver still.
10. Repeat Step 8 and Step 9. (putting a little extra on where you missed.)
11. When you return, the barrel should be orangery "brownishish."
12. Boil a tea kettle or pot of water.
13. NEVER TOUCHING THE BARREL WITH BARE HANDS, put the barrel in the scalding trough, or bath tub, and pour the boiling water over it to scald it.
14. When cool enough to hold with gloves or a cloth, rub a cloth briskly over the barrel to remove build up and "rust scale."
15. Repeat Step 8, 9, 12, and 13 applying LM solution, letting it work for 12 hours, then scalding, de-scaling, and repeating Step 15.
16. The barrel should have turned black. When a deep, dark, uniform black, you are almost done. You can go back and repeat the process for spots that did not take.
17. Rub the barrel with baking soda to "kill" the acid.
18. "Paint" the barrel with oil (car oil works well) and let set overnight to soak into the pores of the steel.
19. Wipe off the oil. Clean out the semi-stiff Play-Doh.
20. Wax the barrel inside and out with beeswax/tallow.
21. Enjoy your correct "rust-blue" barrel. With a little care, it will last
longer than you. (If after many years, it does not, simply REDO it...)
Again, this is one way of many, but it works well. If it doesn't, strip it and start over... ;-)
And, if 2 or 3 pards pitch in, the "share" can drop down to about less than $8 or $10.
I am rusty (no pun intended) on the atomic/chemical process at work. If I remember high school chemistry well enough, the acid solution accelerates the oxidation (rusting) of the iron in the steel by adding an electron to the iron atom (which makes ferrous oxide, or "rust"). The scalding adds an extra electron, making ferric oxide, or "black"). Over time, the extra electron is lost to the environment, which changes the ferric to ferrous, and black to brown (brown patina). At any rate, high school chemistry teachers out there can correct that..."
Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser is available from most
muzzleloading or blackpowder shops (TOTW) and mail order businesses.
"My technique can be done for about $20, if you have to buy all the
"chemicals," depending upon prices where one lives. A bottle of browning will do 2 or 3 barrels, so it gets cheaper if one goes in with a pard or two and split the costs. It generally takes 4-6 "treatments" that each take less than five (5) minutes, once every 12 hours. Depending upon the time of year and humidity inside, I have stretched the 12 to once every 24 hours with the same results.
Without building a "sweat box," this process entails using a liquid, "cold acid" browning solution but modifying the atomic reaction to produce a black rust-blue (so-called "blue" in America) instead of a rust-brown finish.
The finish is deep, durable, and long lasting as was the original.
1. There are many acid browning liquids on the market that will work. For beginners, I recommend Laurel Mountain Forge's "Barrel Brown &
Degreaser." The reason why is that a good finish is highly dependent upon degreasing the barrel. Laurel Mountain is self-degreasing, which eliminates any traces of oil or grease one may have missed!
2. The barrel needs to be stripped of its modern bluing . Birchwood Casey makes a good rust and bluing remover. Brush it on, let it set, steel wool and/or Scotch-Brite it off. It usually takes 5-6 times to fully strip the old bluing . A buffing wheel with emory grit is faster, but takes more time being sure all traces of grit residue is removed as it will interfere with the process and leave spots and streaks. Warning: steel wool tends to be oily as well.
3. The barrel needs to be removed from the stock, the nipple and muzzle plugged. I use my daughter's Play-Doh. One does not want acid to get inside the bore.
4. Wearing latex surgical gloves, or clean work gloves, wipe the barrel
down with a soft cloth and a solution such as paint thinner, paint remover, acetone, automotive carburetor degreaser, etc. When done, wipe it down with rubbing alcohol .
5. Take a 48 inch section of white 2.5" PVC "plumbing" and two end caps. Measure in about 2 inches from the end caps, and then cut a 2 inch wide section from mark to mark with a saber saw. This makes a scalding trough.
Some lads with no tools use the PVC with only one end cap. Others can use their bathtub when their wife is out shopping. A "trough" is not required, it just makes it easer.
6. Never touch the degreased barrel with your hands (fingerprints are oil- wear gloves or use a cloth or clean rag). Lay the barrel up on top of a piece of wood at either end.
7. Pour a little Laurel Mountain solution into a Dixie cup, lid, or even a small bowl (this keeps the main bottle uncontaminated.
8. Using a wool swab, or just a little folded square of lint-free cloth, apply a light coating of solution to the barrel being sure to cover uniformly and evenly.
9. Return in 12 hours. The barrel will have turned orange and yellow in
places. The places you missed will be silver still.
10. Repeat Step 8 and Step 9. (putting a little extra on where you missed.)
11. When you return, the barrel should be orangery "brownishish."
12. Boil a tea kettle or pot of water.
13. NEVER TOUCHING THE BARREL WITH BARE HANDS, put the barrel in the scalding trough, or bath tub, and pour the boiling water over it to scald it.
14. When cool enough to hold with gloves or a cloth, rub a cloth briskly over the barrel to remove build up and "rust scale."
15. Repeat Step 8, 9, 12, and 13 applying LM solution, letting it work for 12 hours, then scalding, de-scaling, and repeating Step 15.
16. The barrel should have turned black. When a deep, dark, uniform black, you are almost done. You can go back and repeat the process for spots that did not take.
17. Rub the barrel with baking soda to "kill" the acid.
18. "Paint" the barrel with oil (car oil works well) and let set overnight to soak into the pores of the steel.
19. Wipe off the oil. Clean out the semi-stiff Play-Doh.
20. Wax the barrel inside and out with beeswax/tallow.
21. Enjoy your correct "rust-blue" barrel. With a little care, it will last
longer than you. (If after many years, it does not, simply REDO it...)
Again, this is one way of many, but it works well. If it doesn't, strip it and start over... ;-)
And, if 2 or 3 pards pitch in, the "share" can drop down to about less than $8 or $10.
I am rusty (no pun intended) on the atomic/chemical process at work. If I remember high school chemistry well enough, the acid solution accelerates the oxidation (rusting) of the iron in the steel by adding an electron to the iron atom (which makes ferrous oxide, or "rust"). The scalding adds an extra electron, making ferric oxide, or "black"). Over time, the extra electron is lost to the environment, which changes the ferric to ferrous, and black to brown (brown patina). At any rate, high school chemistry teachers out there can correct that..."
Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser is available from most
muzzleloading or blackpowder shops (TOTW) and mail order businesses.
they used to have a picture on there website that showed a T/C hawken restored so that the barrel was a golden blue gray molted blotchy color to it....thats what i want my iron to look like....i'm waiting fer an e-mail from them to see if i can git the picture of that gun if they still have it to show ya all what i'm talking bout...........bob
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