Laurel Mountain Forge Browning solution for blueing

[Col. Batguano]

I have an older original that I'm doing a conservation / restoration job on. The barrel was originally rust blued. There is maybe 30% of it left. I don't want to bring it back to the point it was when it was new (there is some pitting in there), just to the point that it's plausible. So here's the question; Can I use the LMF browning solution I have laying around from my last build for blueing (shorter rusting period before carding)? Or, will that give me a more black color. If that's the case, then I should just go to Brownell's and buy a small bottle of rust blue solution.

 

[wiscoaster]

If you want to use LMF you should completely deblue the barrel first. Rust bluing and rust browning aren't the same. It sounds to me like what you want to do is rust bluing. I've used the Birchwood Casey products to "patch" and "touch up" blued metal finishes, but unless you start with bare metal, it still won't really end up being the same. All depends on how much effort you want to put into it and what you want the end result to be.

 

[54ball]

I have an older original that I'm doing a conservation / restoration job on. The barrel was originally rust blued. There is maybe 30% of it left. I don't want to bring it back to the point it was when it was new (there is some pitting in there), just to the point that it's plausible. So here's the question; Can I use the LMF browning solution I have laying around from my last build for blueing (shorter rusting period before carding)? Or, will that give me a more black color. If that's the case, then I should just go to Brownell's and buy a small bottle of rust blue solution.

You are boiling correct?
The cold browning solutions will rust blue but it has to be converted.
Apply, boil card apply boil card.....
Maybe you could change that up as you get close....
Apply, boil, card, boil.....

Sometimes colors my vary from blue to black to a very dark brown.

I think a lot has to do with boil time.

I have used Arts Belgian Blue.
That stuff is good and it’s a rust blue but you apply and boil and card. It’s really quick acting. You may can tweak it with something like that.
Midway has it, but it’s pricey.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I was planning on;
degrease, boil, card, apply, heat, steam, card, apply, heat, steam, card (repeating until the right color is attained) relying mostly on steaming rather than boiling after the first iteration which is mostly to activate the rust that's under a coat of oil now (patina).

Does it need to be neutralized the way ML'er browning does when you're all done?

 

[deerstalkert]

if you get the blue/black after steaming you can knock it back with scotch brite to a more grayed finish.
i have used the LMF almost exclusively for browning. depending on the depth of brown i want i usually do 6-8 applications.
Only once have i ended up with black with slight blue tint. that time i got in a hurry with the rifle and fired it while still browning.
when i cleaned the bore i used my trusty little steam cleaner. got distracted by some Blonde woman that has been hanging around for 55 years, asking me to get firewood.
anyway i left the steam tube in the bore long enough to get the entire barrel HOT!
the browning turned a black that Colt would have envied. I didn't want a black barrel with all the other metal a rich brown. went after the barrel with a green scotchbrite soaked in motor oil. was going to rub it out completely but found a stage in the process where the finish was a antique looking gray. left it and rubbed out the other furniture to get closer to the aged patina. a customer took one look and started hounding me to sell it to him.
money is gone, rifle is gone, friend is gone. am replicating it right now with another build.
and yes the acid should be neutralized. after killing the action of the solution i heat the barrel to just too hot to hold and coat with motor oil and leave it for 24-36 hours. seems to fix the finish. without the oiling i can mark the browned finishes with my thumb nail. after the Valvoline bath my nail just slips off the surface almost like ceracoate.
sorry for the long winded reply.

 

[54ball]

I was planning on;
degrease, boil, card, apply, heat, steam, card, apply, heat, steam, card (repeating until the right color is attained) relying mostly on steaming rather than boiling after the first iteration which is mostly to activate the rust that's under a coat of oil now (patina).

Does it need to be neutralized the way ML'er browning does when you're all done?

Copious amounts of water is one of the first actions to quickly neutralize acids or bases in an emergency situation.
Think eyewash station.....
Since it’s being boiled that may be enough.

I do not remember neutralizing the parts I rust blued with the Belgian Blue. As a matter of fact I did not.
I just oiled them when I was done.

It probably would not hurt. Dry Baking soda and a clean rag is what I would do if I did.

One of the methods of charcoal bluing was to wipe down the barrels with lime powder laden rags.

 

[Col. Batguano]

My normal method of neutralizing browning is ordinary household ammonia, and the garden hose (or the shower if it's winter time), and scrubbing during the process. Maybe a baking soda paste too, (with lots of scrubbing during the process). Usually 2-3-4 times.

 

[Dale Thacker]

if you get the blue/black after steaming you can knock it back with scotch brite to a more grayed finish.
i have used the LMF almost exclusively for browning. depending on the depth of brown i want i usually do 6-8 applications.
Only once have i ended up with black with slight blue tint. that time i got in a hurry with the rifle and fired it while still browning.
when i cleaned the bore i used my trusty little steam cleaner. got distracted by some Blonde woman that has been hanging around for 55 years, asking me to get firewood.
anyway i left the steam tube in the bore long enough to get the entire barrel HOT!
the browning turned a black that Colt would have envied. I didn't want a black barrel with all the other metal a rich brown. went after the barrel with a green scotchbrite soaked in motor oil. was going to rub it out completely but found a stage in the process where the finish was a antique looking gray. left it and rubbed out the other furniture to get closer to the aged patina. a customer took one look and started hounding me to sell it to him.
money is gone, rifle is gone, friend is gone. am replicating it right now with another build.
and yes the acid should be neutralized. after killing the action of the solution i heat the barrel to just too hot to hold and coat with motor oil and leave it for 24-36 hours. seems to fix the finish. without the oiling i can mark the browned finishes with my thumb nail. after the Valvoline bath my nail just slips off the surface almost like ceracoate.
sorry for the long winded reply.

This sounds like the route I want to take I would love a deep blue. Have a few questions I'm sure the Stam tube is a tube that flows steam into the barrel to heat. Do I purchase this or is it something I can make. Also when speaking of carding the barrel I have no idea what this is. Any help to get me the perfect deep blue barrel would be awesome. Thanks

 

[deerstalkert]

This sounds like the route I want to take I would love a deep blue. Have a few questions I'm sure the Stam tube is a tube that flows steam into the barrel to heat. Do I purchase this or is it something I can make. Also when speaking of carding the barrel I have no idea what this is. Any help to get me the perfect deep blue barrel would be awesome. Thanks

Dale, i bought a wallpaper steamer at a yard sale.
but one can just heat the browned barrel past the temp you can touch it and get the black/blue result. just play with it. i have settled on browning every thing i do, and have access to a hot tank if i did want blue.
i must qualify the browning though. i have become enamored with heat bluing small parts lately but that will probably pass when i grow up. wife says never happen.