LMF question

[buggybuilder]

In the LMF directions, they speak only of bluing and browning barrels. How do you fellows handle all of the small parts-triggers, hammers, sites and etc.
Do I need a small parts basket?
Can these parts just be placed in the bottom of the rinse tank?
Or, can I just put them all in a sock and immerse in the tank?
Lastly, must the barrel be suspended off the bottom of the tank or can it just lay on the bottom?
Thanks

 

[mazo kid]

In the LMF directions, they speak only of bluing and browning barrels. How do you fellows handle all of the small parts-triggers, hammers, sites and etc.
Do I need a small parts basket?
Can these parts just be placed in the bottom of the rinse tank?
Or, can I just put them all in a sock and immerse in the tank?
Lastly, must the barrel be suspended off the bottom of the tank or can it just lay on the bottom?
Thanks

What tank are you using? You just apply the LMF browning solution to any part and then let it rust, card, apply more, etc. I have never used LMF but I do use Birchwood Casey and just support the barrel with a wire through an underlug hole. If I can suspend other small parts I will use the same method. Sights can just be placed on a hard surface. With the B/C the parts are heated and so there is no need for a humidity chamber. To answer your barrel question...it should not be resting on any surface, IMHO.

 

[Rogue River]

Is your question about Browning with LMF or Rust Bluing or both?

 

[buggybuilder]

I will be browning 2 T/C .45's 1 T/C .50
I need to blue a Stevens 44 and a Remington rolling block in a 38-55.
Please reply.

 

[Roy]

I use pieces of wire to hold the small parts, and for bluing things like screws I use a wire basket.

 

[Goldhunter]

For small parts such as screws, I have a board drill with numerous holes. I just insert the screws into the holes, apply the LMF, and let sit in the same humid room as the barrel. Other parts (sights, trigger plate, butt plate, etc) are just placed on another board.

For rust bluing, I browned the small parts the same way, but when I got to the "scolding" portion, all the small parts went into a boiling pot of water. The barrel was done in a scolding tank.

 

[Rogue River]

When I Brown a Barrel I take a wooden dowel and mount it vertically in a vise. I then take a wooden bead and slip over the dowel for the end of the bore to set on so that it is not resting on the vise.
Take your prepared barrel and slip over the dowel. Wear rubber gloves and wipe down barrel with alcohol. I then make a small cotton pad out of an old t-shirt and saturate the pad with the LMF solution. I raise the barrel and wipe the solution around the end of the bore. Then starting at the breech end of the barrel I "lightly" (just to cover, don't scrub) wipe down to the end of the bore on each flat. When I'm done I put the pad in a plastic presciption bottle with a screw lid and save it for the next application. My shop is heated and I place a humidfier near the barrel and let it set about 12 hours checking it once in a while. You can get a humidifier at any drug store.
The small parts I use a gallon size pickle jar with a metal lid, punch holes in the lid for the wire and hang your small parts with the LMF on them from the lid on wires inside of jar with the lid on. Add 1/4 inch of water in bottom of jar and place in warm window and watch crefully as they will rust faster than the barrel in the open room. After 12 hours I will wipe the rust with a coarse rag until all the powdery rust is removed and then repeat eveything. I might repeat it 6/8 times until I get the color I like. When you get the color you like I wash the parts and barrel in the sink and while wet I rub everything with baking soda to stop the rusting (neutrilize's the LMF).I then rinse the parts and put the barrel back on the dowel, hang the small parts in the shop, heat with propane torch to warm and get dry and drench w/WD-40 and leave set for a day or two.I then wax the barrel with a paste wax and oil the small parts.

Rust Blue:
Prepare as instructed above EXCEPT STOP at the baking soda treatment. DO NOT neutrilze.

Put a pan of distilled water on stove and bring to a rolling boil and put the small parts in it and leave until water is cool.
Place barrel in scalding trough and cover with boiling distilled water and leave until cool. I then rinse parts in warm water in the sink and wipe with cotton rag as I'm rinsing. Dry with propane torch and drench w/WD40.

Scalding Trough:
I use a 48 inch piece of sch.40 PVC pipe capped at both ends and cut a 2 inch slot the length of the pipe. Lay barrel in the trough on the bottom flat. The trough is round so just the edge of the flat touches.
NOTE:
Dry bore and run some alcohol patches down the bore and oil good. Hope this helps, if you find anything confusing just holler.

 

[Rogue River]

Trough is 3 inch diameter pipe!