Rust Bluing carding?

[Swamp Rat]

After Boiling the parts how far back are you suppose to Card? Should it be all the way back to just about bare metal with a tint or should I be trying to keep some of that black? :idunno:

 

[Black Hand]

Isn't the black color the point?

I'd card the loose scale then oil. At least, this is what I've done with rust browning (which is rust bluing without the boiling).

The black color is your "bluing"...

 

[jamieorr]

After Boiling the parts how far back are you suppose to Card? Should it be all the way back to just about bare metal with a tint or should I be trying to keep some of that black? :idunno:

Swamp Rat, click "back" then scroll up to the second topic in this forum, it will give you your answer. The title is LMF Browning Instructions but it also covers bluing.

BTW, I like the questions you're asking on the forum - I'm picking up a lot, just following along!

Jamie

 

[Swamp Rat]

You would be surprised how many times I went past that and not noticed it. It did answer my question. Thanks. I'm doing small parts right now trying to make get better feel for the process and notice reading that I'm doing a few things wrong but my result are not to bad just yet. Looks like I was taking to much off, Putting to much solution on and should have changed the water for subsequent boilings. :v

 

[M. De Land]

I do some rust bluing and browning several times a year and have found the .003 diameter carding wire wheel from Brownell's along with their hand brush of the same wire diameter to be without peer. It allows one to blend the oxidation evenly before the next application far easier and more thoroughly than can be done with a rough cloth.
I have one just about wore out and a new one in the box ready to go. I wouldn't think of doing a Niedner rust blue or LMF browning job without either of them.

 

[Swamp Rat]

I hear ya M.D., I was doing it yesterday and looking at it going....something's not right. I was using a light wire brass brush and it was still to strong. When I got home I thru the parts back in some clean boiling water for 15mins then carded with pillow tickling with shoe shine motion and that looked a lot better, still after the third rusting they looked more like old cannons barrels. Got a couple of hour wait now for the forth rust.

 

[M. De Land]

I wouldn't use a brass brush as it will wipe off on your blue job partially plating it just as it will in a barrel from jacket bullet fouling which is partially brass.
My guess is you will need to strip the contaminated blue and start over keeping the brass brush far away from your work.

 

[frogwalking]

I use Brownells hand brush for carding. I card back to slick metal every time depending on the humidity. Usually 5 or 6 times, once or twice a day. I also card before boiling, but that is just me. If you let the rusting go too long, you will get a rough finish. some folks like that. I don't. Here is a fowler I rust blued as described above.



--and a Tennessee rifle done the same way.

 

[Metalshaper]

guess I'm doing it wrong? :wink:

Fish the part out of the tank..and wearing heat resistant rubber gloves, use a piece of old denim or worn sock and card the fluffiness off the barrel??

put the barrel back into the water for a few.. fish, card, and oil it as fast as I can get the HR gloves off and grab the oil rags..

Works for me! :idunno:

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan