Rust bluing with LMF barrel brown help

[Kilted Cowboy]

I read the instructions and have a few questions to anyone who has used it.
I plan on boiling to change brown to blue. Says you must boil after each application. Was wondering if anyone has just boiled after final application?
Also having trouble finding a vessel to submerge barrel. Was thinking of using a portion of rain gutter but can’t find one.
Would putting to barrel in a PVC tube and filling up with boiling water give the same results?
Also how much time do you have to boil barrel after the application
Thanks y’all

 

[leverfred]

I boiled on final application and then used a piece of round duct, cut in half and put end caps on and sealed. I done a 42" barrel that way and came out just fine.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

I boiled on final application and then used a piece of round duct, cut in half and put end caps on and sealed. I done a 42" barrel that way and came out just fine.

But how did you boil in a plastic duct? Did you just add the boiling water to the duct? I can’t see putting the duct on a burner.
Thanks

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

But how did you boil in a plastic duct? Did you just add the boiling water to the duct? I can’t see putting the duct on a burner.
Thanks

If it was a metal round duct, where do you find them

 

[Zonie]

I haven't seen any smaller round metal ducts around but I have seen steel rain gutters at the local Home Depot.

Buying one of these gutters and a couple of end caps and a tube of silicone rubber RTV and you can cut the gutter down to the length needed. Then put the end caps on using the silicone rubber to seal them. Regular silicone rubber rtv can easily take temperatures over 212°F but if your worried, the red silicone rubber made for high temperature applications is good to over 400°F.
Give it time for the rubber to cure and it should do the job.

You probably should give the gutter and caps a through de-oiling before you boil any water in it. Often the galvanized metal will have a light coating of oil on it to protect it. If this oil is left in place it will contaminate the brown rust and keep it from turning from brown to black.

For what it's worth, I have applied multiple coats of the browning solution and only did the boiling thing after I was happy with the browning. I did not boil the parts between coats.

Also, it's a good idea to use distilled water to boil the parts in. The minerals in tap water can hinder the blackening process.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

I haven't seen any smaller round metal ducts around but I have seen steel rain gutters at the local Home Depot.

Buying one of these gutters and a couple of end caps and a tube of silicone rubber RTV and you can cut the gutter down to the length needed. Then put the end caps on using the silicone rubber to seal them. Regular silicone rubber rtv can easily take temperatures over 212°F but if your worried, the red silicone rubber made for high temperature applications is good to over 400°F.
Give it time for the rubber to cure and it should do the job.

You probably should give the gutter and caps a through de-oiling before you boil any water in it. Often the galvanized metal will have a light coating of oil on it to protect it. If this oil is left in place it will contaminate the brown rust and keep it from turning from brown to black.

For what it's worth, I have applied multiple coats of the browning solution and only did the boiling thing after I was happy with the browning. I did not boil the parts between coats.

Also, it's a good idea to use distilled water to boil the parts in. The minerals in tap water can hinder the blackening process.

Thanks Zonie,
Did not find any gutters at my local Home Depot.
Do you think that using a 3” PVC tube, plugging one end and suspending the barrel in the tube and filling with boiling water would give decent results?

 

[SDSmlf]

I have been pouring boiling distilled water over what I am rust bluing for years. Have found no need to actually bring water to a boil with object being blue in it. Use a piece of PVC drain pipe that is cut in half and capped, and simply cover the whatever is being blued with boiling water. Always make sure I have enough boiling whiter on hand to cover object as quickly as possible. PVC is 4” diameter by about 44” long. Photographs are not of the latest version, but it works.

Modifications to the latest design (which is out on loan and I have no photographs of it) include

• Drain valve in one of the end caps. Makes it simple to get the water out.
• The sectioning cut in the pipe does not go all the way to the ends. Tough to get a good glue seal on less that a full diameter of pipe.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

I have been pouring boiling distilled water over what I am rust bluing for years. Have found no need to actually bring water to a boil with object being blue in it. Use a piece of PVC drain pipe that is cut in half and capped, and simply cover the whatever is being blued with boiling water. Always make sure I have enough boiling whiter on hand to cover object as quickly as possible. PVC is 4” diameter by about 44” long. Photographs are not of the latest version, but it works.

Modifications to the latest design (which is out on loan and I have no photographs of it) include

• Drain valve in one of the end caps. Makes it simple to get the water out.
• The sectioning cut in the pipe does not go all the way to the ends. Tough to get a good glue seal on less that a full diameter of pipe.

View attachment 9260

View attachment 9261

Thanks SD that’s what I was looking at to make.
I was going to try to make it simpler by just capping one end of pipe and inserting the barrel with the wood muzzle plug on the bottom to suspend the barrel from the bottom and using a wire in the tang bolt hole to put in and pull out. Do you think that would work also

 

[SDSmlf]

Thanks SD that’s what I was looking at to make.
I was going to try to make it simpler by just capping one end of pipe and inserting the barrel with the wood muzzle plug on the bottom to suspend the barrel from the bottom and using a wire in the tang bolt hole to put in and pull out. Do you think that would work also

Should work, but I prefer seeing what is happening and that is the reason for the horizontal setup. I can pour the boiling water directly on the barrel from end to end as I fill up my PVC trough. Not that difficult to cut a piece of PVC and add a second cap. Also, I don’t plug the barrel. I coat the bore with lacquer before I start. Washes out easily with lacquer thinner and browning solution doesn’t seem to touch it.

 

[Badgerfarm]

What brand of browning solution are you guys using and where do you get it?

 

[leverfred]

If it was a metal round duct, where do you find them

I own an HVAC company but you can buy 4" duct at home depot or lowes. I just poured boiling distilled water over top.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

What brand of browning solution are you guys using and where do you get it?

I am going to use Laurel Mountain Forge barrel brown. Have never used before but folks on the forum say they got good results. I like the fact that it has a degreaser mixed in so less worries there

 

[Zonie]

If you use the Laurel Mountain Forge browning solution just remember. Put on one thin coat and try not to overlap the still wet coat you just applied.

Yes, this might leave a narrow streak that doesn't get wetted but after letting the coat develop its rust and wiping off any loose rust that might form, you will get it covered in the next coat of solution.

If you do get some newly applied solution on the area you just coated, look to see if any sort of copper appeared. If it did, you will need to sand it off and recoat the area because that copper plating that formed will keep the area from rusting and forming the browning you want.

Also, don't forget, this stuff works with humidity to form the brown rust. If the air is too dry in the area around the barrel, it won't do much of anything. (A good steamy bathroom after the shower has been run with hot water seems to work well.)

 

[kansas_volunteer]

One gunsmithing book I have suggests using drive shafts for tanks. Just cut a portion out of the side to turn it into a tank. I'd cut maybe one-third out leaving enough tank intact to actually get the thing half full with out any overflow. The U joints might need welding to get a waterproof seal. A burner can be improvised.

 

[fishmusic]

I am going to use Laurel Mountain Forge barrel brown. Have never used before but folks on the forum say they got good results. I like the fact that it has a degreaser mixed in so less worries there

Go ahead and degrease the barrel anyway. I have used acetone as a degreaser.

Use pure cotton to swab or some other natural fiber fabric when swabbing the LFM solution. I used an old t-shirt my first time and had to do it over because the solution dissolved the plastic fibers.

 

[Sidney Smith]

What brand of browning solution are you guys using and where do you get it?

I've had better luck using Birchwood Casey's plum brown than I have using Laurel Mountain forge. Plum Brown is a hot brown so you have to heat up the metal with a torch until the solution will sizzle off it, then wipe on with a rag or sponge soaked in it. LMF is a cold brown but requires humidity to do its job, thus it takes longer. IMO Plum Brown is easier to use and produces a nicer finish. But it stinks to high heaven so it must be done outside, like in a garage with the door open etc. I will be using the plum brown on my current project when the time comes.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

Just finished, came out nice for first time. Black and even color.
Did 10 coats carded but did not boil between coats. dropped into a pvc pipe filled with boiling water for about 20 minutes.
Thanks for all the advice, I am happy with the results.
Will post photos as soon as I can figure out how