Rust bluing ?

[bob1961]

I’m going to rust blue my flintlock with bleach and I’m looking to find out If aluminum pot I’m planning on using will be good to use it for boiling bleach in it to rust blue my barrel and furniture for my rifle, thx.......bob

 

[Zonie]

Bleach probably won't hurt the aluminum pot but it may turn it black.
Bleach will attack the steel with a vengeance creating rough areas and often, pits on the surface. I strongly suggest that bleach should never be used to try to brown a gun. IMO, you should use a commercially available browning or bluing agent.

Here's what bleach did to my pistol in just a few seconds of time.

In this case, I wanted the pistol to look like it had been laying out in a field for months, after a battle. The bleach did a good job of it but as you can see, the browning and pitting isn't something most people would ever want to see on their guns.

 

[Alexander Efremenko]

I've bleached and boiled barrels and parts for antiquing and aging effects. No matter how much or how long, you won't get a consistent finish. It's very aggressive. Put cold blue on first ,then bleach,its really aggressive.
For a uniform finish, use LMF or other similar product

 

[dave_person]

I’m going to rust blue my flintlock with bleach and I’m looking to find out If aluminum pot I’m planning on using will be good to use it for boiling bleach in it to rust blue my barrel and furniture for my rifle, thx.......bob

Hi Bob,
Where did you get the idea to use bleach to blue a barrel? That is disastrous advice.

dave

 

[user 34300]

Boiling bleach will give off noxious fumes and eat up the pot. As stated bleach will not blue the steel. It will eat nasty pitted corrosion holes in the steel if applied to hot steel. Guys used to try to use it to try artificially age guns. It looks terrible and is easy to spot as a "bleach job".

 

[bob1961]

I’m going to use 30 wt oil after the bleach dip to give me a case colored look, I’ve talked with a guy who does this process in great detail. Forgot to put that in my post I was wanting to know bout the alum pot for the smaller stuff. I have a small piece of barrel from rice that is the same as my barrel.

 

[Ray Settanta]

Using bleach to age iron is a well known feature of Hershel House and his brothers of the Woodbury school. Boiling bleach in an aluminum pot should be ok. May discolor the pot though.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’m going to use 30 wt oil after the bleach dip to give me a case colored look, I’ve talked with a guy who does this process in great detail. Forgot to put that in my post I was wanting to know bout the alum pot for the smaller stuff. I have a small piece of barrel from rice that is the same as my barrel.

So are you looking to rust blue per thread title and OP with bleach? Or create a faux colored case hardening look with bleach? Really different goals.

I’m going to rust blue my flintlock with bleach and I’m looking to find out If aluminum pot I’m planning on using will be good to use it for boiling bleach in it to rust blue my barrel and furniture for my rifle, thx.......bob

Boiling bleach (chlorine) is not a good idea in my opinion unless you are attempting to create chlorine gas. You know, the yellowish green stuff that was used in WWI trench warfare. And for a side show, heat, aluminum and chlorine gas will get really exciting. Look up exothermic reaction.

 

[pooch156]

I’m going to rust blue my flintlock with bleach and I’m looking to find out If aluminum pot I’m planning on using will be good to use it for boiling bleach in it to rust blue my barrel and furniture for my rifle, thx.......bob

I use Dixie Gun Works browning solution. Always did a real nice job.

 

[rdane]

Use a good browning solution. After each rusting boil the parts in a steel container. Keep doing that, and the rust will turn to a beautiful deep blue. Brownels has a great rust blueing solution with instructions.

 

[olskool]

no need to use bleach, I used hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and a couple of table spoons of salt to age steel. I have did it on several metal pieces that I wanted to look old and I did it on a new built flintlock. it came out perfect! not to much and not to little. I used a spray bottle. spray in on and let it sit till the rust effect you want it at, then you can steel wool it back to get off the top layer of rust. then repeat till you have what you want, then put on some oil and you have it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[toot]

thanks for the info. on it.

 

[rickpa]

Personal opinion, I'd never use bleach. If you want to rust blue, use a quality browning solution, then boil the parts in water to change the brown to blue. I used Pilkingtons rust blue to do my latest rifle.

 

[muzzlecap]

What ratio of hydrogen peroxide to vinegar do you use?

 

[Onojutta]

Last year I used a mixture of water and bleach to clean one of my favorite carbon steel hunting knives, and the bleach resulted in major pitting and corrosion. So much that I had to grind the blade down and refinish it. I would not want that anywhere near my gun barrel. If you must use bleach, I would start with a very mild solution, maybe just a few drops of bleach per cup of water. But for all the trouble and risks, why not just spend a few bucks for a proper solution like LMF or BC?

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
When you say case colored, is this what you mean?

If you can do that with bleach and oil please share the method and photos.

dave

 

[bob1961]

I wish I had photos of the rust bluing I’m going for, it has deep rich color to it with gold, blue, Purple in it !! I think his website was Restorationfirearms.com. I’m looking now for his website !

 

[olskool]

What ratio of hydrogen peroxide to vinegar do you use?

I used one cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and about 2 teaspoons of table salt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Zonie]

IMO, bleach and a motor oil dip will not produce any sort of a "case colored look".

The case colored look is due to heat. The colors are due to the oxides that form at certain temperatures. These oxides can vary from pale yellow thru red, purple and blue. It takes temperatures ranging from 350° F to 700° to produce them.

There are methods of heating the part into the carburizing temperature zones and then oil quenching that will produce a hard finish that has these colors but these are very special processes that are not easy to do.

A person can create a false case colored look by carefully heating bare steel with a very small, very hot flame. I did this on several of the locks I installed on my guns.

 

[pooch156]

I can't imagine being around boiling bleach! The smell of room temperature bleach is horrible! No, no, no! Health hazard for sure. Please everyone, be safe!