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7 members (Jem Finch, LGF, MattH, battle, Borderbill, 1 invisible),
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9 |
Oscar used to say that Brownells stuff would not nitre blue but just gave heat colors. His bath used the traditional KNO3 and a bit of aluminum sulfate. If you see colors you get with a torch you have heat blueing not nitre blue.
bill
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,862
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,862 |
Anyone have an idea on how much aluminum sulfate to add to the KNO3?
I prefer wood to plastic, leather to nylon, waxed cotton to Gore-Tex, and split bamboo to graphite.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9 |
Sorry, he said he just put a small amount in the bath. He never gave me a ratio or anything positive. It was a small percent but he just dumped.
Bill
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16 |
Bill, I believe that Oscar used Manganese Dioxide, at least that is what he told me to get. I bought the scientific grade as he told me to do and I used a VERY small amount - maybe 1/10 of a percent- probably less than that. It is simply and additional oxidizer and is probably not needed.
Doug
Doug Mann
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,851 Likes: 150
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,851 Likes: 150 |
I don't know why Oscar disliked the Brownells Nitre salts,,but he really had it in for them, or for Brownells.
I've found the salts to work just fine. You can also boost the temp to 850/875F and get a deep blue-black also, just as with Sodium or Potassium Nitrate.
Most any metalic salt can be used. It melts and is reasonably clear so you can see the part(s) in the stuff. The temp does the bluing w/o the atmosphere O2 interfering. You can use molten lead too as long as you get it to the right temp.
Manganese Dioxide is mentioned in the original Winchester write-up recipe for Nitre bluing as an added ingredient. The hand written notes are shown in Midas' book on Winchesters,,if you have a copy of that. I don't recall the %, or if it even says how much.
Others much smarter than I have said it was to lower the melting point of the concoction once mixed. I guess that'd make sense if you wanted to use it for different tempering levels and colors. I don't know.
I've just used straight Sodium Nitrate, Potasium Nitrate, even Ammonium Nitrate in the past and gotten the desired results. The Brownells salts works fine for me now.
I still use lead to draw the temper on springs.
Be careful with any of this stuff,,eye, face and cover gear a necessity. Use a sturdy set up,& keep the kids and pets away.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 455
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 455 |
Doug's got it. Just a pinch of MnO2. It acts as an oxidation initiator as I recall Oscar indicating.
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