doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rust blue

I am going to attempt to learn to rust blue (not going to make my first attempt on a Parker Invincible), but fail to see anywhere what type of tank must be used for the boiling process. I know to use distilled or deionized water, which would lead me to think that I need a stainless steel tank. But then I read that parts may be suspended on mild steel wire for boiling. Can a standard black iron tank be used for the boiling step? Appreciate any help you can give me.

You can use a regular iron tank or a stainless tank. If you need to purchase one, the stainless is more exprensive. I think American Gunsmithing Institute has a dvd you can rent or buy that goes thru the whole rust blue process. It would be good for a beginner to buy or rent, unless you have somebody to help teach you. I always find visual learning a little easier then just reading directions from a book. Do you have any idea what solution you plan on using? Pilkingtons and laurel mountain forge is good stuff, or you could mix up your own from various bluing books. Just remember its not a fast process, and shouldnt be! Take your time and let the chemicals do their magic. In the end you will have a real good lookin blue if all goes as planned.

Actually you don't need any boiling tank. What you need is big boiling teapot with boiling water. Insert two rubber plugs from muzzle side and fill up both bores with boiling water and then to water all barrels with the same boiling water all over. Red and brown rust turns to black color immediatly after that.
Before this process barrels (allready rusted) have to be clean on carding wheel to get nice brown red patina.
For the newby I'd recomend to remember these several points as God Spell:
1. Use only clean water (distilled, deionized, spring)
2. Clean barrels before rust bluing as better as possible. The barrel surface must be 100% moisten-able after cleaning (Do not use modern cleaner powders or gels).
3. Try do not touch barrel surface during bluing even in rubber gloves.
4. Do not wipe barrel surface during bluing
5. Try to apply rusting reagent to barrels by one move of your hand only for each part of barrels from chambers area to muzzle (next time vice versa).

About the best tip I could give is to start on a Parker Trojan and leave the Invincible alone for at least a while.....

Aluminum works very well as a tank. Mine is made of 1/8" sheet, bent up and welded on the ends. I do not suspend the parts on wires. I started out doing it but found that just laying them on the bottom of the tank works fine with no ill effects on the blue. My tank stand is an old aquarium stand. My burner is a single 1" iron pipe 36" long, drilled with 1/8" hole about every
5/8". The propane-air mixer is made out of pipe fittings and approximates the look and duplicates the function of a commercial mixer. I feed it from an adjustable regulator and 20# propane tank. An aluminum roof flashing skirt hanging from the tank sides prevents wind problems. Another sheet of flashing acts as a lid. The combination of skirting and lid halves the heat up time and also saves lots of gas.

OB

Geno:

What a GREAT idea. I too have been looking for a boiling tank and a way to heat a 1 metre long container. LOng tanks and gas burner assemblies are not cheap. Plus, my garage is already filled with bismuth shot experiment stuff - I need more equipment like a toothache.

If I can get the same result with a big tea kettle that is a great plus.

Do you have any other specifics regarding this technique? Is this how it is commonly done in your neck of the woods?

Regards

GKT

Greg, no other specifics. I got boiling tank made myself from zync lined steel and when I started to blue my first barrels long time ago I tried to boil barrels in water any way. But with experience and when I began to reach good colors I figured out, that boiling in tank is not necessary. 1,5-2 liters of boiling water from tea kettle is more than enough.
From the other hand I use my tank for last step of barrel cleaning, when I put barrels in aprx. 1% KOH-water solution for several minutes to be sure barrels is 100% clean.

Gentlemens:

FWIW, my high end, de luxe bluing setup use two $20 2-burner propane camp stoves from Wally World. Set up end to end they put the four burners evenly spaced along the boiling pan. It works quite well.

I have a stainless tank, which is probably ideal, but I have heard of folks successfully using a tank made from a lenght of aluminum gutter with end caps sealed with high temperature silicone sealant. Haven't tried it myself but it ought to work and wouldn't cost much to experiment with.

Merry Christmas to all!

Glenn

Good stuff Glenn, thank you and Merry Christmas right back at you and yours.

Mark

Glenn, I bluing barrels in my garage and unfortunatly in winter it's allmost impossible to get boiling water in tank on 2-burner propane camp stove. However boiling tea kettle works just fine for me.
I just finished bluing barrels for my .577 DR project and funny rusting solution I used consisted of 2 componets only (CuSO4 + HNO3), but bright black color I got was just fine