I water rust blue, with mostly good results. I like art’s Belgium blue. Here is my question....
I have read your shouldn’t polish to to fine a grit for best results, say 180 grit, yet the nicest jobs I have ever done were much higher grit....
What do others do? I would appreciate the input.

Ps my last set did not come out very well,so I am going to redo

Jerry

Jerry,
I like to finish with worn 320 grit. Polished much finer, some hardened parts might not let the solution I use "bite".
Mike

I usually go to 400 as that makes a true 320

so how does 400 = 320 ?

By taking al the scratches from the 320 out with the 400 you have a cleaned up 320. Just going by what I was told by a Guild member who makes custom rifles.

The higher the polish the better the finish .
BUT .
Old barrels with many rust spots and surface unevenness's may look better cleaned up to a bright coin finish so a slightly subdued black will cover a multitude of faults .
Backs vary form a deep heavy black to a light translucent for which do need a higher polish .So which are you going to use ?

All depends on your personal choice as to whether you want the finish to look like black chrome or a deeper lustrous finish .
Personally I like barrels to have a sheen rather than a shine but that my choice . .

So how many of you use water blue methods. I remember Tony Threadwell liked Mark’s waterblue for his restorations

A fellow I know polishes up to a bright 320 and then takes a mild Scotchbrite pad to it to matte the finish back down. I'll have to ask if a subdued black is his objective, like you describe.

Slow rust blue is rust, it leaves microscopic pits. This is what gives it it's wear resistance , and why I finish with worn 320( by hand-no wheels). High polish on hard parts( bolt shroud, 45 Slide, etc) may cause the solution to fail to "bite". I don't know about other solutions or methods.
Mike

Treadwell, no "h"

All my best, SRH

If by Water Blue you mean Express Rust Blue,,yes I use it some times. Sometimes I use Slow Rust Blue . Depends on the job and what I'm looking for as a result.
Mark Lee's formula works well and has for years for me.
Express Blue allows a very high polish to remain while bluing as the application doesn't allow for the soln to pit the surface,,unless you get it too hot of course.

Most full re-blu of a set of bbl's or parts from a fresh new polish get a slow rust blue. Laurel Mtn rust brown soln.
I polish to a 220,, don't allow very much rusting in each cycle (no need for a heavy rust coating to get a layer of color). You only encourage the matting and pitting effect of the rusting process by prolonging the slow rusting.

When the parts just start to show a hint of rust color on the surface, they are ready for the boiling water tank.
I might even have to lightly drag my fingers down the hanging bbl to feel the roughness as I can hardly see the color,,it's that faint. It's all that is necessary to make a cycle/layer of blue color.
Yes you can lightly touch/drag the parts like that w/your finger(s) to feel the surface if your hands are dry enough..no picking them up and examining them though. That'll leave marks on the surface.

With the rusting so light on the surface, the water in the tank stays clean longer thru boiling cycles.

With that and couple other techniques I get a nice sheen as an end result.
Not having to go to 280, 320 or then 400 is a blessing to my arms and lungs. They're in bad enough shape!.