I really appreciate you taking the time to share it DG. -Something to hold your piece with, make sure it's appropriate to hold it with so it doesn't get too hot in your hands. In fact most guides no matter their material cast iron to bronze and often bearing races are installed the same way. One of the reasons I hand-polish up to 600 and buff only above that is that when you see one of my barrels (by holding it up to a light source, and sighting down the barrel from the muzzle at your eye to the breech out at arms length), you see no dips, waves, ripples, etc. "@type": "ImageObject", The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. Thank you so much for sharing such a great article. But the article was very informative. Its easy enough to color metal with a torch, but it has always been a hit-or-miss process for me, and when it was a big hit, I was rarely able to re-create how it got that way. You can blue heat-treated parts with no ill effects. The head is fixtured and and an arm holding the valve seat moves the the proper location. WebStep 1: Preparing Your Materials You will need: -2x containers (one of them preferably being metal for the oil) -oil -unleaded petrol/Acetone/Terpentine/Rubbing alcohol or any good Just let any residual matter evaporate/dry. The mixed fumes of the acids produce a uniform rust on the surface of the parts (inside and out) in about 12 hours. High temperatures and dangerous chemicals mean that a moment of carelessness can make you pay a heavy price. Let them cool down as you take a closer look at the bluing effect. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 13 in 1 Metal Shell Welding Torch Nozzle Tip Cleaner For Welder Soldering at the best online prices at eBay! To harden steel, start by heating the metal directly with a blow torch until it turns a cherry red color. I wouldnt use this bluing method for these items. "@type": "Organization", "datePublished": "2022-03-27", You might be able to start at 320 grit. Even with safety glasses and a full-face shield, a rubber apron, rubber boots, etc it is possible to get salts into your eyes and all over the rest of you. Last Updated: May 13, 2022 If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. Drift the sights back in from the right side of the barrel. A Garden Gun Cultivates a Newfound Fascination, AZ Judge Dan Slayton Refuses to Reduce $2m Bail in Flagstaff Campus Self Defense Case, State Judge Issues Order Blocking Enforcement of Illinois Firearms Ban Act Statewide, Protecting and Serving: Springfield, IL Police Seized Homeowners Gun After Investigating Her Report of a Prowler UPDATED, Chicagos Failed Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses in Reelection EffortBadly, http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-HG-66420_0__?productId=4764059, http://cdn.spectrumbrands.com/~/media/Spectracide/Files/MSDS/SpectracideStumpRemoverGranulesSDSApr15.ashx. The differential cooling causes patterns of colors to appear as well as hardening the part. Bluing involves an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface selectively forming magnetite (Fe3O4), the black oxide of iron. They melt at, oh, somewhere about 280F. The ideal setup is a pair of long sleeve gloves along with splash goggles and a face mask. How to Harden Steel: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Spilling salts at this temperature will instantly result in fire, because the KNO3 is a powerful oxidizer all on its own, and the added thermal energy will light anything on fire all alone. 4.3 out of 5 stars 242 ratings-30% $12.99 $ 12. Depending on the manufacturers manual, youll have to prepare roughly 6 to 8 tanks to perform the bluing effectively and efficiently. In the automotive world this is a common practice. Pull it out of the tank and place on a drain rack. How do I do this? 2 years ago Once it's cooled down, take the object out of the oil and place it on a piece of paper/cloth and let it set for about 20 minutes. "width": "1500", I rarely use them. I can see my wife walking in and shaking her headabout as vigorously as when I asked if I could use the dishwasher to clean some tools. Ive gotten hot blue salts on me splashed into my hair. Then you sight down the barrel and you see dips and waves in the barrel profile. Its much cheaper anyways. It does provide good rust resistance, which is improved with oil. Use a backing block of wood or even a Pink Pearl rubber eraser. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Answer The only way to do that is to heat it until the metal de-magnetises, quench it again, and then temper to the desired hardness. I'm a professional knifemaker and use many very high-temp methods including quenching 1,600F steel in pre-heated oil - I know what I'm talking about, 'cause I still have 10 fingers and my eyesight. Degrease a pad of 0000 steel wool with acetone. steel I can keep a Krylon can always handy for touch-ups. Heat the Steel. Hopefully these concepts suggest caution and diligence for what you are doing. Then, use a pair of tongs to carry the steel to a container filled with water or vegetable, and submerge the hot metal in the liquid. "Cold" bluing is generally a selenium dioxide based compound that colours steel black, or more often a very dark grey. 1. polish it very well 2. clean very well 3. quick dip in dilute FeCl (4:1) is what I use 4. rinse in cold running water and pat Youll want to clamp on the barrel directly under the sight youre about to drift out. Most waters in the Rockies clear out to the west coast will have high(er) dissolved solids in them. Buffing wheels have their purpose, but they take real skill to use without making a mess of guns, starting with the selection of the wheel (theres, oh, at least six types of buffing wheel), choice of type of compound, choice of grit of compound, choice of wheel speed (many buffers have only one speed, and there are some jobs where you really want a 3-phase motor on your buffer with a VFD to adjust the speed down from 1800 or 3600 RPM) and so on. this produces better, less turbulant gas flow, which will reduce heat traces. We strongly advise that you only push through with this process if you are absolutely confident that you are able to perform the necessary precautions. Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. Larger flames produce less heat while smaller flames produce a higher heat. It's worth noting that there can be some additives in motor oil that release hydrocarbons when burnt which is a known carcinogens to the body (in other words: Bad Stuff!). Cold blues will NaOH is nasty stuff. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire. Youll need some shop rolls, ranging from 180 to 400 grit (typical 4-packs are 180, 240, 320 and 400 grit, in 1, 1.5 or 2. highfour, case hardening is a bit different from what you describe.. Usually, the steel needs some time in a medium that will allow carbon to penetrate the surface, and we are talking 15 minutes to several hours. Nowadays, even mild steel does have a certain amount of carbon in the alloy, which can explain your observations, if you google "super quench," you should find a waterbased quench that is rumoured to do the same, but in my humble opinion, water can do just that as well. Ok you gotta help me out herewhen I was studying mechanical engineering a good few years back a project I done involved using a compression fit of 1/4" thick plate steel into 1" thick steel rod, both mild steel. Could I use stainless steel earrings that I have got? "@type": "ImageObject", on Step 1. Dont want to get any of the liquid on you its 700F. Please note: As you are working with heat, please be smart, use your common sense, do the bluing process in a well ventilated area and keep a wet towel to hand. Referring to the post that started all of this; Dyspeptic Gunsmith says: There wasnt a whole lot of pain just yet until my buddy took the safety bottle of vinegar solution used to neutralize the alkaline NaOH salts, and then the pain was there. It is not nice stuff. Bluing may be applied by immersing steel parts in a solution of potassium nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and water heated to the boiling point, 275310F (135154C) depending on the recipe. Bluing is also used in seasoning cast-iron cookware, to render it relatively rust-proof and non-stick. Hi SteelJunkee Method is as follows: Fit rod into drill and set at constant speed Clean rods with acetone on clean rag Use butane and propane mix blow torch to achieve colour range Quench in water Dry The weird thing is that they look great for around 4-5 days then deteriorate. That doesnt happen easily or by accident. "https://www.reddit.com/user/theshootingmystery" How to Blue (Bluing) Steel Using Oven Or Torch and Oil Method OOMAN 2.28K subscribers Subscribe 872 112K views 4 years ago My apologies for the background "height": "800", Whats the difference between Brown Express and Blue Express? Hot bluing should never be attempted on aluminium, as it reacts it usually dissolves in the caustic salt bath. No. WHERE or when would the torch get used? Keep a fire extinguisher near your workstation in case of a fire. Dont mess with hot salts. Often it does provide an adequate cosmetic touch-up of a gun's finish when applied and additionally oiled on a regular basis. You can reassemble the gun after. Make sure the piece is chemically clean, sandblasting followed by power wire brushing is good then stop heating when you hit purple because the heat will travel. Thanks a lot for sharing. Sorry for the misunderstanding. You have to apply the bluing fluid. YouTube - Nitre bluing a few gun parts. Fume bluing is another process similar to rust bluing. Hardening will cause it to be more brittle, which could cause the hammer to chip and cause injury. I like 1.5 wide shop cloth myself). Use ice cubes. journeyman. That would be a hot salt blueing mix. Picture Information. You need to constantly be adding in a bit of water to bring the boiling point back down into the range you need. Excessive buffing on stainless steel could result in a grainy appearance so do it with care. New guns are typically available in blued finish options offered as the least-expensive finish, and this finish is also the least effective at providing rust resistance, relative to other finishes such as Parkerizing or hard chrome plating or nitriding processes like Tenifer. This will keep the bluing from adhering to the sharpened edge. . In literally 10 seconds on a buffing wheel incorrectly applied, I could screw that up to a point where it might take be eight+ hours of hand polishing to recover my prior results. 3.3k. You want 0000 steel wool for carding between coats. For more information on using a blowtorch and protecting the steel, scroll down! Mea maxima culpa - and I left my comment up rather than delete the thread (for now) just so I could reply and admit the My Dumb, rather than skulk away cleanly >;-), Question Then the crucibles would be removed from the furnace and placed over boiling hot water and air would be bubbled through the water and the parts would be dropped into the water.