What a mistake that was. I know less than when I started. Apparently I am doing everything wrong -or maybe not. There is a lot of conflicting info out there, and even I recognize much of it to be BS.

Can somebody simply tell me what oil they apply to a garden-fresh rust blue? Does it even matter?

The internet says old (dirty?) engine oil, Tung oil, gun oil, and…it just keeps going. The unknown oil I always use ran out.

I believe Dr. Gaddy mentioned in his article on rust bluing, that he used either motor oil, or boiled linseed oil. I don't believe he specified used or new, but why use dirty. I have used both and like the boiled linseed oil better.
I heat the barrels warm to the touch and apply the linseed oil wih a cotton cloth, sparingly. In a day or so it hardens to a nice finish that lasts quite a long time.

With the oil finish, you have to heat the barrels also, it lets the oil get into the pores to seal them against the elememts and then you wipe it off. Linseed oil does the same, but doesn't have to be wiped off.

I have found that "EEZOX" works best IMO on all the newly rust blued barrels and other blued parts that I do......

I also use EEZOX on all the case colored receivers that I do, NOT clear lacquer that scratches, peels and yellows.....

I also use EEZOX on all the internal parts during re-assembly as well.....

With multiple applications the "film" that EEZOX leaves coats the metal parts to near water proof and leaves a nice fingerprint proof permanent sheen .......

Doug - those barrels have a beautiful sheen.

Do you find that the EEZOX protects the CCH from wearing thin, or do you use it for primarily for waterproofing?

One of those questions like whats the best patch lube when shooting a muzzle loading rifle.

What ever works the best for you.
All have been tried and all have given good results (in the eye of the finisher at least),, or you wouldn't see them touted as 'the best way' to do something.

The one I really can't figure is the used motor oil with all the junk chemicals and grit that's in it.
But seems someone always has to try it and wheel bearing grease and if you don't have much else,,I'd guess it'd do.

Linseed, G-96, Clezoil, Remoil, ect. I've used them all and many many more. They all work. Clezoil is the fav of the moment now for me.
More important is to make sure there's nothing left on the steel surface underneath it to cause after rust. The oil won't prevent that.

Oil away with your favorite stuff. There's no voo-doo science to it.
It won't be the last wipe down the bbl gets.
It just happens to be the first after being completely oil free during the blue process.

http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/eezox-gc.html

Doverham, here's the factory information on EEZOX for you.............I think the fact that EEZOX is a synthetic lubricant pretty much explains it's superior lubricating and rust proofing qualities...

EEZOX protects the CCH as it leaves a dried film over the steel and direct handling contact on the steel is reduced to a minimum....in my experience it does not wipe off like the petroleum based products, therefore protects surfaces much better in all temperatures and climates......

This has been my experience, other opinions here will surely differ......

I have left over Hoppe's, Clennzoil and Rem Oil since I discovered EEzox a couple years ago. Use it on all metal; inside and out.

Angier used and recommended Vaseline (petroleum jelly) applied hot to hot barrels, then a wipe down with a chamois leather.

Applied with a heat gun it should be pretty easy and effective.

Eug

I use automatic transmission fluid because it has lots of anticorrosives in it. My Black powder shooters use it, which is where I got the idea. However, after rusting,use a baking soda solution poured over the warm barrels to prevent afterrusting.

I have not been doing the final baking soda step. I assumed any unreacted acid is washed away in the boil.

No, it is not. The two of last two barrels that I did had some afterrusting after the boil and had to reoil them for days to stop it. With The last barrel that I did, i used the baking soda wash and had no afterrusting.

I thought everyone blacking/browning/blueing barrels understood that the baking soda final wash is "as important" and required as any other step in the blueing/blacking process.........done without fail if you want a quality job......useful especially in the weep holes and other hidden places....

I would have guessed that everyone understood it's importance until I saw the two posts above.......

It's neutralizing effect is more important than "whatever" oil you use for the final wipe down, that's a fact......

Thanks to all for the information. PA’s barrels look better what I have produced so far. They look better than any barrels I own!

Until I went looking on the internet I simply followed the instructions that come with the Pilkington Classic American Rust Blue. I don’t think there is any mention of a soda wash.

I will take some photos this weekend so you guys can assess my current attempt. Hopefully you will not mind looking at an 1897 Winchester. I was trying for more of a matt finish and only polished to 320.

I thought the rusting agent was almost certainly water soluble (most acids are). Next time…

Thanks again.

I am in the middle of bluing some barrels now. I`ll go with ATF
BUT I have a question, when you blokes are boiling your barrels, do you have anything in the water>> IE caustic soda or anysuch

Cheers

6878mm:

I prep barrels to 600 W-D grit as a final finish, then clean-prep with acetone.....

I use only pure rain water for boiling in the tank, with nothing added.......

Caustic blacking solution of your choice --(I pour some of the solution into a wide mouth glass jar for ease of application to the patch)-- apply two coats each pass, drying in between each coat, onto the barrels while they are warm applying with a new clean soft cotton patch each pass, boil each pass for 5-8 minutes, card with a new clean 0000 steel wool after drying each pass.....Usually 8-9 passes for a nice black finish, less passes for blue or matt finish....

Like any refinishing the preparation and attention to detail will determine the final finish quality.....

I drain and clean the tank after each set of barrels.....

I hope this helps....

Cheers,

I use pure water, either rain water or deionized

In my experience, some steels don't want to change from brown rust to black rust (Fe2O3 to Fe3O4) when boiled in pure water. Apparently there isn't enough hydronium ions present in the bath. In such cases, I add a few (2 or 3) drops of acid, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric or nitric, to the bath. It works for me.

The results. Is this what the blue should look like?

Sorry not a double. Even more sorry to make you look at the recoil pad.

Yup.....looks super Ryan, you did a great job....!.........Nice old Win 1897....

Whose rusting solution did you end up using after all....?.....I use a Dremel with a tiny 3M wheel to polish the bolt in most cases while it's apart, works good for any steel bright work that you wish to clean/polish up......

Here's a Remington .22 made in December 1911...I did it the same way......

Best,

Nice .22 PA24.

I used Pilkington classic American rust blue. 7 or 8 times. I flame blued the screws. I should polish the bolt and carrier. This was more work than a double barrel.

I wish I had a before picture. The action would not cycle due to the innards being frozen by rust. I must have filed off a few ounces of steel in removing the worst of the rust pits. It is still a heavy beast. The bore was pretty good compared to the outside. It came with a cutts compensator which I may reinstall, or maybe I will jug choke it.

I think the design is a little dangerous by modern standards…

'97 and the Remington both look great.
The '97 is probably dangerous by 'modern standards', but then,,what isn't.

Handy bbl length as is and a cyl bore will do most anything you need the gun to do.
I use a 26" cyl 1897 cut down from a 30" mod bbl that was badly bent.

They sure use a bucket full of parts to make them work!
Rust bluing something other than a set of SxS bbls is a lot more work. Lots of additional time handling all those extra parts to blue.
Many times I'll quick rust blue the small parts in one lot if I'm slow rust bluing the bbl & receiver,ect.
Goes a bit easier that way.

Some 30+ years ago I used to Acid Fume Blueing on rifles and pistols, (never on soldered shotgun barrels). All boiling of the barrels was done in deionised water. After the last coating of rust was removed, the barrels were boiled once more in a fresh tank of deionised water, the barrels were removed and quickly dried off with a clean piece of muslin and then a coating of beeswax was applied by rubbing the stick of beeswax over the hot metal, and the heat of the barrels melted it so it filled the microscopic pits left behind by the rust blueing. When cold the waxed barrels were polished off, again using very clean cloths.

I mentioned this process to a friend who is a gunsmith in California and he used this process for some time and found it very satisfactory indeed. He now used the fume blueing method and also another rust blueing formulae by A.O.Zischang (slightly modified) which can be found in Angiers book on Blueing and Browning Firearms. He still waxes the barrels after using both blueing processes. It provided a beautiful finish.

Harry