doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com So now that we are talking about rust bluing again

Would someone tell me what is wrong with Art's belgium blue. I asked this a week or so ago ad no one answered.

I have had good luck with it. Is is that it is not "traditional rust bluing"?

Has anyone tried to finish damascus barrels with it?

I really would like the input of the forum members...I know so little... compare to most. (Okay that may be a little thick!)

Thanks for your input

Jerry

Jerry;
I am not familar with Art's Belgium blue, but i think it is a re-iteration of the old Herter's Belgium Blue. My first bluing experience was with this blue many years ago. It was a very good blue giving good results & I used it for some time. This is considered as a "Hot" or "Express" rust blue. I never blued on a large scale & after trying the cold rust method much preferred the pace to that of the express type so never went back to it.
The only thing I am aware of as to what's "Wrong" with it is that it does contain a Mercuric compound which is "HIGHLY TOXIC", although very efficent as a rust producer.

I have posted this before, I cannot comment on your formula as I know nothing about that one but I would avoid anything with mercuric, my grandfather blacked barrels from the age of twelve and suffered with deppression and they traced it back to this chemical and he stopped using it.

For sentimental reasons, I blued from a common off-the-shelf bottle whose maker
I can't remember a .22 Mossberg 46B more than 50 years ago. It developed such a deep rust I wondered if I had applied too much of the solution. The result was better than extraordinary; it was perfectly extraordinary in lustre and durability, and the rifle is used hard on our Atlantic coast.