doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com question about express or hot rust bluing.

I want to try hot rust bluing,I have never done this and have some questions from those that have.first is do i use the same solution that i use to cold rust blue.
I am going to heat my parts by boiling them.what temp do they have to be or do i just bring the parts to a rolling boil.
after i heat the part i blow it off with air and then wipe down.is this right.
once i wipe down don't i place it in my boiling tank(two different tanks from my heating tank).boil it for how long.and then card as normal.right?

I suggest you log onto the Brownells web site and download their instruction booklet for their Dicropan IM product. It is what is termed an "Express" type of rust blue, and the procedure is much what you describe. I have used it for 8 to 10 years with great success and really like it. You would be quite surprised at the number of newly manufactured guns coming in from Europe now that use an Express rust blue. It gives a deep black finish which you can vary by your prep method just as in any rust blue method. My "go to" upland gun is a 1933 Merkel side by side 16 gauge that I finished with Dicropan perhaps 7 years ago now, and it gets a lot of use. The finish has held up very well, and I continue to use it when I refinish other shotguns. At any rate, get their free booklet, it'll answer your questions.

Just leave the parts in the boiling water for a few minutes till they are as hot as the water. Most 'cold rust solutions' don't work well as a 'hot rust solution'. Get one specificly designed for the task. When you figure the part(s) are as hot as they're going to get (doesn't take long really), take one at a time out, shake the excess water off, the rest should immediately evaporate if the part is hot enough. Compressed air helps to get water out of holes and crevices though I've never felt the need to use it. Make sure if you do you use an oil-less air compressor or one with a good clean oil trap filter on it for obvious reasons. With the water off, quickly and evenly apply the solution to the metal. Avoid any runs as they will creep around and out of site on you and dry that way and cause a streak in the finish that's near impossible to remove with additional coats. Thin, even, quick with as little overlap as possible. It should dry of the metals heat and then rust immediately (quick rust solution). Right then, put it back into the same tank of boiling water and grab the next part to do (if there is one). The brown rust on the part will change over the blue/black in a matter of moments but I leave it in the water for at least 10-15 minutes. Out again, shake it dry and now card it. Once carded it will probably be too cool to accept the next coating of solution (unless it's a rifle bbl or other heavy part and you work fast!) so back into the same tank of boiling water once again to heat up, then out,,shake it dry and apply coating #2. Once again even, quickly and thin. Don't scrub at an area as it will only thin out the previous coatings. You can use a piece of cloth pad, a small brush, or even clean 0000 steel wool to apply the solution. I use the steel wool usually for the first couple of coats then either a brush or small piece of cotton cloth pad. It doesn't have to be very big. Use a new pad for each new coat. If you see a streak or water spot appear and you're well into what otherwise is a nice job, I've found you can scrub that one area with fine scotchbrite to even it out, and the next coat or 2 will bring you back even. The base coats are still in the steel I guess so it doesn't take 5 or 6 to get it back matching again. You may have to change the water if it gets too dirty during the process. Alot depends on how clean the barrels are between the ribs and how much junk leaks out (can be a major headache at times!), how many parts/barrel sets you're doing and how many coats they need to complete. I usually do 5 or 6 on shotgun barrels and older rifle barrels(though they will look good after as few as 2 or 3). More modern stuff will take more and some will not blue well at all with this process. There's lot's of other little tricks like anything else you do but those are the basics that I can think of now and they have served me well in 40+yrs of rust blueing. Hope this helps.

were could i get a hot rust solution.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/P...SS%20BROWN%20#2
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http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=7604&title=BELGIAN%20BLUE
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http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1067&title=DICROPAN%20
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Here's 3 from Brownells. I use the Mark Lee's Express Blue #1 alot and have excellent results with it. I used to use the old Herters Belgian Blue (right from Herters) but stopped using it and any of the older solutions containing mercury (mercury bichloride usually) for the obvious health reasons. The mercury residue is in the carded dust and never really goes away. It just gets continually tramped around the shop, your house, clothes, shoes, food, lungs, etc..not good at all. The 'new' stuff from Brownells is I believe 'as advertised' as being the same chemicle make up. I bought a small bottle of it and gave it the hot brass test,,swiped a bit of the soln. onto some warm clean brass and there was the mercury plated out onto the brass. A problem of the older solutions BTW in that they used to plate out the mercury onto any non-ferrous metals. So any gold, silver inlays, brass site beads, etc would come out of the process with a silvery mercury plating on them which is not easily removed. It does not just wipe off.
..anyway..
The Dicropan is a Brownells brand solution that I did use early on many years ago. I got mixed results with it which is why I went with the Herters back then. Others have great results with it and I understand it was reformulated a few years back so perhaps I should give it a re-visit,,but I so dislike change!!!
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You can, while you're blueing, place a small amt. of the soln you're going to be using into a little glass jar and hang it into the boiling water or sit it on the side of the tank if there's room to heat it up a bit. It will aid in applying it and not having it cool off too quick. Some older formulas used to specify doing so. But be aware that the water content will be evaporating while it's heating so a bit of added distilled water to it to keep it from getting too concentrated won't hurt. Also, when you're all done,,DON"T dump the unused soln. back into the original bottle (like a well known person I know used to do all the time)..it'll contaminate the bottle if it has any oil or dirt in it and it most likely will. Either dispense with it or as I do, keep it for a few quick and dirty jobs like an occasional couple of screw heads on a gun that need some blue to them.
BTW,,the Mark Lee soln. states in their directions to heat the parts with a propane torch to get them up to temp the first time, or when ever you needed to, before applying the solution. I've done it and still do it that way at times, but you run the risk of over heating them especially the thinnest portion of the shotgun barrels, mag tubes, etc. You must be carefull using the torch. Overheating will cause the solution to sizzle and sputter on the surface in those areas and while it will still blue OK will cause a patchy etched appearance under the blue when done due to etching. It may not effect a bluing job done on a heavily matted surface to begin with but it's difficult to preserve a shine in doing so.