doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Question on Perazzi color duping

I agree with Miller. However, I would like to read that Ithaca memo again. My old 4E was some ugly gun once the Ithaca guys got through with it.

Ron's Gunshop in Indiana offers the origional cyanid color case colors or case hardening with same colors. FWIW

I've followed this Ithaca no-harm redo as presented by Miller for years but it never ocurred to me that the cyanide "dip and ripple" look is about the only appearance that can be easily simulated with the parallel squiggles. Best two-paragraph synopsis I've seen on this kludge, Miller. What was the oven temp. to do this? If memory serves, it was just high enuf to make cold blue bubble dry on application.

jack

Jack, I think it was 160 degrees. I have a laser thermometer that I use occasionally on the farm to check the temps on gearboxes, etc. that I will use to be sure I get the receiver temp right. It probably isn't that critical, but if Ithaca said 160, then that's what I will try.

I'll try to take some before and after pictures, including pictures of the one with the colors I'm attempting to match, and post them.

I totally understood that this is in no way like a "torch job" that heats very small areas to too high temps, but thanks for saying it again Miller. The differences need to be well understood by all interested in these things.

Here is the condensed version I originally posted. This was taken from an Ithaca Service Manual Ca 1981 & was given for refinishing the Perazzi O/U shotgun. This contains everything essential from Ithaca's instructions.

To Repair or Restore Color Case
1; This is a serious problem on guns that have been used extensively.
Equipment Required:
a. Cold blue (we use 44-40)
b. “Q” tips (cotton swabs on a stick)
c. torch or other heat source
d. Paint remover (we use “Kwick”)
e. Fine steel wool
2; Procedure:
(1) Remove everything from the receiver.
(2) Remove lacquer from the receiver using “Kwick” or other liquid paint remover
(3) Wash receiver in a good solvent or boil with detergent.
(4) Using your heat source, heat the receiver to a point where liquid cold blue will dry almost instantly, (about 160°F)
(5) Using a “Q” tip, draw squiggly lines or whatever is necessary to match existing color hardening.
Note* If you have polished the receiver to bare metal, space your lines about ¼” apart on the first pass, then fill in on a 2nd pass.
(6) Using fine steel wool dipped in oil, remove the oxidation from the receiver. Be careful not to remove the color.
(7) Wash in good solvent. Do not touch before applying lacquer.
(8) Spray with acrylic plastic from “Koloid”
(9) Reassemble gun & return to a satisfied customer.
Note** This procedure does not affect the hardening. It only restores the color.

Note this statement; "draw squiggly lines or whatever is necessary to match existing color hardening". When I used this process I did not draw squiggly line similar to cyanide hardening, but did blobs etc to look more like a charcoal job. Again I am not absolutely certain on this but I think the Perazzi frame was likely not made from a carburizing grade of steel, but a heat treatable alloy. True carburizing/case hardening is not generally suitable for a steel having excess of about .2-.25% carbon, ala SAE 1020 etc.
Note that if using a "Torch" as the heat source a concentrated heat is not used, but part should be heated as uniformally as possible up to the desired temp. A simple propane torch is quite adequate, acettylene equipment is unnecessary. It could be simply put in the ordinary kitchen oven with the temp turned down about as low as it would go.