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Forums10
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Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,733 Likes: 52
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,733 Likes: 52 |
The fumes are pretty bad, so make sure you have good ventilation. Thanks, I will either do it outside or use a fan or both.
David
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16 |
If you are looking to duplicate charcoal bluing colors then you will need to heat your salts more than 625F. If you are trying to get some form of temper color like fire blue then 625F will work just fine. To get charcoal blue color (blue-black) I have found that 730-750F works for most steels. On some modern steel parts I have had to increase the temp. It takes about 15 minutes to get the correct color. The parts need to be recently polished, degreased,and dried. When the parts first go in I gently agitate them until all of the bubbles are off the parts. When the desired color is reached I take the parts out, let them cool, rinse in water, and soak in oil. On some steels (like 2nd generation SAA cylinders) the parts need to be submerged several times.
I first learned to nitre blue from Oscar. He heated his salts to over 900F. I used to do this but found that the same charcoal blue color developes on most steels at a lower temperature. I have mixed my own salts from salt peter and used Brownells. Both salts give the same results. Oscar was concerned that Brownells salts could not be heated to the correct temperature without breaking down. I have heated Brownells salts to 900F with no problems.
Some steels are more difficult to blue. With a little practice you can duplicate the charcoal blue color found on pre-war II guns. I have blue about 15 Colt, 6 Winchester actions, 3 Marlin actions, and over 25 shotgun trigger guards using this method. I have compared the blue color obtained this way with original Colts in high condition. The colors are identical. I hope this helps. I REALLY try to stay out of these topics but Shawn is the only one that has the correct process. In my experience 625 degrees will not get you to the next color phase or the correct color for niter blue. If you want those pretty temper blues go for it, if you want blue black then use Shawn's temps. I run my salts @ 800 degrees FWIW. I also learned the process from Oscar. He showed me how the color process advanced into a secondary or final color. Apparently you need enough heat to get there. I use pharmacy grade KNO3 plus a VERY small amount of Manganese Dioxide as an additional oxidizer. I really don't believe that the Manganese Dioxide is needed but I use it anyway because I have it. Probably the tree stump stuff will work just fine but I have no idea if there are any additional chemicals in the mix. I've heard people say that niter blue is very thin and not very durable. That may be because they didn't have the thick oxide coat that comes with the second phase of blue. I can tell you that I left a trigger guard in to long and the niter blue actually started to flake off like you mave have seen on some Winchester frames. Anyway I'm posting a picture of a parker trigger guard that i believe is the right color. It may look lighter in color because of the outside light but it is quite dark. 
Last edited by Doug Mann; 07/19/11 12:02 PM.
Doug Mann
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292 |
"Anyway I'm posting a picture of a parker trigger guard that I believe is the right color"
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Very nice Doug, but I think that is a 16 ga. Sterlingworth trigger guard and not a Parker.......
Doug
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 749 Likes: 16 |
"anyway i am posting a picture of a parker trigger guard that i think is the right color"
Very nice Doug, but I think that is a 16 ga. Sterlingworth trigger guard and not a Parker.......
You are correct, that's what I get for not paying attention. In fact I remember who's trigger guard it is now.  However it's the results I'm trying to show
Doug Mann
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292 |
Robert, thanks for the link. I will try a place near me for one. I bookmarked yours and will get it if the other one is not high enough.
I do have a face shield and welding gloves, and actually weldng jacket for protection, and will keep the oil far enough away as to be safe.
Thanks, and will post some pictures when I start.
David.......If you look around you can find a very good stainless thermometer made in the U.S.A that will last a long time, they are on Ebay used, at Midway new and so forth....... Just my opinion......     Regards,
Doug
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,733 Likes: 52
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,733 Likes: 52 |
Doug, before I retired I worked in a gererating station that supplied electricity to parts of N.J. Our plant was one of two coal fired and the technicians used Tel Tru gages. In our nuclear stations they also used them, so they must be of good quality. I will look for one that goes to 1000 deg.
Last edited by JDW; 07/19/11 07:22 PM.
David
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,398 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,398 Likes: 16 |
Got mine from Brownells with a dandy mounting-clip for the tank side.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 74
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 74 |
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 74
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 74 |
Here is the Marlin 
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,292 |
Very nice Shawn...great work,..... The Marlin 1894 bolt was much blacker I believe, probably the light as you mentioned..... Here are a few that I rebuilt. I try and keep the blues a softer blue/black as did the factories, remembering that these guns were mass produced firearms. The Remington .22 pictured was trashed and needed a complete refinish. Rust blued the barrel/mag tube and hot blued the action. 1911 manufactured Remington model 12 with a full crescent butt plate. The LC with a case colored forend iron is an ejector 12 bore. 1926. The last LC Smith is a 16 ga. field grade. Extractor. 1931 1892 Marlin .32 CF...following post. Here are some pics, CCH temps close to yours as you posted, except the drop before quench, I don't drop the temperature..... Rust blue and wood re-finish as well.  12 ga.  16 ga.  16 ga.  Best,
Doug
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