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Try that.
I card with a soft stainless wire wheel from Brownells turning at around 700 rpms. If you are rust bluing any gold inlays use steel wool that has been degreased and do it under running water. That will stop the gold from "smearing".
you will need to repeat this a number of times. I usually do it at least six and sometimes 10. Some metals are hard to get started (Ruger #1). When you are done put the metalwork in a bath of water with baking soda in it to neutralize any acids. BTW, I use Gun Goddess from Jim Bair, Half Moon Barrels. I like the color it imparts.
After neutralizing the metalwork, and rinsing, use a water dispersing oil such as WD-40 and coat all the surfaces. Admire and enjoy. There is nothing that looks as good as a good rust blue.
Chic Worthing
For Paul, I have a good "cookbook" description of rust bluing, let me know if you need a copy. My email will be down a few days as I change email accounts, but I still have access to this forum.
I was kinda hoping to pull you out of the woodwork with this post, thanks it was exactly what I was looking for. What do you use to spin the wire wheel @ 700 rpm? I figure now that I'll be putting the whelen in a piece of wood, I'll have to do something about the not so nice cold blue finish it now wears.
John,
I'd appreciate that cookbook. I also went looking for the 500 Jeffrey reamer print you sent me, and when I went to where I know I put it, I found the quickload workup, but the print was no where to be seen. I'll drop you a line and see if you can fax it.
Speaking of water, or water utility changed, and there was a marked change, for the worse of water quality.
Thanks,
Paul
The brush you refer to is the .0025 Wire Brush, right? How do you manage to spin it so slowly? My slowest speed is 1725 rpm... Do you think I can get by with a light hand?
I'm trying to gather the ingredients for a batch of Neidner blue- still need some Nitric acid... I've used Plinktons until now, but I've heard better results can be had with other solutions...
Note new email address below.
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Currently in Exile on the Beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.
My Warden sometimes allows me to respond to email. NEW Address is rifles@earthlink.net
I have two ways to turn it that speed. One is on my drill press and the other using a 1750 rpm washing machine motor with some pulleys that slow it down.
When I got Maurice's bluing system I also got his water still for making my own distilled water. He told me he got it from the local pharmacy for next to nothing. He lived on the outskirts of Coulee City WA and the water was very alkaline. Our water here is fairly good but distilled is better. I have known people to go up in the spring and get snow melt in the mountains and take it home in plastic 55 gallon drums for later use.
And yes the Gun Goddess is a rust bluing formula.
Check out John Kay's site at
http://www.winchester-restorations.com/blue.html
Rick
I will also add that Chic is right about Trichlorethyelne(sp?) being dangerous. It is incredibly flammable. Not more than 6 weeks ago I caught the bench, mygloves, and shirt on fire with that stuff. Scared the hell out of me. I never did figure out why either. For degreasing I am now using Dicroclean 909 from Brownells in a tank. It works well and no fire danger.
Some plug the bores with hardwood dowels, changing them each cycle. They do make handy handles while handling the barrel. This was the most used method by gunsmiths of yesteryear. There is a slight risk of the plugs leaking and a risk of one of the plugs blowning out during boiling and burning you.
However a lot of people are coating the bore and chamber with tough varnish or polyurethene. Then stripping it when done.
Be sure to use a good water displacing oil (WD40, that is what the WD stands for) after you are finished.
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Ray Atkinson
What does the ice water bath do other than cool the metal in a hurry? Help the blue stick better? You've got my curiosity up.
I think I might like to try some of the Gun Goddess solution. I was going to whip up a small batch of Neidner's formula but finding Nitric Acid in small quantities is proving tough and Expensive (500ml for $90 plus hazardous shipping)...
Ray, are you saying out of the humidity box and into ice water or out of the boiling tank and into ice water?
Any tips, hints, tricks are helpful- I'm trying to refine my technique and hopefully get a better result.
I read this many years ago in an article by one of the old gunsmiths and it seems to work very well for me....It also works very well with hot blueing and makes the hot blue more durable.
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Ray Atkinson