Who performs case coloring ?

Take a look at Turnbull Restorations. Have had a fair amount of his work done for me and can say it is top rate. Have not had any Marlins done, but would say he can do it?? Check out their web site and easy to talk with and discuss just what you want done. Turn around is good also.

Try John Gillette at Classic Guns: http://www.classicgunsinc.com/FIREARMS.htm

You have to have the right steel for case coloring.That's what I've been told.Modern steels may not do so great."The thing will blow up".It's suppose to work on old,softer steels like old mausers.

If it is a really old Marlin, like from 1910 or earlier or something like that, then it can safely be case colored. if it is a modern Marlin, it should not be case colored. I know it is the current fad to case color everything, but it is a bad idea in some cases. People will color just about anything for you, but they are also creating a lot of problems for you in the process.

I have read on this board that Turnbull has developed a method to impart colors on 4140 without actually case hardening the part. THis is supposed to be low temperature and safe. Know nothing about it other than reaidng that here. If you have a modern Marlin, that is the only way i would even consider doing it if you want colors on the action.

I never liked case coloring.To me,it doesn't make any sense.

2 completely different although allied processes. Case-hardening is used to add carbon to low-carbon steels for strength and wear resistance and can produce brilliant colors as a by-product, depending, but it's a totally inappropriate process for many modern alloy steels. Color-hardening, OTOH, is somewhat of a misnomer in that the steel isn't really hardened, but rather is only colored, and this is the lower-temperature process used on modern steels like 4140. Both can produce good colors, again depending, but both are totally dependent upon the metal prep. NO BUFFING!
Regards, Joe

I met a guy that had just received an old German commercial rifle back from being restored. He loved the case hardening colors so much that he was going to take the rifle back in to get the barrel done!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Tommyhawk:
He loved the case hardening colors so much that he was going to take the rifle back in to get the barrel done!!!!!

Talk about too much of a good thing!!!!!!WOW.
I'm a color guy and think that, tastefully done, like with scope rings, adds much to a rifle's beauty.

quote:

Originally posted by Dall85:
Try John Gillette at Classic Guns: http://www.classicgunsinc.com/FIREARMS.htm

Another vote for Classic, they do great work.

Here is a really fascinating thread that chronicles a hobbiests journey from asking how to replicate vintage Marlin case colors to demonstrated expertise in rendering them.

I think the thread spans a 2 year period. You can just scan for his posts with the pictures and read his text and you will get the gyst of things.
He doesn't do this work for others, so this isn't offered as the source you are after, but still a very informative read.

http://www.marlin-collectors.c...opic.php?f=21&t=3732

I think it looks pretty cool in some cases, but I don't really get it.

Kind of like asking "how can I get a really uneven blue?"...

And since it's really a matter of form follows function, (appearance is a by-product of the case hardening process) I'd be concerned that my case hardening was not evenly applied. (Are the purple areas harder than the steel gray areas?)

Go ahead and tee off on me... it's late and I've been drinking.

Colors don't really have much if anything to do with the hardness, they are a byproduct of the particular chemicals in the carbon source and the agitation of quenching.
Regards, Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Nomo4me:
Here is a really fascinating thread that chronicles a hobbiests journey from asking how to replicate vintage Marlin case colors to demonstrated expertise in rendering them.

I think the thread spans a 2 year period. You can just scan for his posts with the pictures and read his text and you will get the gyst of things.
He doesn't do this work for others, so this isn't offered as the source you are after, but still a very informative read.

http://www.marlin-collectors.c...opic.php?f=21&t=3732

I just read that whole thread, all 19 pages of it. WOW! Thanks for the link. JimD (the principal author) must be one of the more dedicated amateurs I've ever heard of. Amazing work he's come up with.

Jim D must be a real jack of all trades. The way he enjoys experimenting with variables he'd probably also make a great lab scientist.

Thanks for all the info. I just want the look of case hardening-the color !!

Thank you for the link, that was amazing results he got.