Can anyone tell me the formula/constituents/process of rust bluing, please? I'm aware that boiling and carding is done between applications, and I'd like to try the process on my son's Sharpfinger knife, to see if it reduces the maintenance factor during hunting excursions.

Thanks,
Rugeruser

rugeruser---

There have been some LONG and detailed threads here about rust bluing. The search function should be able to pull them up.

The definitive book on the subject is "Bluing and Browning of Firearms by Angier. Brownell's has it.

The American Custom Gunmaker's Guild ACGG.org has a seminar tape on rust bluing by Pete Mazur. It's worth the money.

JBelk
Maybe you should start saving all of your notes,quips,theories,and other writtings and just do a cut and paste kinda thing.

bluetick---

I normally do save them, but last weeks crash lost everthing since Sept 9th, '02.

The best formula for the casual user, in my opinion, comes from Brownells in a bottle marked "Herter's Belgian Blue." Mark Lee Express blue is a similar product that I have not tried myself. Anybody can do it, it's not TOO hazardous (wear gloves, try to do all of your reproducing first ), and it doesn't take long. You just have to degrease well. It is essentially the same as rust blue.

Todd

Just noticed your from Oz, which might make getting something like Herter's in the mail a little difficult. There must be some Australian equivalent of Brownells -- check with them, these products are in the category of 'express blues.' It is not a cold blue, you actually boil and card the part between applications.

Good luck,
Todd

If you can't get something shipped PO Ackley once wrote to me as follows: take a bunch of plain steel nails and dissolve them in an equal amount of concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acid. Pour off the liquid and use it, keeping it away from sunlight. I used this many years ago and it worked, but if I had to do it again I would try to buy a bottle already made up.

I have a copy of an article from a magazine from several years ago. I can fax or post it to you.I tried the nitric acid / hydrochloric acid mixture on some mauser actions and it worked great.Be careful as it initially gives off copious (read HUGE) amounts of red/brown gas. Neighbour cleaning car complained of sore eyes. Denied all problems, of course.

Just because I'm afraid of somebody getting hurt from old and way out of date information---

The combination of two acids and carpet nails is the old Neidner- G&H formula. It DOES work and it give an unusual finnish that's very tough and good looking.

It's also DANGEROUS to make and unpleasant to use and has after-rusting problems that are hard to solve and can wreck double barrels.

Brownell's, Mark Lee, Laurel Forge, Gun Goddess, and several others make rust blue formulas from old receipes that work just as well if not better and are MUCH safer and easier to use WITHOUT the serious problem of after-rust which is part and parcell of the Neider formula. They also work much better on modern alloy steels than the '2acids plus iron' formula.

Rust blue is 50% technique, 10%chemistry and 40% luck and experience.

As has been proven by several experimenters, table salt and urine works as a very good rust blue, too. It DOES take some experimentation to get an even color but it works....I have some tools blued with it in the early 70s.

The secret is NOT in the chemistry.