Rust Blue Solution

The Accurate Reloading Forums

Rust Blue Solution

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/5831026732

22 December 2017, 07:14

WoodHunter

Rust Blue Solution

Brownells or Pilkington or ???

What do you use or recommend?

I never rust blued before, always did the hot caustic thing.

Time for something different!

22 December 2017, 07:22

Steve E.

I have used both a few times each and prefer Pilkingtons better, not sure why but that is the way it worked out.

Steve............

22 December 2017, 07:42

WoodHunter

How about Laurel Mountain?

22 December 2017, 08:27

CowboyCS

Take a cap full of LMF Brown and Degreaser and add it to a full bottle of Pilkington's and it will go on very smooth with little to no spotting. Hope that helps.

22 December 2017, 09:13

craigster

Bobster's products work great !

http://www.rustblue.com/

22 December 2017, 09:29

Mauser98

Both Gun Goddess and Laurel Mtn Brown and Degreaser are excellent.

22 December 2017, 19:21

Phil McFall

I've used Pilkington's, Brownells, and Laurel Mountain. I've found Laurel Mountain to be very forgiving and I don't plan on ever using anything else.
Phil

22 December 2017, 19:28

WoodHunter

Thanks guys looks like Laurel Mountain it is.

22 December 2017, 21:46

dpcd

I use nothing but RustBlue from Bobster. Others don't work as well for me. He makes several different formulas; I use the American type.
I have used others, and don't plan to use them again although I have bottles of them on my shelf.

22 December 2017, 22:20

Duane Wiebe (CG&R)

Having moved around the US a bit, I have the feeling that what works in Wyoming may not work as well in Washington.

Best bet is to try them all, but the greatest obstacle is getting that metal squeaky clean and .... always use distilled water

22 December 2017, 23:36

setters5

I like RustBlue from Bobster too. Swiss and American are the quickest, quite black, tried some of the others, a little less aggressive and a bit more blue grey, gotta expirement to see what works best for you.

22 December 2017, 23:55

dpcd

I think technique (cleanliness) and humidity control are more important than the actual solution. It is easy to make steel rust if conditions are right, and hard if they are not. Turning it black is the easy part. (Steaming for me) Or boiling.
True, location is very important if you don't have a damp box, even summer and winter require different techniques.
But if you live in a place with low humidity you will never be able to rust blue without a damp box.

23 December 2017, 01:47

WoodHunter

quote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
I think technique (cleanliness) and humidity control are more important than the actual solution. It is easy to make steel rust if conditions are right, and hard if they are not. Turning it black is the easy part. (Steaming for me) Or boiling.
True, location is very important if you don't have a damp box, even summer and winter require different techniques.
But if you live in a place with low humidity you will never be able to rust blue without a damp box.

I live in a Pacific NW Rainforest. 2 miles from salt water. Leave bare steel out on the carport and rusts takes over quickly.

I will build a damp box for those odd times in the summer when it does not rain!

23 December 2017, 02:36

Dulltool17

quote:
Originally posted by craigster:
Bobster's products work great !

http://www.rustblue.com/

Ditto!

23 December 2017, 04:38

WoodHunter

quote:
Originally posted by Dulltool17:
quote:
Originally posted by craigster:
Bobster's products work great !

http://www.rustblue.com/

Ditto!

I looked at the site, some good info.

I guess I will try several over the next few months and see how the guns turn out.

30 December 2017, 21:01

Atkinson

The best rust bluers I have known do it every day of their lives, ocassional rust bluers usually have a fight on their hands..Its dirty, aggravating. makes me cranky and Im slower than a mole getting it done..Its so much easier to ship it out to the experts.

05 January 2018, 23:56

Gunswizard

+1 on the slow and aggravating comment, spent many hours when I worked in the Browning Arms Gunsmithing Shop hot water bluing Superposed barrels. It was a very tempermental unforgiving process. We used Herter's Rust Blue Solution at that time (1978-1982).

06 January 2018, 04:58

KY Nimrod

Don't forget to de-grease your steel wool before you rub it down. Steel wool is covered in preservative oil and if you don't believe me hang some on a tree branch sometime outside and set it on fire with a lighter! That's not steel burning in front of your eyes--its petroleum!

Degrease your steel wool!

06 January 2018, 05:46

WoodHunter

quote:
Originally posted by KY Nimrod:
Don't forget to de-grease your steel wool before you rub it down. Steel wool is covered in preservative oil and if you don't believe me hang some on a tree branch sometime outside and set it on fire with a lighter! That's not steel burning in front of your eyes--its petroleum!

Degrease your steel wool!

Steel Wool: When I was in the Boy Scouts (about a hundred years ago!) we used steel wool for tinder when playing with flint and steel for fire starting.

I will use the ultra fine stainless steel carding wheel from Brownells. Arrived two days ago. Thanks to Les Brooks for the tip!

06 January 2018, 06:19

richj

NYC tap water works great. I did two with Pilkington, took 6-7 coats. oh and yes hair/wire wheel.

14 January 2018, 01:09

Atkinson

Best to not use steel wool, use a cording wheel and keep it clean..you supposedly can remove the oil out of steel wool with teckticolorid but why mess with it..