Barbecue gun

[yugorpk]

I'm trying my hand at Carbona bluing. Or something like that. I was reading upon the process and it sounded a lot like my gas barbecue. 5 hours at 570 or something like that in a gas oven. Maybe a little charcoal in the chamber depending on who writes about it. So I pulled the .357 of my 2nd gen Colt because I'm turning it into a 45 anyway. Soaked it in vinegar for 10 minutes or so to remove the finish and into the barbecue it went. Heres the before pics. One the gun and in the barbecue. It still in the barbecue. Been there 5 hours so far. Its got color definitely but its not even yet. A few more and we'll see what it looks like.

 

[burrhead]

I'm guessing this is a joke but if not, why are you ruining your barrel?

 

[yugorpk]

Its a piece of steel that was going in the scrap pile anyway. I have no use for a .357 SAA barrel and neither does anyone else. Not a joke. Just a Saturday experiment Actually pretty interesting process. Nothing is going to wreck the temper of barrel steel under 600 anyway. The old colt process called for 650 ish at 5hours. At these temperatures all thats happening is a dark iron oxide conversion of the steels surface. I ran it for 6 hours before I got tired of looking in the barbecue. I pulled it and it was a little reddish. Not really what I was looking for though. I'll have to try the charcoal packing in a rotating drum on the rotisserie next time. 30 seconds in the vinegar and its back shiny white again. Fun stuff steel.

 

[joem1945]

I kind of like it. I've tried oil blacking on a barrel and it turned out really good. Seems to be tough finish.

 

[CaptTripps]

Hey yugorpk, looks interesting! I am wondering if you polished the barrel at all before bluing and also, did you clean the barrel before with anything? I have used a propane torch to blue screws and small parts. Of course you probably know this but the the key to a great blue is in the prep work. Looks fun, I'd be interested in seeing how it turns out .

 

[yugorpk]

I did actually no prep work whatsoever. That is the original "polish" on the barrel minus the factory bluing. Just wanted to see what would happen color wise. This is an experiment I'll be doing to see what results I get using different media. With just the heat blue , Which worked remarkably well I thought, the finish was very thin and came off in just a few seconds in the vinegar. I'll try it again with a better polish. I'll try it agin with potassium nitrate, maybe salt , something that will sub for bone charcoal etc. . Trying different things. The first attempt I tried melting down some Scotts yard fertilizer. Don't do that. It melts but it liberates a lot of ammonia..

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I aplaude your thinking.

More folks should test a concept which is new to them on scrap or cast off componentry of like composition before ruining a good gun or part.

As silly as it is, I share your contempt for .357 SAAs.


Todd.

 

[yugorpk]

The .357 SAA is an abomination.

 

[CaptTripps]

yugorpk I have read a way of oil-blackening, where you liberally oil your part, and bake it in the oven at 350 for one hour or until done. Used oil gives a deeper black while new oil yields a yellowish-straw color/

 

[yugorpk]

In reading up a bit more I should have immersed my barrel in boiling water to convert the redish tint FE2O3 into black FE3O4 . I'll have to give it another try after I burn off the barbecue sauce.

 

[Jim K]

Carbonia bluing is a process developed by the American Gas Furnace Co., for bluing machine tools and other products. It involved a special "trade secret" compound which put off a vapor, and an airtight drum, which revolved for even distribution of the vapor. It was used by both Colt and S&W for many years and, with properly polished material, gives a shiny deep black color. But it was used as part of the heat treatment process with carefully controlled temperature.

It was NOT just heat tempering color, which is shallow and does not last well. IMHO, using a gas grill alone, will not give a lasting blue, and could seriously affect the heat treatment of parts.

Jim

 

[yugorpk]

Barrels are not heat treated or tempered. 600 or less will not affect the heat treat or temper. All bluing is temperature coloring. Chemicals added in the process will impact the depth of the much less than razor thin coloring but in the end all of the color comes from the temperature that imparts oxides of iron .

 

[Jim K]

"... in the end all of the color comes from the temperature..."

Cold bluing?

Jim

 

[yugorpk]

Touche'.

 

[Jim K]

"With just the heat blue , Which worked remarkably well I thought, the finish was very thin and came off in just a few seconds..."

I think I said something to the effect that heat blue doesn't last. Any kind of permanent blue requires chemicals or at least a rusting of the metal.

Jim

 

[yugorpk]

You have "rusting" of the metal. Thats what the oxide layer is. The high temperature just speeds up the process. Longer its there the deeper the oxide layer. Same thing the bluing tank does. The nitrates in the bluing salts oxidize the metal at a lower temperature.

I'll run one on the gas barbecue this weekend and follow up with boiling water. having a natural gas hookup is nice.