Rust Bluing

[ford8nr]

My son has started a refinishing project on a well used M12 20ga shotgun. Has started the rust bluing process on less critical parts, slide and mag tube. So far results look great. Anybody ever do any rust bluing? Any tips or hints?

 

[Sam1911]

Here's a good thread on it: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=657572

I've done a few knives that way: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=650962

 

[Jim K]

Make sure the bluing is really Rust Blue (sometimes called Belgian Blue). I see that some folks have tried to use cold blue with heat and are calling it rust blue, but it doesn't hold up much better than cold blue applied any other way.

Jim

 

[BBBBill]

...I see that some folks have tried to use cold blue with heat and are calling it rust blue, but it doesn't hold up much better than cold blue applied any other way.

Amen. I've got an acquaintance who swears his cold blue jobs are as good as hot blue. I cannot for the life of me see that. Just looks like cold blue to me. Of course he likes to chuck his chamber reamers in a DeWalt drill.

 

[ford8nr]

This IS actual rust bluing solution through Brownell's Stripped to bare metal, degreased, applied, let rust to a nice red color, boil, dry, card...repeat 10-20 times.

 

[Sam1911]

10-20 times? Wow.

 

[ford8nr]

He's on coat 4 of the mag tube and slide now
.

 

[Sam1911]

Ahh, let us know when he decides its good enough. 10 cycles is a lot. 20 is...wow.

 

[ford8nr]

We'll see. He's a mechanical engineering student and took the project on to keep himself busy this summer in the evenings after work. He can be a little an*l on these things. Last year he re-did an old Star PD .45 pistol. Stripped everything, polished the alum frame and parkerized the slide...turned out REAL nice. Fun stuff to watch.

 

[slicksleeve]

Seems like 6 cycles is the magic number for me. After the sixth application-rusting-boiling-carding, it looks just like I want it to. I use Pilkington's Classic American Rust Blue from Midway.

 

[medalguy]

Properly done rust bluing is a fantastic finish. And 20 cycles is not unheard-of either. Be sure to post pics when it's all done. Sounds like a neat and interesting project.

 

[Mauser lover]

Wow!!! Somebody linked a thread I started!

It only took me three or four applications, but I would consider myself lucky. Twenty does sound like a lot, but it all depends on temperature, humidity, patience, specific alloy of the steel being blued, and possibly a little luck.

Hope you have fun, if you are looking for a bluing solution, I really cannot say enough good things about the solution I used. I can't remember what it exactly was, but it is in my thread which has already been linked. If you cannot find it, I can get you the name of it.

Spare not the degreaser!!!! (I used acetone and brake parts cleaner)

Oh, be sure to post pictures!!