DIY RUST BLUING PRODUCTS?

[Gun Chooter]

I have used it... I liked it OK... there was a more expensive solution I liked better, but its in storage at the moment and I cant think of the name of it now. I bought it from brownells, brown bottle, white label I believe. You will want a carding brush because steel wool doesn't get into all of the recesses.

This is easy to do, but takes LOTS of patience. Easier in the summer when its warm w/ lots of humidity. In the winter things take a lot longer to rust.

was it pilkington Classic american rust blue?

 

[Gun Chooter]

I've tried all the mentioned cold bluing and found that it's really designed for touch up, not the complete rebluing of a firearm. The gun that I'm about to refinish has actually been refinished once with a cold bluing agent and although the finish is decent, it rusted really badly. I'll check out the rust bluing products mentioned. Has anyone here tried one of these projects during the cold/dry winter months?

 

[IndyGunworks]

I've tried all the mentioned cold bluing and found that it's really designed for touch up, not the complete rebluing of a firearm. The gun that I'm about to refinish has actually been refinished once with a cold bluing agent and although the finish is decent, it rusted really badly. I'll check out the rust bluing products mentioned. Has anyone here tried one of these projects during the cold/dry winter months?

about 20 times.... I built a humidity cabinet though... If it were not for that I would only get about two coats all winter... with the cabinet and a heat bulb under a pan of distilled water was able to get two coats a week.

 

[IndyGunworks]

was it pilkington Classic american rust blue?

Yes

 

[Vamptepes]

I'm working on a gun right now. I have the parts in the bathroom and fill up the tub with hot water and hang it in the curtain rod. Only way I can get anything done during this time a year.

 

[Gun Chooter]

How complicated are these heat/sweat boxes to make?

 

[IndyGunworks]

Not hard.... Its just a box large enough to hand the parts in. With a heat lamp at the bottom, and a pan of water above it. No real specific design needed. Some people add a computer cooling fan to help circulate the are to help cause more even rusting.

 

[Gun Chooter]

I think j may try to build one of these. Wood frame with plywood walls I take it? Sounds pretty easy. You keep it in the house or is it better kept in the garage?

 

[ottoclicker]

I have tried several of the rust blue solutions and I also recommend Laurel Mountain, and they are in Crown Point, IN. I find their product easier to use as it is more forgiving against oils touching the metal. The solution acts as a degreaser/rust blue solution.

A trick I use to get the rusting process going in the winter is to put warm water in the bottom of a bucket and suspend the parts above the water and cover the top to trap the warmth in. You don't want the water so hot it forms condensation on the metal though. I use a 5 gallon bucket for pistols and a trash can for long rifles. Although if you plan on doing rust blue more than occasionally building a box may be the better way to go.

Here is one I'm currently working on using the Laurel Mountain. This is the second rusting using my bucket method, this is after about 5 hours.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I think j may try to build one of these. Wood frame with plywood walls I take it? Sounds pretty easy. You keep it in the house or is it better kept in the garage?

That would work... as would ANY cabinet tall enough to fit the parts you want to rust. I left mine in the garage, but where it is really doesn't matter for a cabinet that much.

You could save yourself the trouble, and just attach foil backed foam board as the walls instead of the more expensive and heavy plywood. Metal tape for the "hinge, and some ducktape to keep it closed.... caulk the inside seams if you are worried about it being drafty.

Doesn't have to be fancy at all.

 

[Gun Chooter]

I have tried several of the rust blue solutions and I also recommend Laurel Mountain, and they are in Crown Point, IN. I find their product easier to use as it is more forgiving against oils touching the metal. The solution acts as a degreaser/rust blue solution.

A trick I use to get the rusting process going in the winter is to put warm water in the bottom of a bucket and suspend the parts above the water and cover the top to trap the warmth in. You don't want the water so hot it forms condensation on the metal though. I use a 5 gallon bucket for pistols and a trash can for long rifles. Although if you plan on doing rust blue more than occasionally building a box may be the better way to go.

Here is one I'm currently working on using the Laurel Mountain. This is the second rusting using my bucket method, this is after about 5 hours.
View attachment 35732

the laurel mountain products sound very simple to use and appear to be a popular choice. When completing the rusting step on a barrel, do you plug the bore and chamber with something to keep them from rusting?

 

[Gun Chooter]

That would work... as would ANY cabinet tall enough to fit the parts you want to rust. I left mine in the garage, but where it is really doesn't matter for a cabinet that much.

You could save yourself the trouble, and just attach foil backed foam board as the walls instead of the more expensive and heavy plywood. Metal tape for the "hinge, and some ducktape to keep it closed.... caulk the inside seams if you are worried about it being drafty.

Doesn't have to be fancy at all.

Nice, the more I read about this method of bluing the more I realize how inexpensive it's going to be. I like your idea of the foam board wall.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Yes its inexpensive, but labor intensive, and you will never really achieve that DEEP black luster of a hot caustic blue. If you accept that going in you will be happy with the results. There were a few projects that I had as many as 15 "coats" on them and they still were not uniform. To get a really good outcome you might spend 3 months working on the thing.

Two tips:

Prep is everything. Every little scratch or blemish will be magnified, so do your prep right.

Degrease and wear gloves: as soon as the prep is done soak the parts in acetone for a LOONG time. and from that point forward NEVER touch the metal w/out latex or nitrile gloves on, EVER. a part just brushing against your skin for a brief moment WILL effect the coating in that spot.

Good luck and be sure to report to us w/ progress.

 

[Bfish]

IndyGunworks... Could you post some things you have blued?

 

[IndyGunworks]

I don't think I have any of those pictures easily accessable... Perhaps in my photobucket if you want to try and find some from WAY back. Or look at threads I started?

Nicholas Jacquemin's (jacq220) Library | Photobucket

I don't think I had many/any? of the rust blueing though. At that point I was more concerned with making money than documenting.

 

[Bfish]

I don't think I have any of those pictures easily accessable... Perhaps in my photobucket if you want to try and find some from WAY back. Or look at threads I started?

Nicholas Jacquemin's (jacq220) Library | Photobucket

I don't think I had many/any? of the rust blueing though. At that point I was more concerned with making money than documenting.

I understand... It's no big deal, you are just knowledgeable and experienced with it so I though it would be cool to see what it could look like. I'll check the photobucket though.

 

[IndyGunworks]

The only picture I MAY have uploaded to photobucket would have been of a 6 inch shotgun barrel stub that I used as a "sample" to show customers what I could do.

 

[IndyGunworks]

But there are sure to be others of guns that I hot caustic blued.

 

[Bfish]

Awesome! Thanks for the link, I appreciate it!

 

[Gun Chooter]

Laurel Mountain Forge on its way. Ill post some pictures of the process when I get things going.