Rust bluing with Pilkington's (Other solutions are available, read the instructions for the product, give them a try)
Three things to remember about rust bluing....all of paramount importance.
1. This is not beyond your ability.
2. You can do this.
3. See one and two over and over till ya believe it.
Rust blue is the exact same finish as caustic blue. Both are Black Ferroferric oxide. Two paths to the same finish. Rust blue is a bit more durable since all loose oxides are scrubbed away in the bluing process. Rust bluing is less messy, less dangerous to you due to chemical hazards, and allows lots of time to stop, start, change directions, work on other projects, etc.
Rust blue is a bit difficult to manage inside actions and on revolvers. But it is possible to achieve absolutely lovely and durable work even on such complex shapes.
Rust blue will produce a lovely color on the difficult to color Win 94. Softer steels come up lovely dark black. Harder alloys will come up a lovely satiny grey black with more black than grey. Sometimes getting those strong modern alloys to rust can try your patience....but I've found 70 to 90 degrees and at about 70 to 80 percent humidity will rust all but stainless steel, brass and aluminum! No Winchester has ever come out anything but lovely with this process.
Cold blue is not bluing...as it is not rust. Cold blue is a layer of copper atoms laid down on the steel and subsequently oxidized black by acids in the bluing solution. The after rust comes from the acids that remain on the steel if you don't clean and oil well afterward.....there just ain't much copper laid down and the steel can rust right thru that thin/weak black color.
Rust blue and hot caustic blue are rust....Red ferric oxide that has been converted to black ferroferric oxide. It is part of the steel....not a plating stained black.
Polishing Metal, Do it by hand, use sand paper. The buffing wheel is an experts best friend....mostly its your worst enemy leading to dished screw holes, wavy lines and lost markings. The buffing wheel is the reason marketers convinced you to pay extra for a melted 1911....sloppy/ugly work and now you believe your gun is the baddestslickestbestest in the world and really, its simply a very crappily done polishing job. Keep straight lines straight and curved lines graceful, take your time and learn to polish with sandpaper.
Someone asked, "If the processes produce the same oxide, why is one satin and one capable of gloss?"
- Good question. Rust bluing is room temperature. Caustic bluing starts in a super saturated solution that is barely boiling at 250 degrees and is brought up to a furious boil often as high as 280 to 300 degrees. Rust bluing relies on the open pores created by a more coarse finishing process to allow penetration of the chemical agents while caustic hot blue opens the pores by heating to allow penetration. Polish too fine and your rust bluing chemical will puddle on the surface and never develop a deep and tenacious bloom of oxide.
How much grit to polish with. Not more than 220g. More and you simply puddle the chemicals on the surface not getting the penetration that causes good rust. A bead blast, light, hides lots of pits and creates a wonderful matt surface that also holds gobbs of oil for protection. If you insist on polishing metal to 8million grit, be prepared for a lovely satin rust blue finish (if you can get the rust to build).....save the master finish for caustic bluing...the heat of that process will let you turn your weapon into a black mirror, rust bluing won't.
Is it slow or does it just look that way. When you consider the polishing process is about equal when done by hand, the actual rusting (Whether hot caustic rust or slow rust) of the metal is 4 to 6 hours of work with either process
- With caustic bluing, you have to warm at least two tanks, water/detergent for a cleaning boil and the caustic solution. You boil clean, rinse and boil clean again and rinse again, then boil to black in the caustics and then rinse and then dip in oil overnight to soak and rest. All of this eats up the better part of a full day.
- With slow rust blue you have about the same amount of work time spread over a week or so. Plenty of time to work elsewhere while the process unfolds. I suppose, the rub out between boiling's ads a bit of extra work but overall, this process is not equipment intensive nor is it chemical intensive. Who can afford nearly $2K for a top notch caustic blue set up and the attendant hazmat charges and disposal fees. Its a trade off but slow rust is suited to the home shop and can be folded up and stored on a shelf when not used rather than taking up an entire room forever.
Should I Plug the Bore.
- I've never met anybody that plugs a bore with a caustic blue. Even the Factory guns I've seen new had bluing in the bores. I understand it for parker but was never taught it as a necessity for any other process. Experience and mentoring leads me to believe it unnecessary and more of a hazard, blown plugs in a 285 degree caustic bluing room is too dangerous. The match barrels on my rollers, sharps and highwall didn't seem to mind not being plugged, nor the shaw barrels on the mausers.
- With the rust bluing process I don't note any darkening of the bore since the boiling is in water, no caustics and the heat dries it so fast inside, I can't find any reason to be concerned.
- I clean them good, whether caustic or rust blue but that's pretty much normal for me prior to final assembly. Both process make the guts a bit gunkey.
- I suppose plugging for other than park comes down to preference. If I recall, the Brownells instructions for Oxinate 7 caustic hot blue indicates no need to plug the bore. The mention using wood plugs with dicropan rust blue but as handles and not to completly plug the bore for this process either.
- No, the process does not hurt the bore. You did not put any chemical in the bore and it dries so quick after the boil that there is only the slightest rust inside. Remember, when your gun is caustic blued, the bore is open and every square inch of the inside is rusted black. There is no harm done by either process....so stop worrying and start rusting your gun to its new look.
Equipment discussion - as depicted in the thread/simple and as seen by another member of this board, toolboxes can be converted to rusting boxes and boiling tanks. Use your imagination. Some folks have even used PVC pipe to make steam boxes for both rusting the metal and for "Boiling" it in steam later, eliminating the need for a large iron tank to boil barreled actions.
Instructions
- For the most part I follow the instructions on the Pilkington's bottle. A somewhat wet first coat, followed by a dry coat then more dry coats and rust and boils. If there is one thing I am religious about, I never touch the clean or rusty steel with my bare hands, fingerprints will show thru to the end and must be sanded off. As for the admonition to degrease the steel wool you use for carding.......I have not degreased/deoiled my steel wool for over 15 years and hundreds of rust blue jobs. Your mileage may vary but modern steel wool seems protected from rusting by something other than gobbs of oil in the weave and I'm not finding any detrimental effects on the rust blue process.
Topical Areas:
Rust in the Garage - Marlin 336 with the Southern Garage as the Damp Box
Rust in the Bath Tub - TC Barrel with a Tub of warm water as the Damp Box
Rust in a Cardboard Box - TC Parts in a box with a cup of hot water and a cardboard Damp Box
More rust in a Cardboard box - S&W 469 also with a cup of hot water in a cardboard Damp Box
Three things to remember about rust bluing....all of paramount importance.
1. This is not beyond your ability.
2. You can do this.
3. See one and two over and over till ya believe it.
Rust blue is the exact same finish as caustic blue. Both are Black Ferroferric oxide. Two paths to the same finish. Rust blue is a bit more durable since all loose oxides are scrubbed away in the bluing process. Rust bluing is less messy, less dangerous to you due to chemical hazards, and allows lots of time to stop, start, change directions, work on other projects, etc.
Rust blue is a bit difficult to manage inside actions and on revolvers. But it is possible to achieve absolutely lovely and durable work even on such complex shapes.
Rust blue will produce a lovely color on the difficult to color Win 94. Softer steels come up lovely dark black. Harder alloys will come up a lovely satiny grey black with more black than grey. Sometimes getting those strong modern alloys to rust can try your patience....but I've found 70 to 90 degrees and at about 70 to 80 percent humidity will rust all but stainless steel, brass and aluminum! No Winchester has ever come out anything but lovely with this process.
Cold blue is not bluing...as it is not rust. Cold blue is a layer of copper atoms laid down on the steel and subsequently oxidized black by acids in the bluing solution. The after rust comes from the acids that remain on the steel if you don't clean and oil well afterward.....there just ain't much copper laid down and the steel can rust right thru that thin/weak black color.
Rust blue and hot caustic blue are rust....Red ferric oxide that has been converted to black ferroferric oxide. It is part of the steel....not a plating stained black.
Polishing Metal, Do it by hand, use sand paper. The buffing wheel is an experts best friend....mostly its your worst enemy leading to dished screw holes, wavy lines and lost markings. The buffing wheel is the reason marketers convinced you to pay extra for a melted 1911....sloppy/ugly work and now you believe your gun is the baddestslickestbestest in the world and really, its simply a very crappily done polishing job. Keep straight lines straight and curved lines graceful, take your time and learn to polish with sandpaper.
Someone asked, "If the processes produce the same oxide, why is one satin and one capable of gloss?"
- Good question. Rust bluing is room temperature. Caustic bluing starts in a super saturated solution that is barely boiling at 250 degrees and is brought up to a furious boil often as high as 280 to 300 degrees. Rust bluing relies on the open pores created by a more coarse finishing process to allow penetration of the chemical agents while caustic hot blue opens the pores by heating to allow penetration. Polish too fine and your rust bluing chemical will puddle on the surface and never develop a deep and tenacious bloom of oxide.
How much grit to polish with. Not more than 220g. More and you simply puddle the chemicals on the surface not getting the penetration that causes good rust. A bead blast, light, hides lots of pits and creates a wonderful matt surface that also holds gobbs of oil for protection. If you insist on polishing metal to 8million grit, be prepared for a lovely satin rust blue finish (if you can get the rust to build).....save the master finish for caustic bluing...the heat of that process will let you turn your weapon into a black mirror, rust bluing won't.
Is it slow or does it just look that way. When you consider the polishing process is about equal when done by hand, the actual rusting (Whether hot caustic rust or slow rust) of the metal is 4 to 6 hours of work with either process
- With caustic bluing, you have to warm at least two tanks, water/detergent for a cleaning boil and the caustic solution. You boil clean, rinse and boil clean again and rinse again, then boil to black in the caustics and then rinse and then dip in oil overnight to soak and rest. All of this eats up the better part of a full day.
- With slow rust blue you have about the same amount of work time spread over a week or so. Plenty of time to work elsewhere while the process unfolds. I suppose, the rub out between boiling's ads a bit of extra work but overall, this process is not equipment intensive nor is it chemical intensive. Who can afford nearly $2K for a top notch caustic blue set up and the attendant hazmat charges and disposal fees. Its a trade off but slow rust is suited to the home shop and can be folded up and stored on a shelf when not used rather than taking up an entire room forever.
Should I Plug the Bore.
- I've never met anybody that plugs a bore with a caustic blue. Even the Factory guns I've seen new had bluing in the bores. I understand it for parker but was never taught it as a necessity for any other process. Experience and mentoring leads me to believe it unnecessary and more of a hazard, blown plugs in a 285 degree caustic bluing room is too dangerous. The match barrels on my rollers, sharps and highwall didn't seem to mind not being plugged, nor the shaw barrels on the mausers.
- With the rust bluing process I don't note any darkening of the bore since the boiling is in water, no caustics and the heat dries it so fast inside, I can't find any reason to be concerned.
- I clean them good, whether caustic or rust blue but that's pretty much normal for me prior to final assembly. Both process make the guts a bit gunkey.
- I suppose plugging for other than park comes down to preference. If I recall, the Brownells instructions for Oxinate 7 caustic hot blue indicates no need to plug the bore. The mention using wood plugs with dicropan rust blue but as handles and not to completly plug the bore for this process either.
- No, the process does not hurt the bore. You did not put any chemical in the bore and it dries so quick after the boil that there is only the slightest rust inside. Remember, when your gun is caustic blued, the bore is open and every square inch of the inside is rusted black. There is no harm done by either process....so stop worrying and start rusting your gun to its new look.
Equipment discussion - as depicted in the thread/simple and as seen by another member of this board, toolboxes can be converted to rusting boxes and boiling tanks. Use your imagination. Some folks have even used PVC pipe to make steam boxes for both rusting the metal and for "Boiling" it in steam later, eliminating the need for a large iron tank to boil barreled actions.
Instructions
- For the most part I follow the instructions on the Pilkington's bottle. A somewhat wet first coat, followed by a dry coat then more dry coats and rust and boils. If there is one thing I am religious about, I never touch the clean or rusty steel with my bare hands, fingerprints will show thru to the end and must be sanded off. As for the admonition to degrease the steel wool you use for carding.......I have not degreased/deoiled my steel wool for over 15 years and hundreds of rust blue jobs. Your mileage may vary but modern steel wool seems protected from rusting by something other than gobbs of oil in the weave and I'm not finding any detrimental effects on the rust blue process.
Topical Areas:
Rust in the Garage - Marlin 336 with the Southern Garage as the Damp Box
Rust in the Bath Tub - TC Barrel with a Tub of warm water as the Damp Box
Rust in a Cardboard Box - TC Parts in a box with a cup of hot water and a cardboard Damp Box
More rust in a Cardboard box - S&W 469 also with a cup of hot water in a cardboard Damp Box
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In for the finish.
