Since it was our own 'j0e_bl0ggs' (Alain) that held me hand (spoken with a British accent)  through this, I suppose it's only appropriate to say I'm quite "chuffed". I am now quite a bit more confident with "bluing" - or as Alain would say "blacking" - gun metal. Here's a picture of my very first attempt.



It's the tip off of a K-98 barrel. (I cut the constriction off that holds the front sight.) I chucked this piece of scrap in the lathe and put a quick polish (to 400) on it. Cleaned it thoroughly per Alain's instructions and put it in the 'special sauce' I made up from a recipe given to me by Alain. Voila'!

I love the deep blue/black color. :D

I got the chemicals (Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) "lye") from EBay, and the Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2) is local bait "cure". This is a "hot salts" finish, and should be very durable.

The next installment will have a tutorial from beginning (pre-polishing) to end (final product).

One more "thing" I don't have to rely on someone else to do when they 'get around to it'.

Paul

Looks good Paul. My only 'sperience with bluing is with cold blue (Birchwood Casey) and it's as you probably know a loooong drawn out process.

RJ

Actually, I thought Birchwood Casey's 'cold blue' was a very quick process - Paint it on - Wipe it off.

Right now I'm trying to figure out what to do first. The barrel and action on the .375x284 Win is high on the list. I've got a couple of barrels that are in the white and need 'bluing' as well as several actions. All of them need a lot of polishing first though. I may do a bolt first.

Paul

Good stuff Paul.
 
I have just yesterday paid for a replacement barrel for that Lithgow SMLE actioned 22 hornet you looked at while you were here. I'm thinking of sweating off the open sights to make it look more streamlined. This bluing approach might be just the ticket for the whole barrelled action.
 
Marcus

Excellent Paul, now you know HOW!
I love it when the myths are dispelled!
The hard work is the prep...




I can imagine the grin on the chops!

Quote from: gitano;115156Actually, I thought Birchwood Casey's 'cold blue' was a very quick process - Paint it on - Wipe it off.
Paul

 I built a muzzleloader from a kit many years back (never again) Dad h'ped as he was good at such things (which means he did the stock work). I put a lot of elbow grease in the bluing of the barrel. First I polished each flat with ever finer grit emery cloth 'til I got to crocus cloth. Then it was wipe on, let dry, rub with 0000 steel wool, repeat, until Dad said it was good enough. I later did a 22 barrel/action the same way but somehow it didn't "take" like the muzzleloader barrel did.

RJ

Paul, the supermarkets in Alaska do not stock "Red Devil" lye?
It is common and cheap here, I keep a can on hand to get hair out of the lavatory drain.
I have potassium nitrate used in curing sausage and meat, does it do as well?

Don - Your sausage and meat cure will work "a treat", as will Red Devil lye. But "no", supermarkets up here do NOT have it. I looked for it first.

RJ - Sounds like the classic "rust blue", and IS a pain. I didn't realize that was what Birchwood Casey was doing.

Marcus - It's a bit 'threatening' to start with as "lye" is a 'serious' chemical, not to be toyed with. However, having "done it" now, I am much more comfortable with it. If you decide to black your new Hornet barrel, let Alain or me know, and I'm sure we can get you off on the right foot. Here's the MOST important part...

Quote from: j0e_bl0ggsThe hard work is the prep...

I think the first 'real' piece I will do will be the action on the .375x284 Win. I can get a container small enough for a receiver heated properly. I'll have to figure a method of heating a container large enough for a barrel before I try the barrel.

Paul

I have looked at a few sites, seems the usual recipe is 2-1, lye to the nitrate/nitrite.
At  $3.95 for 100g, food grade potassium nitrate gets pretty costly. Another recipe used ammonium nitrate fertilizer, aka. 31-0-0 which is about $15 for 50 lb here, so if I try it, I shall go that route.
I have most of a sack of 21-0-0, ammonium sulfate, but I suppose the working component is the nitrate/ nitrite, not sulfate.
I buy the ammonium sulfate as the soil on my place is VERY alkaline, there was a sawmill here over 50 years, the top 12" or so of soil is wood ash, wood ash+ water = lye.

I think that recipe is about right, Don. One of the points that Alain made was that precision with regard to the amounts of the components wasn't too critical. The effect of not having it EXACTLY according to the recipe is just the amount of time it takes to achieve the desired result. The other piece of the puzzle is temperature. From what I have read, it is important not to get too hot - not above 295 F. When my concoction was at a "gentle rolling boil", it was 260 F according to my infrared thermometer. It took about 3 minutes after it started boiling to be completely black.

"Food grade" sodium nitrate/nitrite probably IS expensive. However, "Bait Cure" sodium nitrite is much cheaper. In Alaska it's $12 per pound.  If I were you, I'd look for "bait cure" before I used ammonium  nitrate. Ammonia does 'nasty' things just when you don't want it to.

I assume you know, but for those 'watching', this can NOT be done in anything but an iron/ferrous container. Any other non-ferrous container - like aluminum - will "kill" the solution or eat the pot, or both. Gotta be "steel". "tin" cans aren't really "tin", they are steel. I used a "tuna can" for the scrap piece you see above. For the receiver, I'll use a "kipper" can. No more of the solution than necessary - just enough to cover the part.

Paul

Paul,
would advise that you can cover your item (cough, ahem) completely no need to try and be stingy with the liquor, you do not want the steel to get 'dry' while boiling. One might end up with a none too pleasing patchy finish...

cover it well son!!!!

I read you loud and clear. For the scrap piece above, the liquid depth was probably about twice the diameter of the piece. For the receiver, I was thinking maybe half again. By "just enough" I was thinking just enough to keep it well-covered while boiling.

I don't know how quickly the liquor will dilute with repeated use, but given that the scrap blacked in 3 minutes or less, I don't think I'm at risk of 'boiling dry' for another time or two at least. I only used about 4 or 5 ounces in the tuna tin. Covering the receiver will probably require the whole pint+.

Paul

I would like to point out for those who might want to play with thisBE CAREFUL.

Without wishing to try and teach anyone how to suck eggs:

But for the peeps who have not played with caustic solutions - (nasty stuff) -

This is a HOT CAUSTIC process and  if it gets in your eyes well don't come a runnin.

Personal Protective Equipment -

Use  a full face shield when messing with this. Gloves apron etc. are advisable, NBC suit if you want.


More seriously, the caustic soda solution must be removed as quickly as possible after  bodily contact by washing with large quantities of water only.

Any time  lost prior to such washing with water could cause serious and  irreparable damage!

Do not use soap. Do not attempt to neutralize the  caustic soda with chemicals. Continue washing for 30 minutes or until a  physician advises to stop.

On the skin it produces a nasty red welt (ask me how I know).
If you get the solution on your hands you know it is there by the soapy feel when you wash it off...

Nota bene:

• Eye: Wash immediately and  continuously with flowing water for 30 minutes while holding eyelids  open and rolling eyes back and forth. Call a physician immediately.  Continue washing until the physician advises to stop. Do not use soap or  attempt to neutralize with chemicals. You may have 10 seconds or less  to avoid serious permanent injury.         
  
• Skin: Immediately shower with large amounts of  water for 30 minutes. Call a physician immediately. Remove clothing  while showering. If the eyes have not been  exposed, do not remove chemical goggles until head and hair have been  thoroughly rinsed, otherwise, caustic soda could be washed into the  eyes. Rinse head thoroughly, then remove goggles, and complete  washing. Do not apply oils or lotion. Keep victim warm.      
  

Do I need to tell you NOT to drink it?

OK apologies for the safety officer hat, it is now removed, have at it!


ATB

Quote from: gitano;115189I read you loud and clear. For the scrap piece above, the liquid depth was probably about twice the diameter of the piece. For the receiver, I was thinking maybe half again. By "just enough" I was thinking just enough to keep it well-covered while boiling.

I don't know how quickly the liquor will dilute with repeated use, but given that the scrap blacked in 3 minutes or less, I don't think I'm at risk of 'boiling dry' for another time or two at least. I only used about 4 or 5 ounces in the tuna tin. Covering the receiver will probably require the whole pint+.

Paul

OK, understand, mebbe its the Anglo American loss in translation!

What will happen with the liquor is that the water will evaporate under the boiling condition, it is not necessary to add more caustic solution as it evaporates.
You only need add clean water to top up! (really this depends on how long you are running your witches brew)

In a public place like this, AND when dealing with something as 'exciting' as HOT caustic lye, it certainly doesn't hurt to point out the relevant safety precautions and procedures. I'm not particularly one for Chicken Littles and "the sky is falling", but activities like casting molten lead, and hot "salt" bluing, call for judicious and mature practice.

Let me add one more caution to those that have forgotten their high school chemistry (like I did). When you add sodium hydroxide (NaOH - "lye") to water, it produces an "exothermic" reaction. That means it generates heat. As I added about a pound of NaOH to a pint of water I was holding between my knees, I noticed it was getting "warm". THEN I remembered my chemistry class. When I got finished adding all of the NaOH, the temperature of the mixture was 175 F!

Be careful!

Paul