*SOLVED*Anyone have some Slow rust blue solution?

[jmpgnr24k]

Looking for enough to do a M72 rifle. I'm in The San Gabriel Valley area.
Let me know how much you want for it. I also have some browning solution to trade for it.
Thanks!

[jericho89]

Are you talking cold blue? Also where are you located, that would help people determine if you are local or where you can get some...

[jmpgnr24k]

Are you talking cold blue? Also where are you located, that would help people determine if you are local or where you can get some...

^^^thanks man. Like if I haven't put up a post here before. Info changed on first post

[kcstott]

take that browning solution you have... use it as directed except add one step to it. Not unless that's that Birchwood casey plumb brown garbage then you're screwed and need real chemicals.

Once the part has rusted up. boil it. It will turn black. wipe it down reapply chemicals, let rust, boil. About 10 to 15 repetitions will yield a very nice rust blue

[jmpgnr24k]

take that browning solution you have... use it as directed except add one step to it. Not unless that's that Birchwood casey plumb brown garbage then you're screwed and need real chemicals.

Once the part has rusted up. boil it. It will turn black. wipe it down reapply chemicals, let rust, boil. About 10 to 15 repetitions will yield a very nice rust blue

Ok ill try it. It's Mark Lees express brown #2. Thx KC

[kcstott]

Ok ill try it. It's Mark Lees express brown #2. Thx KC

Yeah that stuff will turn black after you boil it

Go to brownells and download the instructions for their rust blue.

Follow that and it will work just fine. Mark lee makes good stuff.

The only difference between rust brown and rust blue is the boiling step.

[jmpgnr24k]

Cool. Good to know. Thx man.

[jmpgnr24k]

I use Laurel Mountain Forger solution, It is a degreaser also so it is easier to deal with. I also found out that applying it with a air brush ( use a mask) gives a more even coat. Steam up the shower after applying and hang it in there. After boil brush off the black oxide with stainless brushes and old denim. This is what mine looked like after 6 coats. You can rub BLO into it after your thru rusting and bake in over for a hour at 300 degrees. There is an excellent sticky on the AK files on rust bluing in the gunsmith section.

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31594

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Even more useful info to add to the thread. Thanks!

[kcstott]

I use Laurel Mountain Forger solution, It is a degreaser also so it is easier to deal with. I also found out that applying it with a air brush ( use a mask) gives a more even coat. Steam up the shower after applying and hang it in there. After boil brush off the black oxide with stainless brushes and old denim. This is what mine looked like after 6 coats. You can rub BLO into it after your thru rusting and bake in over for a hour at 300 degrees. There is an excellent sticky on the AK files on rust bluing in the gunsmith section.

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31594

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I could see that being the case with a AK trying to wipe on a consistent coat on all the intricate surfaces would be very difficult.

But (And this is just me ) I'm not going to shoot and acid through my airbrush if my life depended on it. I won't be ruining my air brush for that. Now if I have a cheep external mix siphon feed sure.

BTW if youdecide to do a barrel, We use to get away with not plugging the barrels when doing Park, this is not the case with slow rust brown or blue. If you do not plug the barrel you will regret it.

[jmpgnr24k]

I could see that being the case with a AK trying to wipe on a consistent coat on all the intricate surfaces would be very difficult.

But (And this is just me ) I'm not going to shoot and acid through my airbrush if my life depended on it. I won't be ruining my air brush for that. Now if I have a cheep external mix siphon feed sure.

BTW if youdecide to do a barrel, We use to get away with not plugging the barrels when doing Park, this is not the case with slow rust brown or blue. If you do not plug the barrel you will regret it.

Thanks for all the info and the akfiles sticky. I'll post an update when it's done

[jmpgnr24k]

I should add the reason I used a Cheap $20 Harbor Freight air brush was because I decided to rust blue a AK receiver after riveting. I will never blue after riveting again.

And using an airbrush didn't get any drips?

[kcstott]

There were no drips or runs, it was very easy to control the amount being applied and it gave a much more uniform coat which eliminated streaks which can happen when using brushes, gauze, q tips and other methods. I sprayed just enough on it to get it moist. The amount used is very small

the Process and as much as I absolutely hate Larry Potter field and that stuffed shirt painted on smile. He does have a great demonstration of how to properly apply rust blue solution.

How ever you decide to apply it. The acid can not be allowed to pool, puddle, or drip.
you need to apply the solution in such a way that you are just wetting the surface like wiping down the coffee table with a damp cloth.

let the soak and rust up then apply and second coat, then boil it, card it, and reapply the solution using only one coat for each coat there after. Two applications of solution in the beginning are to get a good etch going and really allow the solution to bite into the metal.

keep doing that until you get about a dozen or two coats in and it will be dark as night and deep beautiful blue.

I had no luck with a steam box. I just place the part over the boiling water that I kept going after the boil step. and got a good layer of rust going. then let that sit over night and boil and card the next day.
there was no way my parts were going to allow a repeat application of rust blue in a few hours time as Potterfield demonstrated. It just wasn't working for me.
But a light rust sitting over night worked perfect.

[jmpgnr24k]

Steaming up the shower This is what happened after 18 Hours.

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Is that good or bad?

[kcstott]

That would be not bad at all

[jmpgnr24k]

Ok. So from there boil after the first initial coat, card and do it again.