Who Can Help Me with Rust Bluing?

[CHRIS MARTIN]

I'm planning on rust bluing a Martini 22 barrel; it's been sleved, so it can't stand hot dip rebluing. Has anyone on the Forum done any rust bluing? Can you offer help/advice? Thanks.

[CSACANNONEER]

If you are refering to browning, I did some back in '87. It's pretty easy but, it takes at least a week, maybe more. I really liked this stuff:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7780/Product/BARREL_BROWN___DEGREASER

I've got a bottle or two of it waiting until I get around to finishing a couple of muzzleloading kits that I've got laying around.

[tzahoy]

I've used the Mark Lee Express Blue which is basically an accelerated rust bluing process. It works well. You do need to be absolutely surgical about keeping the water you boil in clean, and the parts you're working on clean. I cleaned my parts multiple times starting with hot water and Dawn detergent, and soaking in an acetone bath for the final rinse, but still found droplets of oil floating in the water after boiling.

The oil will contribute to some blotchiness in the finish, so I would recommend changing the water after each application, and cleaning the part in acetone after each application as well. Using de-ionized or purified water is an absolute must.

That said, even with the issues I had, the finish I got was quite uniform. I've heard it is one of the most forgiving chemistries out there. It will not give you a bright polished blue, but more of a satin dark blue-grey as is typical of rust blued finishes. Also more applications you apply the more matte it becomes, so you do have some control of the finish.

Here's a revolver I built and blued with Mark Lee Express Blue #1. You can see some very light non uniformity on the barrel when viewed in just the right light, but you really need to be looking for it. There is also a product called Express Brown #2 for rust browning.

[samsbolt390]

Rust Blue

This an awsome thread on AK files I plan on following on my projects good pics and write up! http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showth...4&page=1&pp=35

[Cali-V]

+1000 on the akfiles thread...

[Mikeb]

If I had made a quaterbore cannon a couple of years ago I would have used Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown. And If such a thing was sitting here today it would look pretty good. It wouldn't have required a damp box, but it would take most of a week of application get a nice even deep brown. I understand that if I boiled it the brown would turn black. As with any finishing prep is the key. Laurel Mountain browning is well recommended too.
Can you believe the Fairfield cops called a carbide cannon a destructive device. If they saw a real cannon they would probably soil themselves
take care
Mike

[motorhead]

i've been experimenting with small parts. i started with the herters rust blue, results have not been great. i don't think i got the proper finish, i used 80 grit glass bead (it's what i had in he cab.). i'm going to try with the 120 alox.

[C.W.M.V.]

Subscribed...
Rust blue would be the period correct finish for original 1911 and 1911-A1's right?
Ive seen some of the lugers that have been done with rust blue and they are very dark and highly glossy, while most examples here and on Akfiles seem to be rather matt. Is there a method of polishing the blue to a higher luster?
I think I may have to try this with one of my RIA pistols.

[Mikeb]

I think with any bluing system you get what you preped for. If you polish your parts before the bluing step they come out blue and polished. if you bead blast them they come out matte. If they have a scratch, they come out with a blue scratch. You might look into hot caustic bluing. You need to boil rust blue to get black so you need a pan and a burner anyway. The unique thing about rust blue is that it is not as hot so it won't mess up soldered parts like shot gun ribs.
take care
Mike

[tzahoy]

Certainly prep is a huge part of bluing, but the rust bluing process is not particularly suited to a high polish finish. You can prep to a high polish finish but the process will not yield a high polish finish if a deep blue is what you're after. If you stop after one or two applications you may get reasonable gloss, but may not have even coverage.

If you really want a high polish blue, you're going to have to hot blue.

I think with any bluing system you get what you preped for. If you polish your parts before the bluing step they come out blue and polished. if you bead blast them they come out matte. If they have a scratch, they come out with a blue scratch. You might look into hot caustic bluing. You need to boil rust blue to get black so you need a pan and a burner anyway. The unique thing about rust blue is that it is not as hot so it won't mess up soldered parts like shot gun ribs.
take care
Mike