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I have a few questions offhand:
What was used to "card" the parts? Steel wool?
They only mention carding once. Is it done ONLY once or each time the part is removed until the desired color is achieved?
They wrapped an iron wire around the parts to dip them. For a screw that will have most all of the threaded shaft hidden, I don't see a problem. The extractor they blued (around 56 seconds on the vid) has me wondering about the area where the wire is wrapped. Do the salts make their way under the wire or do you have to move the wire to blue where it was originally placed?
Thanks!
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.
-Mark Twain
Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:13
Got to have a Jones for this
Jones for that
This running with the Joneses boy
Just ain't where it's at
I have a few questions offhand:
What was used to "card" the parts? Steel wool?
They only mention carding once. Is it done ONLY once or each time the part is removed until the desired color is achieved?
They wrapped an iron wire around the parts to dip them. For a screw that will have most all of the threaded shaft hidden, I don't see a problem. The extractor they blued (around 56 seconds on the vid) has me wondering about the area where the wire is wrapped. Do the salts make their way under the wire or do you have to move the wire to blue where it was originally placed?
Thanks!
It's the heat that turns it to the color. Not the salt. The salt is only the carrier for the heat.
I don't card like that. I buff to a high polish, clean with lacquer thinner then dunk them to color. A little heads up. Remove them just a bit light in color because they will darken slightly more once oiled.
Steve, when you say "buff to a high polish", do you mean after the initial dunking into the heated solution? How much time ia allowed to buff or card before returning to the liquid?
Newtmaker wrote:Steve, when you say "buff to a high polish", do you mean after the initial dunking into the heated solution? How much time ia allowed to buff or card before returning to the liquid?
Walt
No, I buff, clean with the lacquer thinner then into the heat. You can actually get the same effect by buffing the screws and heating them with a torch. When you heat steel it changes colors. The problem is the torch doesn't work well with larger parts. The hot salt Nitre blue is just a way to control the heat.
To get the color you want it's a kinda trail and error process. The hammers and top lever for this one went a bit darker than I wanted. To correct to a lighter color requires repolishing. The trigger guard and fore-iron came out just about right.
Steve,
a quick question. (atLeast I hope). Do the blueing salts follow this ( tempurature achieved ) pattern or not? Or is this a niter blue issue?
Alan Wood
I have nitre blued some small parts but would like to know is there any part of a gun that you cannot nitre blue? I guess what I am asking is;if you had a vat large enough could you blue an entire revolver or something larger or would you cause a problem with the heat treatment of receiver or barrel steels?
"Knowledge without understanding is a dangerous thing. For a little knowledge entices us to walk its path, a bit more provides the foundation on which we take our stand, and a sufficient amount can erect a wall of knowledge around us, trapping us in our own ignorance."
It is my understanding that you can nitre blue pretty much any part of a gun. From a heating perspective, it is very similar to "Charcoal Bluing" which was used by S&W and Colt on early revolvers, and by Winchester to blue rifle frames. Sometime down the road, I intend to defarb an Uberti 1858 Remington revolver, repolish, and nitre blue it. As with most finishes, the polishing makes a huge impact on the end product. A friend of mine makes precision long-range sights for BP cartridge rifles. He bead blasts some parts before nitre bluing, and they turn out VERY nice.
Wayne Miller
(Known as "Mossyrock" elsewhere)
"We thought about it for a long time... 'Endeavor to persevere.' And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union."
Thanks all! As usual, now I have questions about the answers...
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:
I don't card like that. I buff to a high polish, clean with lacquer thinner then dunk them to color.
I was under the impression carding was done to remove some (all?) of the initial salts. The vid didn't say WHY they were doing it, just that they were doing it. I presume the lacquer thinner evaporates before the part gets to the salt bath?
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:The hammers and top lever for this one went a bit darker than I wanted. To correct to a lighter color requires repolishing.
Does the repolish take it back to bare metal or does the part get progressively lighter and you stop when you reach the color you wanted to begin with?
milton wrote:I have nitre blued some small parts but would like to know is there any part of a gun that you cannot nitre blue? I guess what I am asking is;if you had a vat large enough could you blue an entire revolver or something larger or would you cause a problem with the heat treatment of receiver or barrel steels?
I seem to recall USFA had an offering that had a nitre blued frame or barrel, maybe both? Maybe it was one of their 1911s with the slide and frame done that way?
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.
-Mark Twain
Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:13
Got to have a Jones for this
Jones for that
This running with the Joneses boy
Just ain't where it's at
Wayne Miller wrote:It is my understanding that you can nitre blue pretty much any part of a gun. From a heating perspective, it is very similar to "Charcoal Bluing" which was used by S&W and Colt on early revolvers, and by Winchester to blue rifle frames. Sometime down the road, I intend to defarb an Uberti 1858 Remington revolver, repolish, and nitre blue it. As with most finishes, the polishing makes a huge impact on the end product. A friend of mine makes precision long-range sights for BP cartridge rifles. He bead blasts some parts before nitre bluing, and they turn out VERY nice.
It's lovely but it's also not terribly durable. The 1858 on the bottom is nitre blued on the barrel, ramming lever, and cylinder and you can see how it's gotten a bit blotchy.
Thanks guys ,very nice info and that '58 looked very nice!!
"Knowledge without understanding is a dangerous thing. For a little knowledge entices us to walk its path, a bit more provides the foundation on which we take our stand, and a sufficient amount can erect a wall of knowledge around us, trapping us in our own ignorance."
awp101 wrote:Thanks all! As usual, now I have questions about the answers...
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:
I don't card like that. I buff to a high polish, clean with lacquer thinner then dunk them to color.
I was under the impression carding was done to remove some (all?) of the initial salts. The vid didn't say WHY they were doing it, just that they were doing it. I presume the lacquer thinner evaporates before the part gets to the salt bath?
Yes, I use the thinner because the polishing compounds have oils in them.
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:The hammers and top lever for this one went a bit darker than I wanted. To correct to a lighter color requires repolishing.
Does the repolish take it back to bare metal or does the part get progressively lighter and you stop when you reach the color you wanted to begin with?
No, The polish takes it back to a bright polish. Then you start over, back in the heat.
milton wrote:I have nitre blued some small parts but would like to know is there any part of a gun that you cannot nitre blue? I guess what I am asking is;if you had a vat large enough could you blue an entire revolver or something larger or would you cause a problem with the heat treatment of receiver or barrel steels?
I seem to recall USFA had an offering that had a nitre blued frame or barrel, maybe both? Maybe it was one of their 1911s with the slide and frame done that way?
As to the subject of what parts can be done, I'm a bit leary of doing frames. Now you are messing with the heat treating. That, and as mentioned it's not a vary durable finish.
"Knowledge without understanding is a dangerous thing. For a little knowledge entices us to walk its path, a bit more provides the foundation on which we take our stand, and a sufficient amount can erect a wall of knowledge around us, trapping us in our own ignorance."
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:
I don't card like that. I buff to a high polish, clean with lacquer thinner then dunk them to color.
I was under the impression carding was done to remove some (all?) of the initial salts. The vid didn't say WHY they were doing it, just that they were doing it. I presume the lacquer thinner evaporates before the part gets to the salt bath?
Yes, I use the thinner because the polishing compounds have oils in them.
Ahhhh, polishing compound! What's the advantage to that vs say 800+ grit crocus paper or the like?
And Oly, that '58 does look good!
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.
-Mark Twain
Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:13
Got to have a Jones for this
Jones for that
This running with the Joneses boy
Just ain't where it's at
Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:
I don't card like that. I buff to a high polish, clean with lacquer thinner then dunk them to color.
I was under the impression carding was done to remove some (all?) of the initial salts. The vid didn't say WHY they were doing it, just that they were doing it. I presume the lacquer thinner evaporates before the part gets to the salt bath?
Yes, I use the thinner because the polishing compounds have oils in them.
Ahhhh, polishing compound! What's the advantage to that vs say 800+ grit crocus paper or the like?
And Oly, that '58 does look good!
Mostly just a big time savings. If you are using paper you are doing it by hand. I use a Baldor buffer;
With felt or muslin wheels loaded with the polishing compound.
