Subject: Re: rifle steel

From: [email-masked] (Adam Karpowicz)
Date: 23 Nov 1994 13:10:41 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Russ Kepler) writes:
>In article <[email-masked]>,
>
>I believe that you'd be fine blackening a barrel as you suggest, but
>would suggest that the more common finish is a plum brown or a rust
>blue, the latter being almost solid black if done well.  It's not too
>hard to do a good rust finish on an old piece.
>
>-- 
>Russ Kepler posting from home  [email-masked]
>
>                      Please don't feed the Engineers

Thanks. I vaquely remember the plum brown is done with the use of
mercury salts, I'd rather not do it (with the kids around esp.). 
The rust blue sounds interesting, how is it done?

Adam

---

From: [email-masked] (Mrwizard00)
Date: 24 Nov 1994 12:30:20 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Adam
Karpowicz) writes:

According to Guy Lutard's book, you can get a brown by using the
rust-and-card process, and a blue by doing the same thing but BOILING the
piece in hot water before each carding.  I believe these are the old,
non-chemical ways of doing it as they did in the 18th century.

---

From: [email-masked] (Adam Karpowicz)
Date: 25 Nov 1994 13:26:05 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Russ Kepler) writes:
>In article <[email-masked]>,
>Adam Karpowicz <[email-masked]> wrote:
>Most browning is done with a 10% salt solution or a weak ammonium
>chloride solution.  Simply brush on the cleaned, polished and
>degreased metal, wait for rust and card off 

.......
>
>A rust blue is done similar to the above but with the boiling of the
>metal between passes, either before or after the carding.  

.....

Excuse my ignorance - what is carding? Wiping? Rubbing with a special
tool (card)?  Do your recipes come from a book or a magazine? Could
you give me the refs? I would like to experiment with browning.

Thanks

Adam

---

From: [email-masked] (Russ Kepler)
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 21:03:06 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Adam Karpowicz <[email-masked]> wrote:
>I plan to use heat/oil method to re-blacken an old rifle. The process
>worked well for me on small steel parts.  I would not want to ruin
>the original temper of the barrel and action during this - could
>someone tell me at what temperature rifle steel is tempered?  It must
>be quite high, the steel is soft enough to be drilled and tapped with
>ordinary tools. Is it blue temper?

For the most part, gun barrels are worked and used in a fully annealed
state, ie. dead soft, only the native hardness of the material.  I
know that this is true for many of the custom barrels, but do not know
about all factory barrels.

Heck, if they were hardened they'd be a real bitch to cut, thread and
mount.  It's enough pain as it is with a 4150 CM at RC 38 much less
trying to cut the same in a hardened RC 54.

---

From: [email-masked] (Russ Kepler)
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 1994 21:54:48 GMT

Most browning is done with a 10% salt solution or a weak ammonium
chloride solution.  Simply brush on the cleaned, polished and
degreased metal, wait for rust and card off the excess rust.  Clean
the rusted metal in boiling water very briefly before carding.  When
you've done 6-10 rust cycles you'll have a mottled appearance, don't
sweat it but instead finish with boiling water then either a lacquer
or an oil then wax.  I like wax, as it'll really protect the metal in
a damp climate.  I've got several browning solution formulas but none
with Hg.

A rust blue is done similar to the above but with the boiling of the
metal between passes, either before or after the carding.  It's not
uncommon to use a nitric acid or hydrochloric acid to speed the rust
cycle, but this will require setting the metal in a warm and humid
environment.   I've got a lot of cold blue formulas that all use quite
a bit of acid.

---

From: [email-masked] (Mike Rehmus)
Date: 27 Nov 1994 19:07:04 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Adam Karpowicz) 
writes: 

>
>In article <[email-masked]>, 
>you give me the refs? I would like to experiment with browning.
IMHO
The best way to learn about Bluing and Browning is to learn with the 
correct solutions and tools.  Try Brownells in Iowa, a gunsmith supplies 
mail order house for just about anything you want to know, and a lot 
more besides.  They will send you a catalog at no cost.  The number is 
(516) 623-5401.

Best regards,

Mike Rehmus
[email-masked]