Acid Pitting

[MKemper]

I am wanting to add some "random" pitting to the steel parts on a rifle project.  Has anyone ever used muriatic acid to do this?  I don't want the look of the clorox boil treatment (too consistent).  I will follow the pitting with a heavy brown, full carding and Oxpho Blue.  I use this process quite a bit for a very mild pitting, but want to integrate the random pitting in select areas of the barrel.  I have previously seen comments regarding a splatter of 44/40 bluing followed by clorox steam.  Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[J. Talbert]

I think your on the right path for what you descirbe.
Selective application of cold blue to specific areas followed by immersion in room temperature clorox (no boiling) will yield a rapid pitting to those areas, (within 5-to 15 minutes) before the cold clorox will begin to attack the untreated areas.  I would still recommend plugging the barrel of course to protect the bore.
A little experimentation on scraps would probably be helpful.

Jeff

[Mark Elliott]

Marv,

Cold bluing and ticture of iodine works wonders overnight as long as there is a reasonable amount of moisture in the air.   Just apply some here and there and let it do its job.   Scrub it down and oil it to stop the process.   If you do it right,  it will look like barnacles growing off the barrel in less than 24 hours.   

Mark E.

[T*O*F]

Selective application of cold blue to specific areas followed by immersion in room temperature clorox (no boiling) will yield a rapid pitting to those areas, (within 5-to 15 minutes) before the cold clorox will begin to attack the untreated areas.

You don't even have to immerse it.  Apply the blue where you want it and wrap it with paper towels soaked in bleach.

[billd]

Please humor me...........What does the bleach do to the blued metal that it won't do to bare metal?

Bill

[smshea]

Please humor me...........What does the bleach do to the blued metal that it won't do to bare metal?

Bill

Just works faster on the blued parts.