Has anyone used this product

[Dennis Glazener]

HOMER DANGLER BARREL RUST BLUE
Homer Dangler Cold Rust Bluing Solution

If so what were your thoughts on using it and what type of finish did you get with it.
Dennis

[RichG]

beautiful blue/black finish. I was told that the blue and brown are the same formula but people wont buy the brown as a bluing formula. only difference is in the boiling of the parts to achieve a blue finish.

[Dennis Glazener]

beautiful blue/black finish. I was told that the blue and brown are the same formula but people wont buy the brown as a bluing formula. only difference is in the boiling of the parts to achieve a blue finish.

Does it go on like regular rust browning then boil it in water? Or do you have to heat it first?
Dennis

[Chris Treichel]

It works for me... easy to use and also has a grease cutting ingredient so no worries about fingerprints...

[RichG]

dennis

just like rust browning. get a good coating of rust on your parts and boil for 5min or so until the parts turn black/blue and then card the rust and repeat.

[hortonstn]

dennis,
i agree with all comments. it is really a good product and easy to use.

[PPatch]

Actually, to get that layer of rust you want (I just finished this process but with LMF browning), card off the surface rust with a rough cloth and hot water, using a toothbrush or similar tool to get into the cracks. You don't want to see any of that obvious surface rust when done carding. It will take several cycles to achieve a nice even overall rust brown while retaining sharp definition on the metal surfaces, carding really aids in getting a nice coat without undue buildup, that caked on look. I used a rough artists type canvas and did five cycles. Once you get what you want use a baking soda wash to stop the rusting process then rinse with clear water.

Boiling: After testing I found that boiling for 20 minutes gave that blue/black I was looking for, shorter times left a brown undertone to the finish. I boiled blued the barrel in a rain gutter on top of an old propane grill. I boiled the small parts in a pan on the same grill - don't toss out the hammer washer (the thingee that holds the flint down) with the boil water.    

Good luck, it is not all that hard.

dave

PS: I realize none of that answered your specific question - sorry.

[Dennis Glazener]

Actually, to get that layer of rust you want (I just finished this process but with LMF browning), card off the surface rust with a rough cloth and hot water, using a toothbrush or similar tool to get into the cracks. You don't want to see any of that obvious surface rust when done carding. It will take several cycles to achieve a nice even overall rust brown while retaining sharp definition on the metal surfaces, carding really aids in getting a nice coat without undue buildup, that caked on look. I used a rough artists type canvas and did five cycles. Once you get what you want use a baking soda wash to stop the rusting process then rinse with clear water.

Boiling: After testing I found that boiling for 20 minutes gave that blue/black I was looking for, shorter times left a brown undertone to the finish. I boiled blued the barrel in a rain gutter on top of an old propane grill. I boiled the small parts in a pan on the same grill - don't toss out the hammer washer (the thingee that holds the flint down) with the boil water.  Shocked  Roll Eyes

Good luck, it is not all that hard.

dave

Thanks Dave that brown undertone sounds interesting, may test it and see how uniform it looks. I am not sure I want a bright as new look to the barrel.
Dennis

[Jerry V Lape]

ppatch,

The rain gutter is interesting, I assume it was a galvanized steel one.  Did you do any particular preparation to it such as stripping the zinc? 

[PPatch]

Dennis, Jerry;

What surprised me Dennis was how black the barrel became, I fail to see any blue in there either. The process does after all turn red oxide into black oxide and a pretty strong black is the result. After though you can rub it back with steel wool to a more metallic sheen if that is your desire. As for playing around with that brown undertone (you will really notice it in the sunlight) go for it. It is not hard to do, just don't boil if for too long. Also, the only problems I experienced was using a bit too much pressure applying the browning solution at first - that creates a copperish look to the metal that slows the rusting quite a bit. What I did was use a Q-tip to gently apply more after a good rub down with that canvas. That worked but once you have that copper look that area will remain slow to brown throughout the process but it really isn't a huge deal. Pretty much I would say browning is rather fail-safe if you take normal precautions. Read LMF's browning instructions on the web, it is all you really need to know.

Jerry all I did with the thin metal guttering was put on caps and seal them with silicone and let it set up for over a month. I did not attempt to remove the inside coating and am not even sure it was zinc although it could have been. I was a bit concerned that the silicone would let go once the heat was applied but that was no problem. I used well water as my boiling medium, I tested it first by boiling my test strips in it. Test your water before you use it for the real thing, you may have to buy distilled water, you may not.

dp

[Dennis Glazener]

Also, the only problems I experienced was using a bit too much pressure applying the browning solution at first - that creates a copperish look to the metal that slows the rusting quite a bit. What I did was use a Q-tip to gently apply more after a good rub down with that canvas. That worked but once you have that copper look that area will remain slow to brown throughout the process but it really isn't a huge deal.

Sounds like the Dangler Bluing is about the same stuff as LMF and I have browned many barrels with that, just haven't boiled them to turn them blue.

Dennis

[PPatch]

I would bet money it is practically identical. After you described it I thought so.

dp

[PPatch]

Here are a couple of pix of the barrel I boiled...

Before boiling but after completing the browning:


After boil, and after dinging up the end of the tang by bumping into the sharp edge of my tablelamp hood:


dp

[Brian Jordan]

That finish is very nice looking ppatch! One question...the bands in the barrel near the breech. Are they only on the top 3 flats, or are they also on the side flats. I may do something similar on my build.

[PPatch]

Top flats only, that motif is repeated throughout the rifle (on metal parts).

dp

[G Jantz]

Dave,
Beautiful browning on the barrel, did you boil for 20 minutes only once at the end of the browning process?

[PPatch]

Dave,
Beautiful browning on the barrel, did you boil for 20 minutes only once at the end of the browning process?

Yes, boiled just once. If I had not gone to boiling then the next step would have been to heat the browned barrel "until it is uncomfortable to touch" (according to the instructions) and apply motor oil to it. I did that motor oil step after I boiled it and that is what you see.

dave

[IKE]

Works Good!

[Bentflint]

I did this one with Berchwood hot brown. Don't remember how long it boiled. Just dropped all the parts a pot of water and cooked them till they got dark. After they dried I heated with a heatgun hot enough to melt bees wax on them. Rubbed the wax off with a cloth while still hot.

A little off topic, I use bees wax on all rustable parts that are hidden in inlets.

[Dennis Glazener]

Looks good but its a blue finish I am trying to find out about. I can't tell for sure but isn't this one brown?
Dennis

Then after looking at it again maybe it is blue/black.

[Roger B]

To "boil" my barrels I simply took a piece of PVC sewer pipe and glued a cap to one end.  Then I poured boiling water from a pan into the pipe.  Worked fine.
One thing about the Dangler solution; just moisten the barrel with it evenly with each application.  If you get a run, it doesn't rust well and really sticks out like a sore thumb.  I think it says so on the bottle, but I seldom read directions
Roger B.

[WadePatton]

To "boil" my barrels I simply took a piece of PVC sewer pipe and glued a cap to one end.  Then I poured boiling water from a pan into the pipe.  Worked fine.

...  I think it says so on the bottle, but I seldom read directions
Roger B.

Thanks for the PVC solution.  and not reading directions.  I got some browning solution in today (LMF because they were out of HD) and started smearing it all around like i knew what i was doing.

now i'm here to refresh my recollections ...

i knew when i saw the copper color that i'd better come back and re-read all of this.  

[whitebear]

Again a little off subject but I have a shotgun barrel that has a nice natural patina, could I boil it and turn it blue black?

[PPatch]

Dennis, Wade, Whitebear;

Dennis; Frankly I believe "boiled blue" is a misnomer, what you actually get is a "boiled black." I fail to see any blue on my barrel, it is afterall red oxide changed to black oxide. In art blacks are created by beginning with a base of red or a blue and will reflect those base colors and be red toned or blue toned always, in this way you achieve a warm (red based) black or a cool (blue based) black. So, if we begin with red rust and boil it black it will retain some of that warm red in the form of a very dark brown undertone. On my barrel (and lock) you can readily see the deep down brown tones in sunlight. Otherwise it looks black as midnight and a bit overwhelming at that - I may end up scrubbing some of that off in the end. Waiting until I finish the stock to make that judgement.

Whitebear; I would love to be able to answer your question about the shotgun barrel but I am not that experienced in these matters and have no idea how that patina would react to boiling. My gut tells me it would turn black but I really can't advise you. Perhaps posting a photograph might prompt some of the more experienced builders to advise you.

Wade; if you believe you have screwed the browning process just sand it all off and start again, not difficult. When applying the solution you want to use a damp applicator (pad, rag, whatever - I used 100% cotton balls) not a wet one, squeeze it out. AND the pressure you put it on with plays a huge part in avoiding that copper toning - just gently wipe it on in one direction (as one direction as you can), do not press on the cotton ball as you slide it along. Overlapping is ok if it is just one wipe over an adjoining edge but don't apply more than one coat at a time. Card between each application after it rusts as much as it will (according to how warm and much moisture is in the air). The carding is important to achieve a smooth finish and avoid a caked up mess. When carding remove all of that red flakey stuff down to a smooth looking brown, then apply more rusting solution if needed until you are satisfied you have a good brown coating - a judgement call.

Dat's about all I know fellows.

dp

[WadePatton]

Yes, thanks Dave. 

I'm actually "goofing off" on a carry piece that ...well has berry berry little original factory finish left on it.  It looks great with a fresh rubbed back cold-blue, but that lasts for about 3 months.

I don't care for "factory fresh" looking metal on any of 'em.  I'm looking for a gray or thin brown.  So much easier to "do over" the metals eh? (relative to redoing wood).