Author Topic: Rust blue treatment (Read 5693 times)

sydney · « **on:** May 27, 2016, 05:32:41 PM »

After rust bluing what do you treat the steel with ??
I find on round barrels I can get a nice low luster finish
but on flat surfaces the finish is too flat for my tastes
Any ideas
thanks Sydney

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #1 on:** May 27, 2016, 05:40:04 PM »

I did an octagonal barrel with rust blue. It's more black than blue, but I believe careful carding is the secret. Use a stainless steel wire wheel, from Brownell's for carding.

For this I use Wahkon Bay rust blue, and must have applied it six times, alternating rusting and boiling and careful carding.

Joe S. · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2016, 09:36:25 PM »

Quote from: Acer Saccharum on May 27, 2016, 05:40:04 PM

I did an octagonal barrel with rust blue. It's more black than blue, but I believe careful carding is the secret. Use a stainless steel wire wheel, from Brownell's for carding.

For this I use Wahkon Bay rust blue, and must have applied it six times, alternating rusting and boiling and careful carding.

Did you card between treatments?let it rust,boil then card and do it all over again till you liked what you saw?

eddillon · « **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2016, 09:49:12 PM »

Not to get distracted from the thread but, Tom, could we see the rest of that beautiful flintgun?

JCurtiss · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2016, 11:37:32 PM »

Quote from: aka california eddillon on May 27, 2016, 09:49:12 PM

Not to get distracted from the thread but, Tom, could we see the rest of that beautiful flintgun?

No kidding!

Mark Elliott · « **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2016, 11:53:39 PM »

Tom,

I am interested in the engraving. Did you use a graver or a punch to stiple the background? In any case, I really like it.

Mark

L. Akers · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2016, 06:23:38 AM »

Back to the thread. Acer has the actual blueing part right--card ALL the rust off with a carding wheel--but for the finish it sounds like you are looking for you have to start with the polish on the steel. The old saw "the better the polish the better the finish" is right on. To get a bright finish I polish up to 600 grit with aluminum-oxide paper then use tripoli polish on a muslin buffing wheel. The steel is not mirror bright but close. Then dilute your rusting agent so you get MUCH finer rust scales. Finer scales = finer finish.

P.W.Berkuta · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2016, 07:23:28 PM »

Quote from: L. Akers on May 28, 2016, 06:23:38 AM

Back to the thread. Acer has the actual blueing part right--card ALL the rust off with a carding wheel--but for the finish it sounds like you are looking for you have to start with the polish on the steel. The old saw "the better the polish the better the finish" is right on. To get a bright finish I polish up to 600 grit with aluminum-oxide paper then use tripoli polish on a muslin buffing wheel. The steel is not mirror bright but close. Then dilute your rusting agent so you get MUCH finer rust scales. Finer scales = finer finish.

That Tripoli polish (or other bufflig compounds) has wax in it to bind the grit together. What is your cleaning process to rid the surface of the wax? I find if I polish with a grit above 400 then the rust blue solution I use does not "bite" into the metal easily or quickly and the process could take days & days.

T*O*F · « **Reply #8 on:** May 28, 2016, 07:52:31 PM »

Quote

That Tripoli polish (or other bufflig compounds) has wax in it to bind the grit together. What is your cleaning process to rid the surface of the wax?

I was buffing some stuff the other day and by chance sprayed them with brake parts cleaner. It dissolved the residue and washed it right off. It was GUNK brand, but I don't know if that would make a difference.

PPatch · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2016, 08:01:09 PM »

Hi Sydney;

To answer your original question the only "treatment" I do after rust bluing is a coat of oil. If there is any "luster" to be had the oil will bring it out. I've not had good luck with simply waxing. There is too much humidity here in the southern part of the US.

dave

sydney · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2016, 08:12:06 PM »

Hi-- I clean with brake cleaner before starting
I use cotton gloves when carding ect
I card with a stainless brush form brownell s
I get a nice luster on butt plates and other round parts --barrels ect
The flat sided plates are always dull compared to the barrel
Sydney

L. Akers · « **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2016, 04:15:15 AM »

Quote from: P.W.Berkuta on May 28, 2016, 07:23:28 PM

That Tripoli polish (or other bufflig compounds) has wax in it to bind the grit together. What is your cleaning process to rid the surface of the wax? I find if I polish with a grit above 400 then the rust blue solution I use does not "bite" into the metal easily or quickly and the process could take days & days.

I use dish detergent in boiling water and a terrycloth rag wrapped on the end of a stick to scrub. When I am absolutely sure I have removed all traces of oil, wax and grease, I scrub some more. I rinse with more boiling water. I have never had a problem with my rusting agent not wetting the surface. My process does take days and days--about 14 of them and that's using a rust box.

sydney · « **Reply #12 on:** May 29, 2016, 06:12:09 AM »

Hi---what are you using for a rusting agent??
Sydney

kutter · « **Reply #13 on:** May 29, 2016, 07:32:39 AM »

Incomplete or just plain poor carding of the surface is a source of a less than stellar rust blue finish.
Not getting the red rust to completely convert to a blue/black coating can be the problem.
Then all the carding in the world won't lead to a nice 'blue'.
Lots of things figure in the latter and even when everything goes right, the blue isn't going to be of any higher luster (shiny) than the polish underneath it.,,with rust blue usually less.
It is possible to do high gloss blue w/rust bluing, it does take some extra care and time.

Some rusting soln's just naturaly etch the surface more than others, they are more aggressive. Some steels react more than others.
The carding process itself is a matting finish to metal wether it has bluing on it or it's in the white. Wheel speed, wire dia and stiffness,pressure applied all play a role.

The rust bluing process itself is no deep secret. Getting a repeatable result and being able to alter the result to your wishes to match for restoration purposes is the hard part.

L. Akers · « **Reply #14 on:** May 29, 2016, 04:54:01 PM »

Quote from: sydney on May 29, 2016, 06:12:09 AM

Hi---what are you using for a rusting agent??
Sydney

I use a solution that I made up myself back in the 80's. I made a gallon of it at the time but I don't recall the formula. I think I got the formula from Algier's book. I have used several of the solutions available commercially and without exception found them to be too aggressive for my process. I have diluted them by about 20 to 1--that's 20 oz distilled water to one oz solution. There is really no secret to a high gloss finish--high polish on the steel, a solution diluted to give MICROSCOPIC size rust flakes, a carding that removes ALL the rust, and time.
I wrote an article describing my process in detail which was printed in the Feb. 2016 issue of Muzzle Blasts. It my be of some help to you.

sydney · « **Reply #15 on:** May 29, 2016, 09:14:05 PM »

Hi---thanks for the help
If anyone can send me a copy of Muzzle Blasts or a scan
I would appreciate it
As far as I know there is no place in town to buy a copy
Sydney

L. Akers · « **Reply #16 on:** May 30, 2016, 05:37:56 AM »

Sydney, I will e-mail you a copy of the manuscript as soon as I figure out how--probably have to get the wife to show me.

sydney · « **Reply #17 on:** May 30, 2016, 07:49:44 AM »

Hi--Thank you--looking forward to the article
Sydney

sydney · « **Reply #18 on:** May 31, 2016, 05:24:43 PM »

Hi Larry---I rec d the article
Thank you
Sydney

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Author Topic: Rust blue treatment (Read 5693 times)

eddillon

JCurtiss