Most any thin steel or aluminum 'tank' works. Gutter mat'l is always one to use.
Careful when it's full of water that it doesn't 'flex' and spill water and parts all over Mom's kitchen stove and floor if that's where the heat source is planned.
For many years I used a long fiberglass flower box with a waterheater coil set into each end with fiberglas material/stock bedding compound.
I wired them in series (I think!) and plugged them straight into the 110v in the garage and the water was rolling boil in about 5 min.
The whole set-up was set in a plywood coffin of sorts with the top open and sittin in a cut out. Some insulation inside the box to keep the heat in and keep me away from the wires!
A simple plywood cover with plastic stapled around it. I used that set up for around 10yrs to do RB on probably 200 sets of SxS and single bbl guns. Some very expensive ones at that.
Then I graduated to NatGas in the new place and a stainless tank.
Same results though.
Now many seem to be using a 'steam tower'. and from all accounts they work very well.
The advantages are very small amt of water to be used,,a couple qts at most , usually 1 qt will do it for a cycle.
Heats up and boils quickly.
The heat source can be a simple hot plate or single burner as the water is placed in a small container like a steam cooker or other 'pot' with cover.
The 'Tower' is a piece of PVC pipe on top of the cooker secured so it doesn't tip over of course.
The steam from the cooker/pot rushes into the Tower where the bbl and/or parts are placed.
The top of the tower is open and accessable to place and remove the parts. A loose fitting cover is placed over it when the steaming is in operation.
Takes about the same 10 to 20 min time as a boiling cycle in a tank.
Remove part(s),,turn off the heat and let everything cool off.
The 'Tower' can remain assembled but placed aside till the next cycle is needed.
Card the parts when cool, recoat and rust, etc.
Here's a pic of a one set up.
The operator states:
"You hang the parts from a rod which you put through the pic pipe at the top; I put a piece of foil on the top to keep the steam in but you do not want to seal it off; you want hot steam to pass up through the pipe at all times. I steam for ten minutes. I used the pressure cooker because of the locking lid;
***there are 5 big holes drilled in the lid to let the steam up; no pressure involved.***
I see I used a saucer on this one; I don't do that now for fear it might fall off. Total cost; $12;"
He says the pressure cooker came from his wife who no longer used it!
If you google 'Steam rust bluing' or something like that you can find some other info on it but that's about the story on it.
Doing LR bbl's you likely will need a heat source that will sit on the floor due to the length of the bbl(s) and the PVC tube. You need some overhead clearance to get the parts in and back out of the thing.
Might be a garage project..
