Chuck 100 yd
Advanced Levergunner
USA
2138 Posts
Posted - 05/06/2006 : 4:13:31 PM
These are the pics of the "Some people should not have kids rifle after a little work. Win. 94 .30-30 (1957) purchase price $200.
Before
After
Before
After
After
This has been a fun project and it gave me a rifle that I may not have been able to afford if not for BUBBA`s help in lowering it`s cost. HORRAY FOR BUBBA!!!
Chuck 100 ydFriends Bramble and Savage, Rust bluing is a very old and simple process and works best if the metal is not overly polished because you want it to rust.
In the case of the link,I draw filed the Engraving ( gulp) out followed by 220 and 320 grit wet or dry paper. You clean the part GOOD with asatone or wash with hot water and dish soap and dry.
You were wearing rubber gloves to clean the part and will not touch the part again with a bare hand until it is done.
Next you swab on the rust blueing solution with a cotton ball , The solution is an acid and in early america they used human urine and a few drops of laundry bluing to cut the surface tension and make it level well.
The bluing acid goes on very lightly, 4 drops will cover an entire barrel. I used Pilkingtons Classic American Rust Blue from Brownells
but there are many others available and all I have tried work well.
After applying the acid, you hang the part in a damp warm area to let it rust.
After about three hr. you will have a dull red rusty mess. The rust should be fine grained and completely ugly.
Take your part and boil it in a clean stainless pot suspended by wires so the part is not in direct contact with the pan bottom. Use distilled water and boil for 10 min.
Let the part dry or blow off with compressed air and then card off the loose Velvet with 0000 steel wool that you have washed in assetone to remove the oil (from production and to prevent rust)
This process is done over and over untill the finish is what you want.
Rust bluing is very simple and very satisfying and durable finish,
just the best!!!
Order in some from Brownells, Midway,etc. it comes with complete instructions. Test it on scrap metal,banding material,old parts etc.
I have a sweat box that I built that speeds things up as I can control the temp and humidity quite well.
Have fun!
Chuck 100 ydI did forget to say that boiling the part turns the red rust into a black oxide and after 4-6 coats is the beutifull rust blue that gunsmiths charge hundreds of $ for. You can do it at home in your spare time.
Chuck 100 yd
Edited by - Chuck 100 yd on 05/06/2006 8:46:22 PMSteve and Duff, The pot only needs to be large enough to cover the part with water. I hang the parts from unplated iron wire just above the bottom and boil for 10 min.
I will take pics of my sweat box but it is just a virtical box about 6 ft. tall with a door in the side and a compartment in the bottom with a small door to access the lower part.a light bulb is mounted on the inside of the door and one at the bottom with a small pan held just above the bottom 150 wat bulb. Both bulbs are on dimmer switches. the light bulb inside the door warms the box and the bulb on the bottom heats the pan of water to make it humid inside. I can maintain 90% humidity and 90-100 deg.inside to make the parts rust fast. I will post a picture tomarrow.
Chuck 100 ydChuck 100 yd
Advanced Levergunner
USA
2138 Posts
Some pics of the sweat/humidity box.
This sweat box is a lot fancier than need be. Just the way I do things I guess. It is extra long to hold those Kentucky rifle barrels up to 50" long. I build ML rifles also and brown them in here.
Browning and bluing are the same process,you just don`t " cook off "(boil) the parts to brown. Have fun!
Chuck 100 yd
