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 ScottsGT
Member
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Joined: Jan 2003  SC, USA
 Posts: 1457 Feedback: 100% (4) Link To This Post |
Posted: 10/20/2010 12:40:20 PM
Originally Posted By Magurgle:
Originally Posted By ScottsGT:
Have you ever tried the bluing with a handgun that had a mirror finish polish on it? I built a Caspian non A1 using Colt parts my Dad had years ago. I had everything polished to a mirror finish for a deep, high gloss blue finish and ready to send off to a bluer. But the guy told me that there had to be some "bite" to the finish for the bluing to "take" so I had him finish it with the standard bead blasted rounds and 400 grit on the flats. Still turned out beautiful, but it was not the high polish I really wanted. I've seen mirror polishes get blued just fine. There are certain parts that you would not want polished that high though. The top of a 1911 for example, should be bead blasted IMO. If it isn't shooting in bright sunlight could be difficult. Less of an issue with blued compared to stainless I would think but either way that extra reflection or glare you can get off of it could mess with your sight picture. I see what you are talking about, but honestly, it was going to be a B-B-Que gun with Ivorys. Dad opted out on the Ivorys and went with wood. |
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Magurgle
Gun plumber for hire
Team Member
Joined: Feb 2005 OH, USA
Posts: 8192 Feedback: 100% (1) Link To This Post |
Posted: 10/20/2010 1:54:25 PM
Originally Posted By ScottsGT:
Originally Posted By Magurgle:
Originally Posted By ScottsGT:
Have you ever tried the bluing with a handgun that had a mirror finish polish on it? I built a Caspian non A1 using Colt parts my Dad had years ago. I had everything polished to a mirror finish for a deep, high gloss blue finish and ready to send off to a bluer. But the guy told me that there had to be some "bite" to the finish for the bluing to "take" so I had him finish it with the standard bead blasted rounds and 400 grit on the flats. Still turned out beautiful, but it was not the high polish I really wanted. I've seen mirror polishes get blued just fine. There are certain parts that you would not want polished that high though. The top of a 1911 for example, should be bead blasted IMO. If it isn't shooting in bright sunlight could be difficult. Less of an issue with blued compared to stainless I would think but either way that extra reflection or glare you can get off of it could mess with your sight picture. I see what you are talking about, but honestly, it was going to be a B-B-Que gun with Ivorys. Dad opted out on the Ivorys and went with wood. I'm not saying that is why he did that. I would do my best to talk to the customer about it, explain why he might not want i that way, but in the end it is his gun and if he wants it high polish and blued that is what he gets. The problem is that if I don't do my job to educate the customer and just do exactly what he wants he may be unhappy with the results and blame the gunsmith, even though the work is good. It could be he gave you a BS excuse because he can't work with that high a polish. I won't blue something that I haven't polished myself. |
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Keith_J
Veteran of Reagan Era
Team Member
Joined: Jan 2001 TX, USA
Posts: 67687 Feedback: 100% (1) Link To This Post |
Posted: 11/26/2011 4:45:07 PM
Don't worry about bluing salts, sodium hydroxide absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and it partly neutralized to sodium carbonate which is less harmful. Mixing that with the liquid off of a Damp Rid bucket (used to absorb humidity) turns that into calcium carbonate (limestone, active ingredient in Tums etc., chalk) and ordinary salt.
Yes, you COULD mix the spent bluing salts with Damp Rid solution (2NaOH + CaCl2 = NaCl + Ca(OH)2 with side reaction of Ca(OH)2 + CO2 = CaCO3 + H2O) BUT the energy of the reaction will cause heating and could pose a danger. Always best to run these neutralizing reactions slowly, meaning dilute. Sodium nitrate is a fertilizer. |
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