What are you all using as a cheap metal tank for hot bluing barrels and other gun parts?  I'll be doing this once, maybe twice, so don't want to invest in a tank made specifically for this.

If you don't want to invest in the tools, why think you can do the job.  I want to put new injectors in my F350; should I try to do it with only a Crescent wrench?

Caution.  Leave General Discussion quality comments in GD.  AeroE

LOL!!!! Thanks for the dumb ass response.  ETA, at least your screen name checks out.

Look for a stainless steel pan that goes in a hotel "hot bar". Check restaurant supply places.  Amazon has them for $20ish each.

Should be 4" deep by ~24" long and 12-16" wide.   About 5 gallon capacity
Can't do a barreled receiver in them but can do barrels on a diagonal.  Honestly I'd find a sheet metal shop and see if they can bend you up one and then take it to get welded.  Will cost you far less than a Brownells tank and can do everything.

Those are what I use for parkerizing, and rinsing/cleaning, but stainless is no-bueno for hot bluing

"Bluing Salts in the presence of stainless steel and gun steel frequently can create 'galvanic' action (electric current flow) between the two dissimilar metals resulting in a 'false plate' of either chemicals (streaking the bluing with random iridescent blues/greens/purples) or stainless steel (giving patches of random silver specks/spots)."

I'm thinking cheap disposable aluminum roasting or steam table pans. Found some online that are 20" long.  $37 for a 15 pack with 3" high sides. Placed on a diagonal and they will easily hold the barrel and parts I want to blue.

I like I can toss them out afterwards versus finding a place to store them.

Also found galvanized planter inserts at local nursery. About 36" long. Ends would have to be made water tight with solder and flux, but that's more work.

ETA, maybe the easiest to source would be a length of 4" unpainted galvanized or tin gutter.  Cut to length, install matching metal end caps, then crimp and solder them in place so water tight. This would be a more durable, re,-usable option particularly for really long, black powder barrels.  If you aren't up to soldering, use high temp JB weld or just line the inside with heavy duty aluminum foil.

This^^^

Just an FYI .....Hot bluing dissolves aluminum .......you'll want to avoid solder (hot blue a set of soldered SxS barrels and watch what happens!), and anything galvanized as well.

Mild steel ......and it needs to be welded

Well, you're no fun at all.

Looks like cold blue it is!!!

If you have a sheet metal company around or know someone with a sheet metal break, have them bend you a tank from sheet steel.
It doesn't have to be fancy, just bent enough to hold the chemical.
You'll really need two, one for the cleaner and a rinse, the other for the chemical.

However, because of the problems with getting the mix right, and keeping the temperatures exactly right, plus the danger, you're better off sending it out to a pro refinisher.
Another problem is where you do it...... the fumes cause everything made of steel in the area to rust, including plumbing and electrical.

If you cold blue, I recommend trying Brownell's Dicrophan T4.  Unlike other cold blues, T4 is a BLACK color that more closely matches modern hot salts bluing.
It's also the most durable cold blue I ever tried.

To help cold bluing along, clean very thoroughly, then liberally flush with denatured or 91% alcohol in a spray bottle.
Warm and dry the metal with a hair dryer, WARM... NOT HOT.  Hot and the chemical will dry before it can work well.

Rinse with hot water, spray with alcohol again, dry and warm again and reapply.
With T4 you can do this as many times as you want and the chemical won't start beading up like the others.

Might consider rust bluing, old school, durable. Still need a tank for boiling water, but stainless is fine.

I did a thread on it here.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Let-s-Rust-Blue-A-Rifle-/49-506210/

Hot bluing is not something you get into for just one or 2 times. The cost of entry is high, the chemicals expensive, and you need multiple tanks for all the steps.

I made my own tanks for rust bluing from old 2300 ford valve covers. I used 2 valve covers for each tank. I cut one end from each and welded them together.

I may just do that or brown it. Project is a blunderbuss kit where 20" barrel arrives in the white.  It's a $1500 kit, so I want to do it well.

Rust bluing or brown would certainly give you a period correct finish.

Laurel Mountain Browning Solution works great for either.

Rust blue.

Looks great, no bad chemicals, and you just need something to boil your gun in.

Since you only need to do it a couple times..?
Why not polish it up as you with and just send it out to get blued.