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Posted: 11/30/2002 9:11:10 AM EDT
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I'm trying to re-blue a backstrap/triggerguard for a Ruger Vaquero, and it's giving me fits. I know it's a steel part, as opposed to the older aluminum ones, because it was rusty and pitted. I've blued tons of stuff before, rifles, shotguns, pistols, etc, all sucsessfully. I've tried Super blue, Perma Blue, And Outers "gun Blue" all seem to work about the same: I get to a light grey-blue, and it won't get any darker. Should I try a hot blue? is there one I can do on the kitchen stove? I don't want to spend $500-1000 or more for a pro setup, as I don't do this often enough to warrant it. Any reccomendations/ suggestions would be. appreciated |
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Well, just from your subject heading I was about to fire off a knee-jerk "super-blue" response...but I see that you have been there. Done that. The only thing I can suggest is that you do several applications of the Super Blue. Rinse in cold water, buff with 0000 steel wool, just like the bottle says. While I have had the best luck with Super Blue, it still find it necessary to do 6-7 applications of the stuff. Of course, wear rubber gloves, be sure to degrease...yada yada yada. |
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OK, here is how I hotblue weapons: Completely disassemble and seperate bluable from non-bluable parts. Clean completely and degrease. Polish the parts using progressively finer polish, I start with 140 or 240 and end up with 550 or 600. -- OR -- Beadblast parts if they are to have a matte finish. Use annealed, uncoated iron wire to hang parts. Suspend them in the first tank, a mixture of Dicro-Clean 909 and water, a prebluing cleaner available from Brownells. Temp is just under boiling. Remove them and suspend them in the next tank, clean heated water. Just for a few minutes to remove all traces of the previous bath. If left in to long they will rust. Remove them and carefully suspend them in the bluing salts. Check them every few minutes. About 20 minutes is right for most steels. The bath MUST operate at the correct temp., mine operstes between 285-295 degrees. Too hot and they turn red, too cold and they get splotchy and uneven. YOU DON'T CONTROL TEMP BY ADJUSTING THE HEAT!!! You must add water or salts to control temp. Adiing water will make the solution boil at a lower temp, adding salts will raise the boling point. A light boil is reccomended. Remove the parts and dunk them into clean cold water immediately for about 30 sec. Swish them around. Remove them and use a hose or the sink to completely rinse them untill they don't feel greassy. Put the parts in water displacing oil overnight. Or wd-40 if that's all you have. Reassemble the gun without putting any scratches on it! I have had great results by keeping a container of cold water handy and removing the part from the salts and dipping it in the cold water for about 15 sec., then back to the salts. Do it about 3 times during the 20 min. bluing time. Wear as much protective gear as possible, this shit is very bad news. It is EXTREMELY caustic, will strip paint off anything, will make aluminum disappear, and will give you Cancer from prolonged use. I know of at least 4 gunsmiths in this area who have died of Cancer. i'm not sure if it was from the polishing wheels kicking out steel dust, or the bluing salts. Good luck! Balming |
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