The Firearms Forum banner

My Hot Bluing set up

4K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  goofy 
#1 ·
Everyone always asks me how I do it, so I thought I would document the process, the tools and of course the safety equipment
 
#3 ·
I find that interesting, as well. I vaguely remember reading the label on a can of jalapeno peppers, back in the '70s, and seeing lye listed in the ingredients. I can't find that ingredient on the label these days, but I'm certain that it used to be a key ingredient in the brine used in canning the things.
 
#4 · (Edited)
My shop has a room set up just for bluing. This is so I can do it all year it has a hoods and fans that turn over the air 5 times a minute.
I use 5 tanks.
First is for hot cleaner. This is 150 degrees and parts are in for 20 minutes.
2nd is for hot water rinse (to remove any oil and hold compound). this is kept just under boil. Parts are in for 5 minutes.
3rd for hot salts. This is at 285 degrees and parts are in for 30 minutes.
4th for hot water rinse with sat removing solution (to remove all salts). This is 190 degrees and parts are in for 15 minutes.
5th is cold water rinse that has flowing water. Parts are in for 5 minutes.
Then they all get put into a GOOD water displacing oil (wd-40 is not a good water displacing oil) for 1 hour.
Then they are hung for 3 days after being coated with curing oil.
All tanks that are heated are heated with propane and I ALWAYS keep the flame under the tank and set at the height that will heat it with out wasting gas.(AND GETTING BURNED)
You are not wearing rubber boots you should be to keep your feet from getting burned with salts. (and any other things that drip).
You need all the steps that I do to get a good solid bluing with no streaks and drip marks.
Does your compressor have a water removing system?
Bluing can be very dangerous and should be done by someone that has been trained and not with makeshift systems.
I think my insurance would double if I did it the way you do. Does your insurance know how you do it?
I am not trying to be a smart a@@ but I think the way you do it is VERY dangerous and should not be shown the way you did so others that are not trained try it the way you do it.
If you are going to do this you should have ALL the right equipment and not be done with makeshift stuff like buckets and propane burners that do not heat evenly and blow flames out the sides. And should be done in a controlled area. And not on the ground so you have to bend over the tanks that is too dangerous. You should NEVER be on top of your tanks.
Your way of doing it limits you to be able to do it ONLY on good days and not on rainy and cold days.
I think you should rethink this and set up a way to do it that is safer and more productive.
And you do not have to worry about disposing the left over because all cleaners should be biodegradable and once the salt is depleted it is not toxic. ANY waste disposing facility will take it.
You should remove this so others do not try it the way you do it because it is wrong and someone will get hurt and saying "If you get hurt doing this don't blame me" does not keep you from being sued for showing the way NOT to do this.
Mike
 
#5 ·
I can add very little to what goofy has already mentioned.
What I can say is that I have personly had a tank of hot blueing salts blow up in my face ( weatherby trigger guard ) and if not for the Safety Equipment, I would be disfigured. It's none of my business how you prefer to do your blueing, but please use quality safety equipment and not what you are using now. Go out and spend a grand or so on proper Safety Equipment and enjoy life.

GRC Gunsmithing
 
#6 ·
Was something deleted? I don't see an explanation of how it was done.
 
#18 ·
There was a link that showed him using everything from plastic buckets to a deep fat fryer to hot blue steel.
It was removed (I think sense I did not remove it) because the way he was doing it was VERY dangerous and TFF did not want some one to try it his way and get hurt.
But I did not remove it so this is just a guess.
Mike
 
#8 ·
I'm sure I am not the only one to tell you this, but life is dangerous!

If you are suggesting that no one should ever work on their own stuff because they might get hurt, well...don't take offense, but that is un-American.

This country was built by self-reliant "do-it-yourselfers", I wanted to learn, so I studied how it was done, bought the minimum equipment (I am not doing this as a living) and blued some guns......criticize me all you want, but discouraging others from striking out on their own is wrong.
 
#9 ·
No one is discouraging anyone form "doing it yourself", we are discouraging doing it the wrong way. The same thing we would do if you, or I, were trying to make our own reloads without a reloading manual. We don't say "don't reload your own ammo", we say get a manual, do it right.

Any of you smiths that do bluing. Do you wear a beard?
 
#14 ·
No one is discouraging anyone form "doing it yourself", we are discouraging doing it the wrong way. The same thing we would do if you, or I, were trying to make our own reloads without a reloading manual. We don't say "don't reload your own ammo", we say get a manual, do it right.

Any of you smiths that do bluing. Do you wear a beard?
When we used to have the annual gunsmith picnic (a long time a go), there were always a few of the older smiths with beards. I never thought about it until one of the guys mentioned that most of the guys with beards have them to hide burn marks on their necks and lower jaw.
Guess what those burn marks / scars are from.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top