Metal Blueing
- Thread starter DTR
- Start date
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Vic Perrin
Established Member
Heat the steel to a cherry red and quench in oil ( be prepared for a few flames!)
Spindle
Established Member
Hi
For colouring small pieces of steel you can use the tempering colours, light straw through to blue / purple.
Clean the work, (polishing if required), to a bright metal finish - place a 1/2" layer of dry sand in a suitable metal container, (tobacco tin or similar), and place the item on top of the sand. Heat the sand from below using a gas torch and observe the colours as they develop on the work - they will start at light straw and go through to blue / purple as the work gets hotter. Stop heating when the desired colour is obtained.
Regards Mick
For colouring small pieces of steel you can use the tempering colours, light straw through to blue / purple.
Clean the work, (polishing if required), to a bright metal finish - place a 1/2" layer of dry sand in a suitable metal container, (tobacco tin or similar), and place the item on top of the sand. Heat the sand from below using a gas torch and observe the colours as they develop on the work - they will start at light straw and go through to blue / purple as the work gets hotter. Stop heating when the desired colour is obtained.
Regards Mick
CHJ
Established Member
DTR":2gjknuo0 said:
Google 'Bluing Steel' or 'Nickel black' for two methods.
If you want in depth info. have a read of WIKI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel)
tool-me-up
Established Member
easy and cheap way is to rust it - no seriously!
Whilst far from perfect i achieved this finish with little more than about £5 worth of ammonium chloride.
I dissolved the ammonium chloride in a small bucket water - no clue on ratio I just shoved a whole bag in.
leave part SUSPENDED no submerged or it will have a clean patch where it touches bottom of container over night.
By morning it should look 20 years older and have a fine layer of brown "fur" which is actually rust.
shake part and dry on a old towel or rag - get all the ammonia off.
Again SUSPEND and not submerge in an old pan and boil for approx 15-20 mins - this will turn the brown black.
Card off ( very fine wire brush or wheel or use 0000 grade wire wool) and repeat as nesseccary
Whilst far from perfect i achieved this finish with little more than about £5 worth of ammonium chloride.
I dissolved the ammonium chloride in a small bucket water - no clue on ratio I just shoved a whole bag in.
leave part SUSPENDED no submerged or it will have a clean patch where it touches bottom of container over night.
By morning it should look 20 years older and have a fine layer of brown "fur" which is actually rust.
shake part and dry on a old towel or rag - get all the ammonia off.
Again SUSPEND and not submerge in an old pan and boil for approx 15-20 mins - this will turn the brown black.
Card off ( very fine wire brush or wheel or use 0000 grade wire wool) and repeat as nesseccary
