Hot Bluing

[Blaserman]

Who does hot rust bluing anymore
I know cerakote is the norm anymore

 

[MiddleRiverShootist]

Following

 

[The Saint]

In MD? Probably no one. Will likely have to ship it to an out of state gunsmith and pay through the nose. Hop you don't mind waiting, either...probably 6months + wait for a proper job.

 

[4g64loser]

Who does hot rust bluing anymore
I know cerakote is the norm anymore

Hot blueing and rust blueing are two disparate processes.

Hot blue? You are likely shipping it. Rust blue, one of our members does his own and the results are great. A guy named matt Ilko up in fairfield pa (rogue machine) does very nice rust blue work. Seen it when dealing with him on precision rifle work.

 

[teratos]

Rust bluing is not ridiculously hard.

 

[4g64loser]

Rust bluing is not ridiculously hard.

Takes some dedication. I actually like it better than hot dip blue. One of my pre 57 smiths will eventually need to get blued and I'm taking it to Matt when the time comes. It's not super valuable but I know a lot about its history so it matters to me.

Oswaldo87 has posted pics of his personal projects. He's serious and meticulous but the results speak for themselves.

 

[Allen65]

I rust blue complete barrels as well as small parts. My setup is:
https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/paint-metal-prep/metal-bluing/black-iron-deep-tank/
plus two or three of these to heat the tank:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304965897673?epid=55231569&hash=item4701624dc9:g:uiQAAOSwQzRkZRIy&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4Bs5+ekeTQL5Fa/ANYTRyrsPPKbazKWs2g48jQftdQMMVOIdpVhRwwNUuTt0m6ougBIfPPTslxXSB8tPW4xnJsvonDfUFgvMhw4U12bv4JZn3RpeQZLvvoooVYj0k+nqTq9GnXn3Hm/BhMv4l+Xss5XuwjaG7gmgjU08G7+ojlyIR96UHnBsP35RxjUzZt55Y9bqeJeeX8TVJct8LtgUDr+KOghkoHRZMTMXvGd7zAF4YyK2iC42fmnvHGekrVhMjxhZfPLPVva+J0p/hS88hs6jfJ0ea/zjLtEq+nH+NQMt|tkp:Bk9SR-6dmb6jYg


You'll also need
- citrus degreaser,
- 3" flannel cleaning patches,
- a few plastic pill cups or similar for pouring bluing solution into for application (don't apply out of the bottle directly or you'll risk contaminating it),
- 90% rubbing alcohol (for final degreasing),
- distilled water
- rubber gloves
- oil-free steel wool
- black iron wire (for suspending the item to be blued in the tank):
https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/paint-metal-prep/metal-bluing/black-iron-wire/
- bluing solution:
https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/paint-metal-prep/metal-bluing/classic-rust-blue/
or
https://www.rustblue.com/

The secret to successful rust bluing is preparation. Degreasing has to be thorough, really thorough, if you want a finish without streaks or blemishes. Other than degreasing, the process is very forgiving. But it's time intensive, which is probably why it isn't offered much commercially any more. The price a talented smith would have to charge for a deep finish would be more expensive than most customers would want to pay, because of the hours involved.

I don't use a damp cabinet for the rusting portion of the process. I just hang the item on some of the iron wire in my garage after applying the solution. MD humidity works just fine to generate the patina of rust.

If you're bluing small parts, a cheap stainless steel saucepan on the kitchen stove works just fine instead of the tank and electric heaters.

 

[Doco Overboard]

The Ole Cambridge gunsmith Gary used to do it but no longer.
Dave Kiefers in Pine Grove PA would be next if he's still around.
Too many spray and pray gunsmiths around calling themselves
firearms finishing experts I think ruined the craft.

 

[BradMacc82]

Keith's Gunworks in Newburg MD does hot tank bluing, IIRC.

301-932-3832 or 301-520-4650 - try calling after 4:30pm.

 

[Oswaldo87]

A lot will depend on the preparation needed for the finish you expect. You will empty your wallet for a mirror finish. At least with rust bluing, it’s mostly time one is paying for. But the metal prep is the majority of the cost involved with a new bluing.

 

[Mdeng]

Keith's Gunworks in Newburg MD does hot tank bluing, IIRC.

301-932-3832 or 301-520-4650 - try calling after 4:30pm.

Brad beat me to it.

I have seen and handled Keith's work 1st hand. He does an excellent job.