Here is my personal procedure and it is not a recommendation or the way to go since I am still experimenting. The receiver I worked with, was rusty, deeply pitted and filled with hardened grease and debris of all kinds. I first had the receiver and is mechanism soaking into a strong solution of lye crystals, which can be use several time(warning, the lye crystals is a very caustic solution, therefore proper protection especially for eyes is necessary). Twelve hours later, I rinsed with hot water. The metal came out from that treatment perfectly clean. I then bead blasted the metal with bead glass grits 170/325 which look like flour. It does an extraordinary job by removing all the rust without altering the engraving and the thread. It took me a lot a research to find the proper product. They use that medium to clean aircraft engine parts. It is important to bead blast metal that is clean other than that your medium will be contaminated and it won’t do a good job. As the receiver was deeply pitted, with the help of a sanding block, this is important in order not to rond the sharp edge of the receiver, I started sanding with 60 grits followed by 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 280 and finally 320. On the inside rounded part of the receiver, I used a dowel on which I hold the sand paper. Then, I finished the sanding of those hard to reach spots with a buffer wheel, loaded with 280 grits compound (don’t use more agressif compound because you will round the sharp edge). Finally, I polished the entire piece to be blue rusted with an extra fine "Scott bride" like pad. I have mixed my rusting solution and I am building the steam box and the boiling tub. I will be them ready for the rust bluing operation. May be some of you may have some recommendation that I will gladly receive
Biz very similar process. Use a hot vinegar dip tank to remove old finish. Blast and grits the same. Lots of care around lettering and features. Have lit 4to10 magnifier on arm mounted on bench and jewellers magnifier headset to avoid any overrun. Maintain flats and contours with blocks and set rubber profiles. Sometimes will use hand scrapers instead of a file to remove a deep mark. Generally I don’t go finer than a 400 grade so first coat can bite and etch into surface for a good bond. Given Southern Hemisphere and completely different climate here can get away without needing a humidity cabinet and hang overnight. I always time and examine velvet formation surface carefully with jewellers loupe for consistent rust formation and granular size. Too aggressive and big a partical ruins job. Patience and consistency. Also find the alloy composition of the steel has a big bearing on finish and how well it accepts the process.
Oh Biz incidentally great job your doing on that piece. Your re lettering looks great. I am going to investigate doing your re lettering process you described previous myself. Again looks impressive preparation. I also brew my own solution.
It is not as difficult as it seems. Auzzie, I am curious about the composition of your bluing solution. Here is mine: 0,1 liter of distilled water 1,2 g copper sulfate 4 g de ferric sulfate 5,6 g ferric chloride 0,5 g chlorhydric acid
Biz You are correct. Not difficult just time consuming with lot of care and attention. Your recipe is interesting. Mine is 120ml of 70% nitric acid 80ml of hydrochloride acid 320g/litre concentrate Use Pyrex glass lab flask or beakers. Mix together and then add reagent grade iron filings to mix as much as it can dissolve and digest. You get a violent reaction and unhealthy fume smoke cloud doing this and lot of heat produced. Have to be very careful. Let settle a few days and drain off liquid only and leave heavy sludge behind. Mix this with 1000ml de ionised water and store in clean amber glass bottle to use. Keep stored out of sunlight. I have had good success with this on tooling and instruments. Guy that passed this recipe on to me was involved with gun trade fine doubles in Birmingham uk.
I was reflecting on your recipe for a couple days because something seemed familiar. It came back to me, mixing hydrochloride acid with iron, will produce ferric chloride which is readily available as etching agent for printed circuit. Ferric chloride is one of the components of my recipe. I am not sure having more components makes a difference. The essential is to provoke metal rusting rapidly. I wonder if the CuSO4, which is blue in color, influences the bluing reaction. Are they any chemist on this forum who can comment?
Hi Biz Curious to know what process your using to hold your 1895 parts from unwanted corrosion and contamination “ In The White” bare metal while you are handling and polishing them constantly and for short term storage before you get round to bluing.
I stored it in a ziplock bag with a selica gel pouch. I do have, as well, a good control of the relative humidity where my "precious collection" is kept. For some obscure reason my wife doesn’t seems to believe my collection is so precious??? BTW, it is Carabine FN Browning 1900 not a 1895 or may be you are referring to something else?
They do make a military grade storage bag, it’s silver with Velcro on the end. It’s made for gun storage for extended time. I put an old sxs in there for 2 years, got it out and not a spec of rust. I did wipe it down with p-blaster before I put it in. You can get them from midway. Best I’ve ever seen.
All good thanks for that. I am not that up to speed with the carbine riflle models ets. Regardless looks neat . Was curious as have lot if issues with jungle like humidity and unwanted rust from sweat and hand acids here when your working on bare metals and polished surfaces that you probably won’t have. Rangers idea sounds good too Just looking for new and better ways and ideas for my own project.
