How do you make steel Blue?

Adv.

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Hi, I'm a college student at an art institute right now. I am currently working on a project right now and was wondering how you go about bluing steel like they do on some handguns. I hope that this site is still active and hope to hear from you as soon as possible because I came up with this idea for a project that is due next Tuesday....Thank you.

Andrew Johnson
IADT - Roy, Washington

Ed. note: the site is most definitely active, Andrew. We have an FAQ about Black Oxide processes, and there are dozens of previous threads on the subject if you will patiently apply the search engine. Good luck with the project.

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The previous questions didn't help me out with my question. I looked through the majority of the letters that I was referred to my question on how to make steel blue like the blackening of steel process. All of the previous letters refer to the process of blackening steel using black oxide in a hot and cold method..... Although similar to my question. My original question is if anyone knows how to Blue steel.....I've made several inquiries at other sites along with a few powder coating factories and other places that work with blackening steel....Hopefully you can be of assistance and possibly have this be a publicy asked question that could be placed or help me forward it to a site specifically on the area of bluing and blackening of steel.....Hope to here back as soon as possible.....

Thank you for your time,

Andrew Johnson
IADT - Roy, Washington

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Bluing and black oxiding are the same thing, Andrew. If the substrate is relatively rough, the topography is such that most people will call the color "black". If it is polished, some people would call it "blue". The oil that is applied may also enhance the reflection and the perception of the color as "blue" also. I have been to firearm "bluing" factories and consulted on the processes, Andew. Firearms are "blued" by polishing, immersion into hot black oxide tanks, and oiling.

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

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If you go to a gunshop and ask for a reblueing kit..This will have the rust and blue remover and sand paper,and pick up some wd/40..This will be used as a degreaser.Also pickup sand paper from coarse to super fine sand paper and rubber gloves.
Once you remove the old blue and rust place the pieces in a vice of some sort,cut up the sand paper in thin strips and starting with the coarse hold the end of the strips inn each hand and slide across then up to remove the marks left by the sand paper working your way to the bottom of the piece.keep doing this with a finer till the finest grit sandpaper..Its going to take at least 10 hours.you are actually polishing the steel and there should be a mirror image..Inside your kit you should find degreaser ,rust and blue remover and blue and steel wool [linked by editor to product info at Rockler].Before putting on the blue make sure your project is free from grease. WD-40.
Do the blueing outside or in a well vented area as the smell sembles urine.
Next would be to place the blue on a cotton ball and apply on the project very quickly wait a few minutes till it dries than rub Steel wool and watch it shine..keep this process for about 5 times and each time polish with the steel wool...The trick is in the polishing.There other ways but this is the inexpensive..But it also entails polishing.Good luck.

Francis Simon
- Elsipogtog, NB, Canada

Blue Wonder gun care kit
brownells_blue_wonder

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You can blue steel by heat tinting(heat it to 280-300 C) or by use of chemicals(125 gm sodium thiosulphate/45 gm lead acetate/1 lit water,82 C temp.,5 minutes). Lead acetate is poison,avoid any contact with solution! Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb, Croatia

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