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bleuing carbon steel

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pietje

Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
289
Im working on a modifying project for a Cold Steel GI Tanto. I would like to give the 1055 Carbon steel a nice deep blue color. Besides paint stripper and sand paper for removing the coating I need a bluing substance. What do you recommend? A single product preferred above kits.

Pics with results are very welcome!
 
Well you could buy gun bluing, but the best and cheapest way is vinegar or mustard or acidic fruits or potatos or apples or hot sauce etc. I'm sure you have one of those somewhere in your house. Just leave the blade for a few hours and you'll get a nice gray patina. For best results, wipe down the blade with rubbing alcohol first, and oil it right after you're satisfied with the patina.
 
All those substance contain acids that give the steel a patina. There is a lot to find on this forum but as good a nothing about 1055, mostly the used steel is 1095 with a patina. What gives 1055 a nice even, more bleu then gray, effect?

A Tabasco patina sounds really cool!
 
pietje said:
All those substance contain acids that give the steel a patina. There is a lot to find on this forum but as good a nothing about 1055, mostly the used steel is 1095 with a patina. What gives 1055 a nice even, more bleu then gray, effect?

A Tabasco patina sounds really cool!
Click to expand...


I would guess the same process would work with 1055. I'm not sure what determines the color of the patina. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in.
 
pietje said:
Im working on a modifying project for a Cold Steel GI Tanto. I would like to give the 1055 Carbon steel a nice deep blue color. Besides paint stripper and sand paper for removing the coating I need a bluing substance. What do you recommend? A single product preferred above kits.

Pics with results are very welcome!
Click to expand...

First comment, "Patina" is not the same as "bluing". Different chemicals and different final effect.

To the OP: Your description is not quite clear.
Are you asking about cold bluing your blade?
Or did you want the blade to be actually blue?

If you Google "cold bluing", you will find some home kits are available. I've never tried it, but others have with good results. But that will make your blade look like your blued gun, a kind of bluish black.

If you want the blade to actually be blue, you would have to paint it or use one of the coatings that folks use for armaments.

You should ask one of the super mods to move this thread to "maintenance".
Do that by clicking the triangle with the exclamation point in it at the bottom left of your opening post. In the resulting pop-up, ask for the thread to be moved.

You might also run a couple of "advanced searches" on the maintenance forum, for I know that the topic of bluing a blade has been discussed before.
 
Thanks knarfeng. I would like tho give the knife a blue/bluish color. The method and tools are not decide yet because I have lil to no know-how about it.

A deep blue (more black) color will be achieved by using chemicals like Birchwood Casey Perma Blue. What kit or singe product gives the best result for 1055?

A natural patina is a option too because of the low-cost and health safety aspect in food preparation. Although the patina technique gives a more gray color. So far I'm looking for results of fellow members for the best suited coloring...painting is not;)

I’ll contact the super mods and surf around in "maintenance" for my questions.
 
I cold blued this Ranger RD-9 with Brownell's Oxpho-Blue.
Not perfect, but it turned out okay and held up while I had it. It's gone to another home though.

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rust bluing, google for in depth description, but my method-

ferric chloride bought at Radio Shack.
water (something relatively soft, I use bottled water for small blades)
highest percentage rubbing alcohol you can get
000 steel wool

wipe the blade off with the alcohol to clean the surface of oils and other contaminants
coat with a layer of ferric chloride (you can use anything that will make the steel rust)
leave to corrode in a humid spot
move to the next step when the surface has a light, even layer of orange rust, don't let the rust get deep and cause pitting
boil the water, and submerge the blade in it for ten minutes - the boiling water causes a chemical reaction converting the red rust oxide to a black oxide
wipe off the loose oxidation and rub with steel wool until the surface is smooth

repeat the process until the color is as dark as you want.
 
download2e.jpg


This is a blackjack Model 14 in A2 steel I cold blued using commercial bluing from a local gun store. The finish wore off the edges due to sharpening. It cost 5 bucks, I have done over 5 knives and the bottle isn't halfway empty.
 
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