Blueing?

SamuraiDave

SamuraiDave

Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
2,632
I am thinking about Blueing my 12" AK, and another Stainless (AUS-8) knife.

What solution of Blueing do you guy's suggest useing for either or both knives?

Birchwood Casy's blueing from Wally World sounded good, but I want to make sure, and I am sure ya'll have all the answers.

Thank you,

Dave
 
Dave:

Around here, Birchwood Casey bluing products are about the only ones available. I have completely reblued one M36 Smith (only complete reblue I've ever done) that was mechanically sound but had a totally trashed finish. I used their liquid, and it turned out well, and the fellow who brought it to me said it still looked good after a year. My only other experience is a bunch of small touch-up stuff, with their "paste" in the tube packaging. I seem to be able to get a more uniform coat with it - fewer smears.

If you have used an oil or one of the newer lube coatings on the blade, be sure to use BC's degreaser. I've used plain rubbing alcohol with good results, but I don't think it will cut this new stuff that's around - polishes such as Simichrome and Flitz leave a coating that the alchohol won't remove entirely, and your blue finish will be splotchy.

BTW - Why blue it?

I have zip experience with AUS 8, but it might be good idea to test-blue a small spot (top of the spine?). Some stainless won't take blue, and even the very high-carbon varieties need many coats before they "take".

[This message has been edited by Walosi (edited 06-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Walosi (edited 06-11-2001).]
 
I've had good luck with 44/40 Cold Blue through the years. I prefer Birchwood Casey Degreaser, because like Walosi said, alcohol won't cut some stuff, and you usually don't find out until you wipe the blue on and...uh-oh, Streak City!
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Birchwood's Perma Blue will work fine, but like most cold blue solutions, will tend to streak, so you need to have some fine steel wool on hand to go over the blade between coats, and plan to put on at least 3 coats if you want a nice even finish. I use a Q-tip as an applicator. Wait till the current coating has dried before sanding with the steel wool, and you don't need to use a lot of elbow grease when sanding; just go over the blade lightly until the streaks fade away, then rinse the dust off the blade, thoroughly dry it, then re-blue.

I'll be surprised if your stainless blade takes to the blueing, even though it's "high-carbon" stainless. I think you're probably not going to be happy with the results, but you never know until you try, and if the finish on it is trashed anyway, you have nothing to lose. Please let us know how it turns out.

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Molon Labe

[This message has been edited by X-Head (edited 06-11-2001).]
 
You might try checking out the Brownells web site for cold blue. They have several kinds to choose from and some good explanations of how they work in the descriptions. I like the phosphate conversion type (Oxpho-blu) for wear resistance. If you decide that you don't like it though, you will use a lot of elbow grease getting it polished off!
 
:
Dave one of the tricks for using Cold Blueing is to get the metal to be blued comfortably warm.
I was told about this many, many years ago when the Cold Blues probably weren't as good as they are now, but I still use the trick.
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Whenever you touch a piece of steel that's been kept in the house it always feels colder than the surrounding room temperature and the instructions calls for room temp metal.
On long pieces like gun barrels I use the oven to warm them set on the lowest setting possible, for smaller pieces I dunk them in boiling water.
The steel will dry instantly when removed from the very hot water.
And in the summer you can lay the metal out in the sun on a clean surface for awhile to get it
warm.
And like the others have told you the piece must be totally free from grease or oil.

This has always worked for me and by
putting on multiple coats, using a fine steel wool in between coats, I get a beautiful deep blue or plum sheen depending on which cold blue I am using.
The Plum Blueing is more accurate for vintage pieces and creates an antique finish that I really love.

I have often wondered what a plum finish taken further by applying mayonaisse or other aging agent afterwards would do to give the appearance of a really old blade, but I haven't tried it as of yet.
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Some blades take to blueing really well while others are best finished by using the mayonaisse or other aging agent.
And if you use the mayo you will think you've ruined your blade the next morning and it will also give you second thoughts about eating mayo again as well.
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------------------
Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Mayo? Are you serious?
I have never heard of useing mayo.
Wow, I just might try that just to say that I did use Mayo to finish the blade.
But how should you apply the mayo? Does "light" mayo work?

Now I am confused,

Dave
 
:
Yup, I'm serious.
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The mayo will _Not_ put a nice even finish on a straight carbon steel blade though.
The finish comes out in several shades and sometimes colors.
And the steel will be less prone to rust since the finish is an instant patina that looks very old.
If you want you can do the mayo trick more than once on a blade to further enhance the ageing.
I don't know about using the mayo "light" though, never tried it.
To do the mayo trick all you have to do is smear a heavy coat of mayo on the surfaces you want aged and let it set over night.
And if you don't like the results you can steel wool it off with 0000 steel wool but of course the blade won't be polished anymore.

And I haven't forgotten the GRS's info. I haven't been up to par the last few days.
That's the result of having a chronic illness, you never know from one day to the next what you will be able to do.
But today is better, so far, so I will see about getting them dug out of the safe.
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------------------
Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
YVSA,
I was looking throught the archives and saw that you once blued a 18"AK. How did that turn out?

Also, I did not know you were ill. No hurry with the GRS. I am sending Uncle $$ for my own 18"AK and I wont have any to spare for a good time.

See you later, and YVSA... take the Jack that Uncle offered.


Dave
 
:
No problem Dave. It comes and goes, and you have e-mail.
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As far as the Jack Daniels goes,,,,,,well it would work for a night and wouldn't near take a whole bottle.
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But I really prefer a good single malt Scotch around 10 years old or older.
Someone once mentioned
"THE MACALLAN"
on a thread I was asking about good single malt whisky on along with a few others Scotch
Whisky's.
I had some extra dollars a long while back so I went to the liquor store and purchased a bottle each of the Lagavulin 16 year, Talisker 10 year and The Macallan 15 year single malt scotch whisky's.
Buying these whisky's here is much cheaper than Phoenix!!! These were all around $35.00 to $40.00 for 750 milleliters.
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Then while we were in Phoenix this last time I aquired a bottle of Bowdens 12 years old.
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All of these are Very Fine Scotch Whisky's!!!!
The Macallan's is aged in old Sherry Casks after the Sherry has been removed.
When I first heard about it I didn't think I would like it, but it has became my Very Favorite!!!!

So I have the means to make me sleep since I seldom drink the hard stuff and even the Lagavulin which I decided to drink first is still about half full and that's even with taking it to Phoenix to share with the young nephew Dave K there.
I guess both of us had a little more sense than the time before when we first met.
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Dave not only introduced me to Fine SIngle Malts,but also to the Very Fine Beer from the Micro-Breweries.
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And besides I like to wake up feeling at least half way refreshed instead of the alternative.
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------------------
Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
The COL.,(Ghostsix), addressed this way back before blade forums existed.
Brownell`s Oxpho blue is the best; short of hot blue.
The engraving depth comes out darker, after polishing with 0000 steel wool,which makes for a nice accent.
One can polish to get the old Colt Royal Blue.
The iron is there.
You can even use Casnit to get the case hardening colors.
Or, you can pack it in charcoal, the old way.
If you are not having fun; you are not doing it right!
 
NDN,
I keep telling you "It's Meanness" That's all thats wrong with you! Change, start treating the Researcher nice& i'm sure you will feel better!
jim
 
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