Bluing O1?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
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I've got some O1 fittings that I'm going to blue. BUT, I have a few questions.

What finish do you feel leaves the best result? All the damascus I've blued I took to a mirror polish, but I'm wondering the effect of a different finish here.

Also, what time and temp???

I think I want a fairly deep blue.

My biggest concern is an even/consistent color.

Thanks!!!
Nick

I'm planning on using my low temp salts.
 
I didn't play too much with various finishes, just had it sanded(to 400 I think), and then cleaned with acetone, but O1 here takes a dark, almost black blue, with just some coldbluing I had here from working on an old rifle. So I don't hink you'll have trouble getting a dark blue.

Won't bother telling you which brand I used, cuz it's one of normal ones that makes it smell like rotten eggs, so don't think you'll want that. :)
 
Nick I now use Oxynate #7 from Brownells and polish the steel first. It gives a very very dark blue almost black. I like this stuff because it only needs to go to 292deg. Bead blasted finish will be the same color but just flat black. Remember that bluing hides nothing so any hand rubbed finish will still look that way except for blue.

See ya Friday
 
I like the sound of all this. Haven't done any bluing or patina yet but there are some projects that cry out for it.

What about the "plum brown" colored finishes? What brand recommendation here? Or would anyone suggest using one of the old smithy formulas? I'm open to suggestions.

Nick I don't mean to hijack your thread, you just got my imagination going now, dang ye! Are you bringing this one to Blade?

Dave
 
Dave, I've used Birchwood Casey Plum Brown and it works very well. Much better than their cold blues. Cold blues do not work as well on hardened steel. The steel has to be heated hot enough for water to sizzle on it for the browning solution to work. It foams up and creates a tough chemical rust finish. I've been wanting to try some of the better bluing solutions from Brownells, thanks Bruce I may try the Oxynate #7 next time I order from them.
 
I rust browned a rifle barrel last winter using some stuff from the log cabin shop. Its some guys home brew, I can get his name and address off the bottle if anyone is interested.
You didn't have to do any heating at all. Just finish the surface and clean it really well. Then apply a coat of the solution, and put it somewhere hot and humid. It turned bright green after 10 hours, and then you apply a scond coat, careful not to scrape off the green.
Another 10 hours in the hot and humid, and it comes out coated in bright red rust. Card it down smooth, but not to bare metal with a brass wire brush, apply more, back into the hot and humid.
After about 10 applications I had a very deep glossy brown, that looks even better after scrubbing it down and oiling it.

I'd recommend trying the stuff to anyone interested in a plum brown finish. Its only a matter of evenly applying the solution and a little elbow grease to get a nice hard, even finish. No hassle with heating to the right temperature, or making sure its evenly heated etc.

For the humidity, I just hung it vertically in a peice of 4" pvc that was standing in a coffee can full of water with a space heater blowing on it. Pretty simple set up and got good results.
 
There are a couple of cold blue solutions that work good, and don't leave the nasty smell.
One is Novum,
http://www.novumsolutions.com/GunBlue.html

the other is C.S. Van Gorden and Sons, @ 1-715-568-2612, in Wisconsin.

I know this probably doesn't help you at the moment, as you probably need this for the show.
Come to think of it, Tom has some Novum.
As to finish, I would go with a mirror polish. Cold blue and bead blast is a recipe for rust. If you go that way, make sure you boil the parts to neutralize the solution, then oil while still hot.

Good luck to you at the show. :D
 
In my opinion, the heat bluing done with hot salts has a distinctive look that is a bit different from chemical bluing. I have been heat coloring my steel sword hardware for about 3 years or so and *really* like the effect. Not only can I get a deep, rich blue black, I can also get other colors ranging from red to deep purple and yellows and copper colors.

hardware.jpg


This steel hardware was made from A36 and colored in hot salt. It was heavily textured in acid before bluing. I feel that highly polished steel looks good and takes a good blue, but the color does not wear well....it comes off easily with use and abrasion. Some kind of texturing is better as it holds the oxide in the texture. In this picture, the blue stuff is the steel. The copper colored stuff is copper, of course.

The interesting thing is that the fuchi/kashira (the end cap and pommel) were heated and held at 575f while the tsuba (sword guard) needed to be held at 595f to get the same color...at 575f the guard was a deep reddish purple instead of blue. My point is that different alloys will turn different colors at the same temperature. Generally the deep blue-black comes at about 575f to 600f. If it gets too hot it will go gray and the temps. below 575 will be purple. But it depends on the alloy. Some experimentation is in order and if you don't get the color you want it can be removed with vinegar and then the piece can be cleaned with Windex and colored again at a different temperature.

To get a consistent color, the steel has to be very clean. No trace of oil (even a finger print) can remain. Also, any bubbles that adhere to the surface of the piece in the salt have to be shaken off or the air bubbles trapped on the surface of the steel will achieve a different color than the rest of the piece.

I use Brownells NitreBlue in a stainless pot with a thermometer and use an electric hot plate (1000 watt) for heat. I hold the piece for an hour at temp. and then coat with Renaissance wax and mineral oil to protect the color.

Good luck!

Brian
 
Brian, nice stuff! I really dig the dragonfly tsuba, that just blows me away. You should give me a lesson in habaki too!!! Zowie, what a way to start my day...

Dave
 
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