How to "beautify" dull Case Hardening?

[413Maxwedge]

I purchased a NOS S&W factory-bobbed hammer for my m10 stubby. While the stock hammer has beautiful case hardening that looks oily-black, the bobbed one is very dull and ugly.


What would be the best way to make this look dark and shiny, similar to the original? All I've done so far is rub it with a clean cloth. Ive thought about oiling it but wanted to ask first.

Thanks!

 

[H Richard]

I would try the Renaissance Wax.

 

[silicosys4]

Not much you can do short of sending it off to be redone or finding a brighter one.

The color is a very thin layer. Once its faded, all you can do is try to highlight what's still there with a clearcoat. Oil will highlight it but wipes, dries, or runs off.

 

[DGNY]

With no guarantee of complete success implied, I would try wiping it down first with water and if nothing popped wipe with a little oil and then take a picture of it with the oil on and any highlights revealed - such as are already present in your picture of the right side.

Then I would clean it well and, having reference to the photo, apply oxpho blue, or your preferred equivalent, on a rather well pointed Q-tip and attempt to darken that which appeared darker. I would continue until reasonable satisfaction, wipe it down with some oil and declare victory.

Very little to lose and perhaps some color to gain. Please advise when/if you find something that works for you.

 

[Hawg Rider]

First of all, color case hardening is a fairly complex process that uses charcoal, bone, and a very hot kiln/oven (1400 deg.) and quenching. Perhaps Turnbull or another qualified gunsmithing company would color case harden your hammer while they're hardening some other parts. Otherwise, flame coloring may be your best bet. You can find some interesting videos on YouTube that use a torch and various oils. I actually flame colored some small parts from an old Marlin 1895 rifle (it was a beater that I just used for practicing my "shadetree gunsmithing"!). A propane torch and some oil added some fairly nice flame coloring to the parts.

 

[steelslaver]

You have to stick the part in a small metal container full of a mixture of bone charcoal and regular charcoal. . Heat it to 1400f then drop it out of the box and charcoal into aerated water quench it. I have a heat treating oven etc, just never got the bone charcoal rounded up

Here is smiling Larry from Midway to show you how.

 

[stansdds]

You might try cleaning it with oil and copper Chore Boy scrubber pads or bronze wool, that will remove oxidation, but I don't think it would damage the case hardening. After that, evaluate and maybe apply some cold blue in a splotchy pattern to create more of a case hardened appearance, then seal with Renaissance Wax or oil.

 

[chief38]

Not a whole lot you can practically do. A light coat of oil will keep a slight shine on it. You might be able to have it re-case colored if you can find someone who can throw it in with parts from other guns.

 

[2152hq]

The brightness or brilliance of Case hardening colors like most any finish depends on the condition of the surface they are applied to.

Done to a rough surface, the colors will look dull. Same piece polished bright, the same process and colors will have a completely different look and will show as deep, solidly defined colors.

The bobbed hammer does look to have a dull surface finish under the case colors. Likely the part was only given a polishing by tumbling in a grit media. It's very common now to do this with complex shaped parts. Saves a lot of time and labor.

One simple thing to try is to coat the part as it is with a clear finish, or even one with a slight toner in it with slight yellow or red tint.

Clean the part well of any oil of course, then experiment with simple cheap things like shellac that is thinned so you can swipe it onto the part with a small pad quickly and it will dry almost instantly w/no application marks.
'Orange Shellac' was used back when in some of the factorys as a protective coating over case hardening colors. Others didn't use anything.
The orange tint enhanced the colors a bit and the coating brightened them up quite a lot.

We used to use (orange)Shellac at Turnbulls on most of the pieces, that was in the early 90's.

I don't know what they use now. If they coat anything, probably a spray on that is bake hardened.
People were always more interested in colors than any hardening anyway.

None will last forever of course,,but neither will the orig case colors as they are only a few microns thick

You can play around to try and enhance the colors with cold blue and get results IF the surface is still soft. Yes there can be Case Colors with no Case Hardening.
If the part is really Hardened, then most Cold Blues won't do much the hardened surface.
Brownells Oxpho Blue is one that does work well though.
Play around with it long enough and with some of the cold blues around and you will end up removing what you had orig .


Using heat is an old trick and then spattering the part with Cold Blue & oil to get splashes of some color. Sometimes just using the torch to bring up temper color changes in the metal as well.
That's getting pretty hot!
Too hot for a small case hardened part like this hammer,,it may draw the temper and leave you with a soft surface on the sear edges, etc.

Ithaca actually used to 're-color' their SxS and SBT guns that came into the shop for refinish with the method in the 60's and 70's. I have a copy of the Service Dept paperwork describing the work method.
Really a poor excuse and easily seen as was is known as the 'Torch Method'. But some color blotches will usually be gotten.

 

[Max242]

I purchased a NOS S&W factory-bobbed hammer for my m10 stubby. While the stock hammer has beautiful case hardening that looks oily-black, the bobbed one is very dull and ugly.
View attachment 776973
View attachment 776974
What would be the best way to make this look dark and shiny, similar to the original? All I've done so far is rub it with a clean cloth. Ive thought about oiling it but wanted to ask first.

Thanks!

I would try Flitz