Gun Bluing

[Rikkn]

I have been having a heck of a time finding someone to hot blue some guns for me. I am seriously thinking about buying a system from Brownells. The one guy that would take my guns is reasonable, but has a 2000 job backlog and it would be at least 6 months before I get them back. Anyone here ever hot blue ? Any suggestions ?

 

[kritter]

gunblueing

well if your just going to do one or two guns,, wait and have someone else do them...
the cost of a hot blueing set up, not to mention the chemicals can be really costly.. now if your going to do it as a part time hobby.... now the fun begins....
everyone will be asking for their gun to be done,you'll have plenty of them to do...but theres a down side...

one the chemicals used are extreamly caustic... they cause chemical burns like you wouldn't believe , a heavy duty ventlation system would have to be installed or you can wear a resporator while doing the blueing... the fumes comming off the tank will eventually rot/rust everything they touch, ( most home done blueing is done outdoors for this reason)

next theres your new customers who aren't happy with they quality of their firearm after you've done your best to reblue it..something goes wrong...shotguns come apart, barrels separate. or by mistake you've dunked an aluminum frame and now have a chunk of swiss cheese...now what? reblue again, eat the cost, buy a replacement firearm? get sued?

also according to the ATF ...
(I1) Is a license needed to engage in the business of engraving, customizing, refinishing or repairing firearms? [Back]
Yes. A person conducting such activities as a business is considered to be a gunsmith within the definition of a dealer.
See Item 16, "Federal Excise Tax" in the General Information section of this publication. [27 CFR 478.11]

so now according to ATF you need a license, and a storefront ( other that your residence ) and you now have to follow all hazmat rules ..
people are going to be wanting to send you gun to refinish....now you need a FFL..
and keep a "bound book" for all your work (any firearm with in your possesion for more than 24 hours has to be logged in and out)

I'm just telling you this because i have the tanks, and i have done refinishing on some of my own personal firearms......I have though about doing it as a sideline buisness, but i researched all that was involved ,the license ,the cost, the time, the aggervation... and it's just easyer and more cost effective to have a gun sent out and refinished

Anyhow,thats just my thoughts on the subject....and my opinion is worth what ya paid for it

 

[Rikkn]

So Kritter.......... You have the tanks, old buddy, old pal.... What are you doing this weekend ???

 

[delta-419]

If you are going to go to the trouble of polishing the metal for a blue job, why not try slow rust bluing. Expense is very minimal, less than $100 and it will not be much of a hazzard. Brownell's sells a bottle of the bluing acid for about $12 and distilled water is less than a buck a gallon. It is an ancient art going back to the 1800s. A pamphlet comes with the bluing and tells you each step in the process. I have done several Winchesters and a couple of Lugers and they came out OK. Guns with stainless steel in them present a challenge as it will turn them purple.I do the parts on the kitchen stove. Trick is to not touch the parts without rubber gloves as oil in your skin will mess up the finish. My 2 cents.

 

[PRC74]

I am not sure how backed up he is but Ronnie Cox out on Woodruff Rd. is local to you. I have heard he does good work. However I can not verify his work. His number is 8642883238.

Best
Kim

 

[Rikkn]

Ronny Cox is the one that told me to call him in 6 or 7 months to see if it is ready, word is he does outstanding work, but I am not that patient.

 

[gregintenn]

I don't know anything about your area, but most folks around here black oxide guns and pass the job off as blueing. A real nitre or rust blue job is quite expensive, and few people I know do it. The black oxide is passable for some jobs, but it certainly dosen't match the luster of a deep blue finish on a vintage Colt.

 

[mtb1bkr]

I'd suggest Dave Chicione, but not if you want them back quickly as his turnaround from payment to gun returned is 6-8 months.

Bill

 

[2152hq]

Black oxide is blueing,,commonly called hot salt blueing or caustic blueing. Just one of several ways of achieving a blued surface finish. It is truely the wrong finish for most any pre WW2 firearm but there are a few that were done that way in the 30's when it started to come into common use. It was used in Europe more commonly than the USA first in the 1930's. Germany used it on their late production Lugers.

The US gun trade began to switch over in the late 1930's. As much of an economics move as anything else. Cheaper is gooder in industry.

Rust blueing both 'quick' (hot rust) and 'slow' (cold rust) are as old a firearms blue finish as most and are still the prefered method for double barrels and most custom long guns.
Labor intensive and technique touchy it will still give one of the tougest and prettiest blues around when done right.
Equiptment needed is very sparse compared to the other methods and the most damngerous thing you handle is boiling water and a rust producing chemical.

Most rust 'blueing solutions' are pretty safe to handle and use now. Wasn't too long ago most every one bought had a mercury compound in them for rusting. Needless to say handling that stuff for years is not kind to the body. I did so for the first 25yrs I did rust blueing and regret it.

The collective charcoal blue, carbonia blue/machine blue techniques are what were most widely used in the industry here up to WW2 and along with the beautiful detailed sharp edged mirror polish defined what a blued finish should look like.
Most every mfg use it, even the H&R and Iver Johnson type mfg'rs. Frames and small parts were most all blued with these techniques.

The charcoal blue was a heavy labor intensive job handling each part or small multiple parts racked together on an open hearth charcoal fire. Carbonia blueing or machine blueing was a mass production method of the charcoal blueing using a gas fired furnace rotating with bone charcoal and carbonia oil mix inside for predetermined times and temps to give the desired finish. They each have a slight difference in appearence.

Some mismatch of blue from part to part was a problem with machine blueing as heatreating and alloysteels came further into use. The caustic salt/hot salt blueing method solved that problem as well as being much faster and cheaper.

Several folks have resurected those early charcoal blue & carbonia blue techniques to one level or another. But side by side with a mint original there are but a handful of redone examples that can stand with the originals.

Close,,sometimes so very close. But not quite there. The polishing has more to do with it than most people realize.

 

[RonJ]

Sorry about the thread drift, but I don't understand why gunsmiths say that they can't make a living. If they know their craft and have any business sense they could be rolling in dough around here.