If you are going to do only one or maybe two firearms, DIY hot blueing is not going to be worth the investment of money and time. Just my opinion.
M910 Slide learning project
- Thread starter guzzitaco
- Start date
If you are going to do only one or maybe two firearms, DIY hot blueing is not going to be worth the investment of money and time. Just my opinion.
OP
you are right.
traditional hot bluing methods can be expensive, depending on the materials you buy/use.
however; the "home method" I use, costs around $40 in investment (or zero if you have the hardware), and $16 in materials that can be used for 6 to 12 batches of bluing.
So, If you have that "things" you need in your garage and only by the materials is not bad.
However; yes it is dangerous.
I will post in a separate thread.
traditional hot bluing methods can be expensive, depending on the materials you buy/use.
however; the "home method" I use, costs around $40 in investment (or zero if you have the hardware), and $16 in materials that can be used for 6 to 12 batches of bluing.
So, If you have that "things" you need in your garage and only by the materials is not bad.
However; yes it is dangerous.
I will post in a separate thread.
Excellent thread. It's nice to see this sort of work like yours and BMCMs and Squidsix and... on the forum. It give me confidence to try some things and also the information I need to know what I am not skilled enough to try and have it done elsewhere. Keep it coming. Thanks
OP
hot blue part deux
Sunday started with a blast, literally…
(yeah I know, I need a haircut and loose some weight...)
Before blasting, while drinking my coffee I had already removed the previous bluing with "naval jelly" and washed the piece with "simple green". I dried everything with an old hair drier that I have.
To fix the problem with the bluing salts I took and easy approach. An over saturated formula is better than a weak formula. So, I added 1/3 of the original components. Spent around $8 in this.
I was extra careful in handling the slide. Glove marks, water marks, grease marks are a problem…because they will show in the bluing, and they look ugly…ruin the job.
I cleaned the slide using a cotton and alcohol (home denaturalized alcohol), and dried everything using the same hair drier. I worked over a clean (ultra clean) cotton rag on my bench.
"Cooked" the slide for an hour inside the bath at 295 deg. The bath was over saturated and the pan almost filled, this made the whole process a bit complicated…
After I took it out the bath, I submerged in a bucket of clean water with baking soda to neutralize the effects of the salts. Dried it well and the "marinated" it inside a zip lock bag with Mobil 1 oil for 3 hours.
Took is out and dried all the oil with paper towels.
and voila…it is black…
(next to a M915 slide I got recently)
I am really happy how it turn out. It is a very nice flat/sating black.
Almost there...
Sunday started with a blast, literally…
(yeah I know, I need a haircut and loose some weight...)
Before blasting, while drinking my coffee I had already removed the previous bluing with "naval jelly" and washed the piece with "simple green". I dried everything with an old hair drier that I have.
To fix the problem with the bluing salts I took and easy approach. An over saturated formula is better than a weak formula. So, I added 1/3 of the original components. Spent around $8 in this.
I was extra careful in handling the slide. Glove marks, water marks, grease marks are a problem…because they will show in the bluing, and they look ugly…ruin the job.
I cleaned the slide using a cotton and alcohol (home denaturalized alcohol), and dried everything using the same hair drier. I worked over a clean (ultra clean) cotton rag on my bench.
"Cooked" the slide for an hour inside the bath at 295 deg. The bath was over saturated and the pan almost filled, this made the whole process a bit complicated…
After I took it out the bath, I submerged in a bucket of clean water with baking soda to neutralize the effects of the salts. Dried it well and the "marinated" it inside a zip lock bag with Mobil 1 oil for 3 hours.
Took is out and dried all the oil with paper towels.
and voila…it is black…
(next to a M915 slide I got recently)
I am really happy how it turn out. It is a very nice flat/sating black.
Almost there...
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JohnHL
Member
Once again, I am impressed by what a resourceful and determined individual can accomplish.
The only thing I "cooked" yesterday were some chicken thighs on the Weber.
Tasty, but certainly not as satisfying as your results.
John
The only thing I "cooked" yesterday were some chicken thighs on the Weber.
Tasty, but certainly not as satisfying as your results.
John
squidsix
Member
Looks fantastic really. Very nicely done!
That looks great. It's a really nice DIY project that you can be really proud of. It looks professionally done like homemade! There is lots of hope for all of us with 910 457s, 410s etc laying around. You can call it Value Series Plus or VS Plus+Plus.
That turned out great and I would like to know the whole process and recipe for your bluing solution. I wonder if your bluing will stay blue or turn purple like S&W's bluing on so many of their 9mm pistols?
OP
turn purple?
Hi stansdds...
honestly I don't know...
I think there are several factors that will affect the color in time...
1) how long did you leave it into the solution (cooking)?
longer time could mean a denser coating.
2) did you neutralized the salts by washing and then oiling properly?
if not "neutralized" the salts keep working on the piece, even tough the piece is out of the bath. To neutralize, the piece has to be washed and oiled properly.
3) how was the piece handle and protected over time? I think a bit of maintenance can help keep the bluing in good shape.
I suspect that when the slides turn brown, is due to a low time in the bath.
I also suspect that when the slides turn purple is due to a high temp on the bath and not a proper "wash" after taking them out...(the salts weren't neutralized properly and the kept working over the years, changing the color).
However, these are only guesses, since I am no expert on the matter. My guesses are based more in what I have read than what I have done.
I will be posting a separate thread on hot bluing 3rd gens with the recipe and procedure.
I hope they don't change in color because I really like how they turn out...
Hi stansdds...
honestly I don't know...
I think there are several factors that will affect the color in time...
1) how long did you leave it into the solution (cooking)?
longer time could mean a denser coating.
2) did you neutralized the salts by washing and then oiling properly?
if not "neutralized" the salts keep working on the piece, even tough the piece is out of the bath. To neutralize, the piece has to be washed and oiled properly.
3) how was the piece handle and protected over time? I think a bit of maintenance can help keep the bluing in good shape.
I suspect that when the slides turn brown, is due to a low time in the bath.
I also suspect that when the slides turn purple is due to a high temp on the bath and not a proper "wash" after taking them out...(the salts weren't neutralized properly and the kept working over the years, changing the color).
However, these are only guesses, since I am no expert on the matter. My guesses are based more in what I have read than what I have done.
I will be posting a separate thread on hot bluing 3rd gens with the recipe and procedure.
I hope they don't change in color because I really like how they turn out...
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OP
Couple of details...
Since I am trying to be full transparent, here is a couple of small imperfections due to condition of the slide. I tried to get rid of them, but getting them 100% out would have meant removing to much material and maybe deleting the roll marks...
nevertheless, they are hard to spot...
unless you are OCD like me...
(sometimes perfect is the enemy of "good"...my boss used to say)
I will be listing the slide For Trade in the Classifieds...
Since I am trying to be full transparent, here is a couple of small imperfections due to condition of the slide. I tried to get rid of them, but getting them 100% out would have meant removing to much material and maybe deleting the roll marks...
nevertheless, they are hard to spot...
unless you are OCD like me...
(sometimes perfect is the enemy of "good"...my boss used to say)
I will be listing the slide For Trade in the Classifieds...
