Matching the blue(s)

[Steven66]

I'm rust bluing a rifle because I want classic blue to go with classic walnut. I understand that small parts are traditionally nitre blued. I want everything to match as closely as possible. Does that mean I pretty much have to rust blue all the little parts too? I get that when you get down to small screws, it probably doesn't matter much because the surrounding metal is going to be the color your eyes perceive.

[oldred]

Personally I just rust blue even the small parts, it's easy to do if you card them with a brush but a bit clumsy if you are using steel wool. Still even steel wool works and if a color match is important to you that's one way you can do it, Nitre blued parts are more a true translucent blue than blue/black like rust bluing and also be VERY careful of what parts you Nitre blue as that stuff gets hot enough to ruin the temper of critical parts! Besides Nitre blue is not all that durable anyway.

[Steven66]

Thank you. Precisely what I needed to know. I have Grobet hand and rotary brushes from Brownells. Any tips for carding inside of tapped screw holes (like the scope base holes)? I read somewhere that a degreased tap could be used

[waksupi]

Nitre blue can be done without nitre. Bring your lead pot up to proper temperature. Skim off all dross. Drop part on top of the melt, watch the color, and remove when color is reached. As was mentioned, it is not a durable blue.

[gnoahhh]

I did a couple projects by substituting Oxpho blue for nitre bluing of small parts (screws, etc.) when rust bluing the main parts. My reasoning was that Oxpho blue is as wear resistant as nitre bluing and provides the same bit of contrast, even if not the same hue as nitre blue. Not "by the book" obviously, but things turned out to my liking.