There's a company called Steel F/X that sells some products that it claims mimic the appearance of color case hardening. It's merely a surface finish, appearance products only.
I was wondering if anyone here had tried any of their products and if so what results you obtained.
Thanks in advance.
i looked at there web site looks promissing
now if someone has tried it and responds
Never tried Steel FX, but have tried bottled blueing and browning. If you already have them, it might be worth it to give them a try before buying the Steel FX. With some fiddling around, you can get a reasonable approximation of CCH. Being just a chemical surface coloring, I'd expect heavy use and extended exposure to light will cause fading fairly quickly. Here's a Fox double I did some years ago.
in the 1994 edition of Guns Illustrated there are 3 pages of instructions on page 39 - simple +easy to do - tried it years ago + results were amazing -
never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -
ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM
as they say in latin
Sounds very intriguing. I'll see if I can find that somewhere. I appreciate the tip very much!
Edit - already located and ordered a copy. Much easier than I anticipated. Thanks again.
Last edited by Hannibal; 11-29-2023 at 12:05 PM.
I second this. I've used the same article to color several guns, including a (Savage) Stevens Favorite. They all came out well. Be careful with the heat application and you should be fine.Originally Posted by schutzen-jager
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― Thucydides
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Quack1-that looks beautiful!
Book just arrived today. Given that this technique requires a propane-oxy or acetylene-oxy torch I'm not surprised folks are looking for a cheap surface finish alternative.
That's OK. I've been looking for an excuse to buy a torch set anyway.
a regular run of the mill bernzomatic torch does the job with minimal cost if you do not already have one - you can also use your barbecue tank with a torch attachment -
never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -
ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM
as they say in latin
I am curious, as I have a OA torch, as to how you could do a torch heat, without oxygen getting to the action. I have done an action annealing with folded over SS sheeting and a wood splinter to burn oxygen out, turned out OK. But not sure about the bone carbon or leather carbon.
Got a guy that wants to try that liquid brush on mess. Case colors and the Gulf do not usually go together for very long.
“There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
Cervantes
“Never give up, never quit.”
Robert Rogers
Roger’s Rangers
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
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Well I have received the book I ordered and read the article mentioned. There's a specific chemical required which I was able to obtain. I located a used Prest -O- Lite torch with multiple tips that I think will work perfectly for this project. I have several other projects involving silver soldering anyway, so this will definitely work for those.
I'm rather busy and the typical Holiday season ruckus is upon us. So it'll be a month probably before I get to test this combo out.
As for finish preservation that is an issue. It was and is an issue for true Color Case Hardening too. Nothing new there. It's a finish that requires maintenance and upkeep in order to preserve it.
Not the best choice for a firearm that would only see standard maintenance and occasional foul weather. Again, nothing new.
It does not matter how a CCH appearance is applied. Real or faux it never was and never will be durable.
Last edited by Hannibal; 12-12-2023 at 10:16 AM.
If oxygen can't get to the metal then no coloring will occur. The color is from oxidation while hot and the color achieved is from the combination of temperature and oxidation. The use of brazing/welding flux will prevent the oxidation AND coloring.
Spell check doesn't work in Chrome, so if something is spelled wrong, it's just a typo that I missed.
[[[ As for finish preservation that is an issue. It was and is an issue for true Color Case Hardening too. Nothing new there. It's a finish that requires maintenance and upkeep in order to preserve it.]]]
clear varnish was used to protect it by most manufacturers -
never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -
ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM
as they say in latin
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