Slow Rust Blue!_Still Learning!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I"ve been slowly working on a Ruger Blackhawk that was in pretty poor cosmetic shape when I bought it but was excellent working wise. I pulled the barrel and put a 11 degree crown on the muzzle and draw filed the signpost off the side of the barrel. I did not care for the long hammer spur so swapped in a super blackhawk hammer, did a trigger job with jigs and opened the chambers so the boolits did not get swaged going to the forcing cone. Installed a Powers free spin pawl and started looking into the refinish.

I have slow rust blued a few times and to be honest was amazed at how easy it was to get excellent results,that is until this time! For some reason I could not get away from a muddy type finish as I went along. One thing is that even though I live in Fla. and is usually hot and muggy most of the time it is not now at this time of year. I finally decided to throw together a "damp box" half way through the project just to see if I could pull it off and if it would make a difference!

I have loaded some pics of the process even though I will add some more tomorrow of the pistol in natural light. The damp box works very well,I even went to a pet store and bought a hydr/temp gauge to get it exactly right! I think the whole problem is that the parts were not TOTALLY clean! I've never had this problem before but maybe someone used silicon or I was lucky before I don't know but will be doubly sure next time. I thought of starting over but decided to finish and put it back together so I can shoot it and I have other things to do. I might get a steel grip frame for it in the future and blue it again!

Oh yea,even though admittedly not perfect I like the pistol now anyway!

[Molly]

The sensitivity of most bluing operations to metal that isn't perfectly clean isn't uncommon. I suggest you clean by boiling in water with a few drops of household detergent. This will get the surfaces so clean that flash rusting is a real possibility unless you wipe them dry while still hot. Handle with new cotton gloves thereafter. Your results should upgrade considerably.

Oh, BTW, don't worry too much about suds & foam climbing out and fouling your kitchen. It CAN happen, but most detergents have a property called a 'cloud point'. It's the temperature when water can't hold it in solution any more, and the water turns milky as the detergent comes out of solution. When it comes out of solution, it can't make foam any more, but it will have done its work already when that happens. And actually, some traces will remain in solution, and it will still clean.

Find a surfactants manufacturer near you on the internet, and ask for something with a cloud point between say 160 to 200 degrees.

[seagiant]

Hi Molly,
I think you are right. I got lulled into complacancy (sp) I guess doing so well before. Also my work before was in the middle of summer and here in Florida that is almost perfection for blueing/rusting metal. The best combo is suppose to be 90 degree heat and 75% humidity which is probably what it is here in summer but not now at this time of year. I have now built a damp box and that should help ALOT next time. Thanks!