Thank you again Mr. Petersen for passing along your knowledge and craft. You have a way of making your viewers feel that we're right there with you in your basement shop. Love these videos- thank you.
Thank you mr pete. I've not found a TH-cam video that describes the process so eloquently and so plainly at the same time. Straight talk is the only way. Thanks again for all your videos.
We used to do metalwork here in England in the 70s, made lots of small tool projects, what we used to do was to heat to about the same temp as you did and quench in old engine oil. This makes an even black finish. Very easy, even us kids could do it !!! I work in engineering still after 40 years, still using school metalwork skills.
Mr Pete, a couple of points, Go to the dollar store and get a spray bottle and some bubble juice. Use that to find the leaks in your air system. This is why I never throw out a good spray cleaner bottle. Then you can fix them and save wear on your compressor and have air available all the time. I wired a clock into the motor circuit of mine to verify that it will sit all week without coming on until I use some air again. If you set your parts in a tray or pan of brass shavings, copper filings, or even sand when heating, the color will be much more uniform. See videos at Clickspring. Any oil or fingerprints will leave marks or splotches that may or may not be attractive. These are caused by the different rates of oxidation. Holding your clean thumb on a part for a minute to deposit oils and acids will mark your tool with your thumbprint for ID. You can try different things for effect, striping with a brush or polka dots with a swab for example. Blowing through a straw on different areas will vary the temperature and oxygen level changing the color. With practice you can simulate color case hardening. If you quench in oil the suface pores will fill and further "rust proof" the parts. Better yet, after quenching bake the oil in at about 400°F for half an hour to seal the surface. Do this when your wife is not home and clean the oven and air out the kitchen after! A good reason to have an old stove in the shop. I have always felt that if you make a tool look nice like a tool it will get treated like a nice tool. Despite the efforts of a great many researchers the world over, there isn't, and there never will be a cure for stupid. Maybe only natural selection or zombies. This is a nice set of videos and I thank you for them and all of your others, too. Mike (o\!/o)
I like the base that you added to the 3 and 1 oil can to prevent tiping. I will be adding one to my locktite bottle asap. Thank you for your Infinite wisdom.
Years back I cold blued a tube bending machine, I made based on plans I purchased from Rudy Kouhoup. The results were great but I had to cold blue it three times to get a deep finish. This video was truly informative to me. I was completely ignorant of heat coloring of steel. Thank you!
Some clock makers use a bed of brass shavings in a brass vessel, place item to be blued into the brass shavings and heat the vessel with a torch, watching the color change, then quench in oil. Best done after polishing. Great video, Greg
I am really happy to have found your channel!!! I enjoy watching all of your videos. You explain things so thoroughly. I wish I had the room for a shop, but I just rent in an apartment. Thank you for all of your efforts in making your video presentations so enjoyable and informative. I learn something new from you every time I watch!! Thanks again.
I re-blued my Winchester model 94 using this same process and it was one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever known. It took me 4 tries to get it right where there were no blotches in the color. I had to completely strip the previous finish before trying again and again. I could not get the barrel and the receiver to color match. It was made in 1979 and a gunsmith told me Winchester was notorious for using different types of steel over the years and at one time the receivers were made using sintered metal. I eliminated the stock open sights and mounted a Lyman tang mounted peep sight. When I drilled the tang for the mounting screws the metal drilled like cast iron producing tiny flakes for chips. I will never cold blue an entire gun again - next time I will pay to have it hot blued.
Awesome video, thanks Mr. Pete! I love all your videos. I wish you were my teacher back when I was in school. I am just fascinated by your videos. You should be on television teaching. It would be very refreshing to see something good on instead of all the garbage.
Thank you Mr Pete, loved the entire series on the manufacturing and finishing of the tool maker clamps. If you would like to see some beautiful "bluing" with heat check out clickspring.
What about how the blacksmiths do it? Heat up the metal, and then melt beeswax onto it. As I understand it, some of the beeswax gets drawn into the pores of the metal. You get a blackened and rust resistant coating. By the way...I had a great metal shop teacher like you over 30yrs ago and have used the skills I learned throughout my lifetime. Its so sad that many schools don't even offer industrial arts classes anymore. Thanks for making videos to pass on your knowledge.
Graduated cylinder.... I'd suggest using straight isopropyl for your your final cleaning or even the brake cleaner, which dries with no residue. "Rubbing" alcohol generally has a small castor oil component and by tax law must have a poison to limit human consumption. Neither of which are ideal for you blueing process. What a great little tool Mr. P. Thank you for sharing the build.
Many years ago, my friends dad told us to use lacquer thinner instead of model glue. He said hold the parts together, and dip a toothpick into the lacquer thinner and just touch it to the joint. It worked, as it spread out through the joint and the plastic welded together.
Loved the video LP. I actually prefer the heat-induced color over the bluing you did at first. Johnny Noggert's idea of an oil quench sounds very interesting as well--you should try that! Don't forget to record it though, otherwise it never happened... ;)
Hi ! Put the bolts in a (and the clamps) into a flat box with chips of brass and heat it up in there - then you can get it more even all over ... a trick from "Switch&Lever"
When we didn't have heat sticks we use a pine stick. You rub the stick until it left a black mark. That ment it was hot enough to put the bearing on or temper a knife. Seemed to work.
I've touched up a lot of guns with this stuff, and I've blued a lot of my reloading dies with it. What works best for me is polishing anything you'll blue to a mirror finish, that's the most critical part of an old school looking bluing job. Then clean it with brake cleaner. After that, use a hair drier on it and get it pretty warm, not excessively but warm enough it's uncomfortable to hold. Then lather the stuff on heavily. A lot of times I'll actually start coating the part in oil as I'm rubbing the bluing on. On some metals it seems like the oil gets the bluing chemical to penetrate better, but you need to really saturate everything heavily. Afterwards, clean it with brake cleaner again, rub it down with steel wool, and repeat the process as many times as necessary to get it to look nice. I like using a wax based spray on chemical to protect blued finishes, as it totally seals the metal and will make it safe to get modestly wet. I bet car war would work well too. In my state just oil isn't enough to protect bluing from instantly rusting.
I still have the one I made in high school. The Shop teacher (Mr. Mac) case hardened it in a little kiln, and it really didn't change colour (yes I'm Canadian so I spell color colour) very much, but it still works and is rust free after 45 years.
For a cold blue, 44/40 also covers good. Both will "keep" longer if they are varnished. A quick niter blue can be made with 2/3 lye and 1/3 sodium nitrate (or saltpeter), and also works good for tempering by color. When it melts, you hang the parts in, and pull them out when they get the shade you want. The high temperature will alter the temper on heat treated stuff, though. For a real durable blue, "Mark Lee #1 rust blue" works well, and only takes boiling water to set the stain.
I have watched this video after it has some age on it. Great information. I have also seen another video on a channel called thecogwheel , in it he does a process he calls 1hour red rust bluing. Well worth the watch, he gets great results. Thank you sir for all you have shown me through your videos!
I have two of those thermoplates in my lab. The newer models have temperature indicators that more realistically correlate to the temperature of the plate, but often you want such a precise temperature you would never rely on a built in indicator anyway, just a properly calibrated thermometer. we use them for all sorts of things, but primarily for heating volumes of liquids in pyrex containers for making buffers and other chemical solutions may I suggest seating the piece to be blued in a bed of sand or my favorite: brass chips? It seems to conduct the heat better to irregular objects that way
For an alternative to ear swabs, check out RamRodz. Their .22 swabs are a good size for general use, the swabs are low lint, and the sticks are bamboo so they don't snap. Great for cleaning pistol barrels too! Brownells sells them for a low price. Also, I recently got a California Air Tools compressor, it is amazingly quiet and they have great customer service. It makes less noise than a conversation! So if you need to replace your compressor, I'd recommend taking a look at their offerings.
Another TH-camr named Clickspring uses heat to blue small clock parts. He uses flame to heat a brass tray filled with brass shavings and the part to be blued. The shavings distribute the heat, and he gets a beautiful product. I can't seem to post the link here, but if you search for Clickspring you will find him. The video is titled "Home Machine Shop Tool Making - Making a Versatile Bluing Tray." I wonder if this would also work with hot sand surrounding the part. Could the part be inspected periodically to see how far along it is? Thanks again, Mr. Pete. This is a great video.
Mr Pete, I believe they are called Graduated Cylinders. I had a grade school English teacher who was some what of a witch, but my senior year English teach was super cute.
I used to blue blades on high carbon steel pocket knives to protect the blades from rusting in my pocket. I kept an old aluminum stove top coffee pot to boil water for rinsing because the metal would self dry. I told my college chemistry teacher I was having trouble understanding a process, she grabbed me and asked if I was going to be a Chemist. When I said no, she said "Just memorize it!" Genius, yes! We did hardening and tempering by color in HS Machine shop. Yes it is purty. Good looking tool.
Thanks for another great video! Perhaps laying a piece of fiberglass insulation over the threaded parts would help them heat more evenly? This is just a guess but it's easy enough to try. As was already mentioned, acetone is cheap and great for cleaning, plus you do not have to dry it. The only drawback is it eats through gloves and you have to use a lot of hand cream as soon as you're finished - it removes all your skin oils. Finally, better brands of gun patches make for a nice, small, and inexpensive lint-free cloth for swabbing or oiling or drying small parts.
WD 40 works well for an initial oiling since it displaces all. Moisture. a lot of guys I've found out don't realize our favorite all around oil is Water Displaces #40. It does work but not that great depending on what your lubricating I like zoom turbine oil the little extended tip helps a lot another great video
I wasn’t a gun smith, just an armorer. However, I have cold blued many guns and parts. A couple of suggestions, first, degrease the piece a little more throughly, a little more scrubbing with the alcohol, maybe 2-3 Times. Then, when you apply the blue, if the piece has a brushed look, applying the bluing with a clean scrubby pad works wonders. Then, a warm bath to wash off bluing, followed by re-applying the bluing gives a darker, deeper richer. Color. The final wash off of the bluing salts, at least twice, is critical to avoid rusting, and of coarse the application of oil, (starret of course!).
I enjoyed your presentation. I am 70 and like to take it slower and easier now, instead of, hurry, hurry, and hurry. Thinking about the way you were heat treating and I am looking forward to trying that out using my gas oven top burners. I would bet results would be fabulous. I haven't seen you fabricate the clamps you heat treated, however, that's next. Thanks again for the leasure show.
In most of the heavy, metal turning channels (like Abom), the chips coming off the work quickly turn from silver through straw-color to blue in a couple seconds. Lots of heat is generated plus the chips are not very thick. It's interesting to see. The blueing on old guns (like Smith & Wesson) is very beautiful. Lots of manual polishing when labor was much cheaper. We're of similar age so I think you'd agree, a lot of things were much better 20-30 years ago. Is that a Smith I see at the end of your video?
Nice video as always thanks Mr Pete I prefer cold blueing more than hot method I believe with heating up some small peices can make changing with geometry and shapes.
That is very interesting Mr. Pete, those both came out really well! And I learned something new, I wasn't aware that gun bluing was something one could do at home. Thanks! "Rust happens" LOL, Yep!
Fix the air leaks, it saves both on time to build up pressure and on power to drive the compressor. You don't leave the lathe motor running all day just in case you want to turn a single rod, but an air leak is just like doing that.
I have a clamp just like that. I made it in shop class along time ago. Never put any finish on it just oil. I like the blue on it. Looks like i have a another project now.
For anybody who wants to try heat tempering to generate colours, "Clickspring" has videos of a clock project where he is using blued steel fittings as a contrast to brass, and has instructions for making bluing trays using brass shavings to spread the heat evenly.
How about putting the part along with some of the chemical into a plastic bag and "kneading" it around to wet all surfaces. Should get the dipped result with less waste. Use only ziploc bags for best results. ;-) You should watch a channel called clickspring. His heat bluing is out of this world, he gets it uniform by burying the part in brass shavings.
I use the Birchwood casey super blue. Always keep a bottle in my shop. From what I've heard, its a more potent solution so it'll work on a wider range of steel alloys. I haven't used the perma blue, but it looks like it did good also.
I had to look, Tandy Leather still exists! They have a store locator page on the website so guessing they still have some actual stores, have not seen one in decades.
11:11, another reason to dispose of the chemicals properly is because you love your country and you love where you live. You like having clean drinking water and healthy rivers, etc. I imagine that bluing chemical that was used as a dip can be stored and used again. Don't pour it back in the original bottle, but perhaps store it in another container and mark it for future use.
I belive you can take almond or walnut wood or almond shells or walnut shells ground to fine powder soaked in distilled water and place your metal in that leave over night or cook it to create a Form of bluing.... Even coffee grinds can be used
I like to use Precision brand tool black.. Quart bottle is kinda pricey but lasts a long time.. Put it in a spray bottle.. Clean with mineral spirits first then super clean before applying the tool black.. LOL nice Webley.. Love mine!
On using bluing chemicals I have found heating the parts and then dipping them in the chemicals give the best deep blue but it is a iron phosphate black not blue no one make a true blue any more. The old blue was a deep Prussian blue. Also don't walk in to lowes and ask for Prussian Blue they will go hunting for Russian glue.
Interesting. I hadn't seen bluing done before except by heating brass (clickspring's videos). What is the purpose of the bluing other than looks? Ditto for the oiling? Simply to prevent rusting? Thanks.
the blue in both cases is a thin layer of non rust oxide witch prevents rust(the destructive oxide). It also may make the surface harder and more scratch resistant ( I am not entirely sure this is the case for steal it is for aluminum)
just borrowing the comments to ask a question. ;) I always wondered if the black tip on a screw driver is needed or not. for example, if I chip one of my screw drivers and the re-grind it and often times you need to grind down to thickness too. should I blue or oxidize it somehow? thanks!
What gun was that peeking in there at the end? based on the grip shape... and your personality... I'm guessing it's a revolver. As a loyal viewer and firearms enthusiast, I'd be curious to know, and see what you own for firearms.
Great video! I've watched before, but as I'm thinking of bluing a pistol frame, I need all the help I can get. Have you blued aluminum? I think they have another product.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 87 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องชัย vs โชคปรีชา"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YN6e7HVnekw/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you again Mr. Petersen for passing along your knowledge and craft. You have a way of making your viewers feel that we're right there with you in your basement shop. Love these videos- thank you.
Thank you mr pete. I've not found a TH-cam video that describes the process so eloquently and so plainly at the same time. Straight talk is the only way. Thanks again for all your videos.
+SootySweep22 Thank you so much for watching
We used to do metalwork here in England in the 70s, made lots of small tool projects, what we used to do was to heat to about the same temp as you did and quench in old engine oil. This makes an even black finish. Very easy, even us kids could do it !!! I work in engineering still after 40 years, still using school metalwork skills.
+Johnny Noggert Thanks for watching. I'll try that
"She doesn't know about it." She will if she watches the video. I really like your sense of humor and your anecdotes.
The torch method looks good and has nothing to dispose of or stain your hands. Thnaks for showing the complete process.
Mr Pete, a couple of points,
Go to the dollar store and get a spray bottle and some bubble juice. Use that to find the leaks in your air system. This is why I never throw out a good spray cleaner bottle. Then you can fix them and save wear on your compressor and have air available all the time. I wired a clock into the motor circuit of mine to verify that it will sit all week without coming on until I use some air again.
If you set your parts in a tray or pan of brass shavings, copper filings, or even sand when heating, the color will be much more uniform. See videos at Clickspring.
Any oil or fingerprints will leave marks or splotches that may or may not be attractive. These are caused by the different rates of oxidation. Holding your clean thumb on a part for a minute to deposit oils and acids will mark your tool with your thumbprint for ID. You can try different things for effect, striping with a brush or polka dots with a swab for example. Blowing through a straw on different areas will vary the temperature and oxygen level changing the color. With practice you can simulate color case hardening.
If you quench in oil the suface pores will fill and further "rust proof" the parts. Better yet, after quenching bake the oil in at about 400°F for half an hour to seal the surface. Do this when your wife is not home and clean the oven and air out the kitchen after! A good reason to have an old stove in the shop.
I have always felt that if you make a tool look nice like a tool it will get treated like a nice tool.
Despite the efforts of a great many researchers the world over, there isn't, and there never will be a cure for stupid. Maybe only natural selection or zombies.
This is a nice set of videos and I thank you for them and all of your others, too.
Mike (o\!/o)
+Moholo 88 Thank you so much for watching
I like the base that you added to the 3 and 1 oil can to prevent tiping. I will be adding one to my locktite bottle asap. Thank you for your Infinite wisdom.
Years back I cold blued a tube bending machine, I made based on plans I purchased from Rudy Kouhoup. The results were great but I had to cold blue it three times to get a deep finish. This video was truly informative to me. I was completely ignorant of heat coloring of steel. Thank you!
Thank you, I remember Rudy
Zillah also had a son..who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron ! Love it.
Some clock makers use a bed of brass shavings in a brass vessel, place item to be blued into the brass shavings and heat the vessel with a torch, watching the color change, then quench in oil. Best done after polishing. Great video, Greg
There was a great video on this over at the Clickspring channel a few months back. By using the brass chips he got amazing uniformity.
Me : "Looking at a brass rod while polishing my CZ 70"
I am really happy to have found your channel!!! I enjoy watching all of your videos. You explain things so thoroughly. I wish I had the room for a shop, but I just rent in an apartment. Thank you for all of your efforts in making your video presentations so enjoyable and informative. I learn something new from you every time I watch!! Thanks again.
+Dave Mckim I'm glad you found me. Maybe someday you will have a big place with a shop of your own
I re-blued my Winchester model 94 using this same process and it was one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever known. It took me 4 tries to get it right where there were no blotches in the color. I had to completely strip the previous finish before trying again and again. I could not get the barrel and the receiver to color match. It was made in 1979 and a gunsmith told me Winchester was notorious for using different types of steel over the years and at one time the receivers were made using sintered metal. I eliminated the stock open sights and mounted a Lyman tang mounted peep sight. When I drilled the tang for the mounting screws the metal drilled like cast iron producing tiny flakes for chips. I will never cold blue an entire gun again - next time I will pay to have it hot blued.
Awesome video, thanks Mr. Pete! I love all your videos. I wish you were my teacher back when I was in school. I am just fascinated by your videos. You should be on television teaching. It would be very refreshing to see something good on instead of all the garbage.
Thank you Mr Pete, loved the entire series on the manufacturing and finishing of the tool maker clamps. If you would like to see some beautiful "bluing" with heat check out clickspring.
What about how the blacksmiths do it? Heat up the metal, and then melt beeswax onto it. As I understand it, some of the beeswax gets drawn into the pores of the metal. You get a blackened and rust resistant coating. By the way...I had a great metal shop teacher like you over 30yrs ago and have used the skills I learned throughout my lifetime. Its so sad that many schools don't even offer industrial arts classes anymore. Thanks for making videos to pass on your knowledge.
+AndTheCorrectAnswerIs hmm interesting. seems legit as the pores of the metal do open quite well when heated.
cool@!
+AndTheCorrectAnswerIs Thanks for watching.
i use bea wax right now 🤣
@zomgthisisawesomelol the wax decomposes into some form of carbon that is bonded to the steel
a bit like seasoning a cast iron pan
Graduated cylinder.... I'd suggest using straight isopropyl for your your final cleaning or even the brake cleaner, which dries with no residue. "Rubbing" alcohol generally has a small castor oil component and by tax law must have a poison to limit human consumption. Neither of which are ideal for you blueing process. What a great little tool Mr. P. Thank you for sharing the build.
+Doug Reed Agreed. But read the BAFAC tax code and you will see rubbing.alcohol is still on the roster. Probably a leftover from prohibition days.
Thoroughly enjoy his videos. Haven't see all 800, but I've seen quite a few. You were a great shop teacher. I know this just from your video's.
Many years ago, my friends dad told us to use lacquer thinner instead of model glue. He said hold the parts together, and dip a toothpick into the lacquer thinner and just touch it to the joint. It worked, as it spread out through the joint and the plastic welded together.
That is a good tip. I think acetone will do the same thing
A kindly Olde Grandpappy! I wish you were my granddad! So knowledgeable. Thank you!
👍👍
Bravo! Lovely informal trilogy series of tips and techniques, beautifully filmed, clearly narrated and inspiring. Thank you!
Loved the video LP. I actually prefer the heat-induced color over the bluing you did at first. Johnny Noggert's idea of an oil quench sounds very interesting as well--you should try that!
Don't forget to record it though, otherwise it never happened...
;)
this old Tony sent me here. so thank him. i watch his vid on milling and metal work. nice vid thx
Thanks to you and to Tony
Nice job Mr. Pete! Thanks for sharing / teaching this procedure..
Hi !
Put the bolts in a (and the clamps) into a flat box with chips of brass and heat it up in there - then you can get it more even all over ... a trick from "Switch&Lever"
Good video MrPete. I have a smaller thermo plate in my shop also comes in quite handy. During the winter I used it to keep my coffee cup hot.
+Bob Guenthner neat
When we didn't have heat sticks we use a pine stick. You rub the stick until it left a black mark. That ment it was hot enough to put the bearing on or temper a knife. Seemed to work.
I've touched up a lot of guns with this stuff, and I've blued a lot of my reloading dies with it. What works best for me is polishing anything you'll blue to a mirror finish, that's the most critical part of an old school looking bluing job. Then clean it with brake cleaner.
After that, use a hair drier on it and get it pretty warm, not excessively but warm enough it's uncomfortable to hold. Then lather the stuff on heavily. A lot of times I'll actually start coating the part in oil as I'm rubbing the bluing on. On some metals it seems like the oil gets the bluing chemical to penetrate better, but you need to really saturate everything heavily.
Afterwards, clean it with brake cleaner again, rub it down with steel wool, and repeat the process as many times as necessary to get it to look nice. I like using a wax based spray on chemical to protect blued finishes, as it totally seals the metal and will make it safe to get modestly wet. I bet car war would work well too. In my state just oil isn't enough to protect bluing from instantly rusting.
Thanks for watching.
I use the torch method and then quench in dirty motor oil. it seems to give a darker finish that seems to be more durable and last longer.
That might be my favorite 3-video series you've done yet. I can't wait to make these clamps.
instablaster.
For long narrow parts I use some pvc pipe of the size needed. glue a end cap on one end and dunk the whole part in it.
Enjoyed the whole project sir. I've been planning to make a set for myself & a buddy that does gunsmithing. Just got re-motivated. Thanks
Very nice processes for rust proofing your clamps. Thanks for the video.
+Amateur Redneck Workshop Thank you so much for watching
I still have the one I made in high school. The Shop teacher (Mr. Mac) case hardened it in a little kiln, and it really didn't change colour (yes I'm Canadian so I spell color colour) very much, but it still works and is rust free after 45 years.
+Ted Aitchison Thank you so much for watching
For a cold blue, 44/40 also covers good. Both will "keep" longer if they are varnished. A quick niter blue can be made with 2/3 lye and 1/3 sodium nitrate (or saltpeter), and also works good for tempering by color. When it melts, you hang the parts in, and pull them out when they get the shade you want. The high temperature will alter the temper on heat treated stuff, though. For a real durable blue, "Mark Lee #1 rust blue" works well, and only takes boiling water to set the stain.
Great video i did not know bluing was so easy to do. i would like to try this one day thanks for sharing Mr pete
I have watched this video after it has some age on it. Great information. I have also seen another video on a channel called thecogwheel , in it he does a process he calls 1hour red rust bluing. Well worth the watch, he gets great results. Thank you sir for all you have shown me through your videos!
I will check that out thanks
I have two of those thermoplates in my lab. The newer models have temperature indicators that more realistically correlate to the temperature of the plate, but often you want such a precise temperature you would never rely on a built in indicator anyway, just a properly calibrated thermometer.
we use them for all sorts of things, but primarily for heating volumes of liquids in pyrex containers for making buffers and other chemical solutions
may I suggest seating the piece to be blued in a bed of sand or my favorite: brass chips? It seems to conduct the heat better to irregular objects that way
For an alternative to ear swabs, check out RamRodz. Their .22 swabs are a good size for general use, the swabs are low lint, and the sticks are bamboo so they don't snap. Great for cleaning pistol barrels too! Brownells sells them for a low price.
Also, I recently got a California Air Tools compressor, it is amazingly quiet and they have great customer service. It makes less noise than a conversation! So if you need to replace your compressor, I'd recommend taking a look at their offerings.
Another TH-camr named Clickspring uses heat to blue small clock parts. He uses flame to heat a brass tray filled with brass shavings and the part to be blued. The shavings distribute the heat, and he gets a beautiful product. I can't seem to post the link here, but if you search for Clickspring you will find him. The video is titled "Home Machine Shop Tool Making - Making a Versatile Bluing Tray."
I wonder if this would also work with hot sand surrounding the part. Could the part be inspected periodically to see how far along it is?
Thanks again, Mr. Pete. This is a great video.
Mr Pete, I believe they are called Graduated Cylinders. I had a grade school English teacher who was some what of a witch, but my senior year English teach was super cute.
I used to blue blades on high carbon steel pocket knives to protect the blades from rusting in my pocket. I kept an old aluminum stove top coffee pot to boil water for rinsing because the metal would self dry. I told my college chemistry teacher I was having trouble understanding a process, she grabbed me and asked if I was going to be a Chemist. When I said no, she said "Just memorize it!" Genius, yes! We did hardening and tempering by color in HS Machine shop. Yes it is purty. Good looking tool.
Thanks for watching.
I use to do the same thing! All of my Old Timers still wear it....
Thanks for another great video! Perhaps laying a piece of fiberglass insulation over the threaded parts would help them heat more evenly? This is just a guess but it's easy enough to try.
As was already mentioned, acetone is cheap and great for cleaning, plus you do not have to dry it. The only drawback is it eats through gloves and you have to use a lot of hand cream as soon as you're finished - it removes all your skin oils.
Finally, better brands of gun patches make for a nice, small, and inexpensive lint-free cloth for swabbing or oiling or drying small parts.
WD 40 works well for an initial oiling since it displaces all. Moisture. a lot of guys I've found out don't realize our favorite all around oil is Water Displaces #40. It does work but not that great depending on what your lubricating I like zoom turbine oil the little extended tip helps a lot another great video
Thank you, that's a good tip
I wasn’t a gun smith, just an armorer. However, I have cold blued many guns and parts. A couple of suggestions, first, degrease the piece a little more throughly, a little more scrubbing with the alcohol, maybe 2-3 Times. Then, when you apply the blue, if the piece has a brushed look, applying the bluing with a clean scrubby pad works wonders. Then, a warm bath to wash off bluing, followed by re-applying the bluing gives a darker, deeper richer. Color. The final wash off of the bluing salts, at least twice, is critical to avoid rusting, and of coarse the application of oil, (starret of course!).
Thank you for the information
I enjoyed your presentation. I am 70 and like to take it slower and easier now, instead of, hurry, hurry, and hurry.
Thinking about the way you were heat treating and I am looking forward to trying that out using my gas oven top burners. I would bet results would be fabulous.
I haven't seen you fabricate the clamps you heat treated, however, that's next. Thanks again for the leasure show.
Thanks for watching. Heat treating is an amazing process.
The cold-bluing compound available from Brownell's works very well, too. I think it's brand-named "OxPho".
+MrShobar Thanks
You should make yourself a bluing tray for the temper colour heating the brass shaving help keep everything uniform. It also cheaper than an oven.
In most of the heavy, metal turning channels (like Abom), the chips coming off the work quickly turn from silver through straw-color to blue in a couple seconds. Lots of heat is generated plus the chips are not very thick. It's interesting to see. The blueing on old guns (like Smith & Wesson) is very beautiful. Lots of manual polishing when labor was much cheaper. We're of similar age so I think you'd agree, a lot of things were much better 20-30 years ago. Is that a Smith I see at the end of your video?
👍👍
Mr Pete222
Continue to enjoy your videos.
Working my way through them,so this will take me sometime.
Great videos.
Regards
Stephen Wilson
Australia
For zinc plating removing, i use phosphoric acid (The kind of stuff you use for removing teapot limescale) Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!
Nice video as always thanks Mr Pete I prefer cold blueing more than hot method I believe with heating up some small peices can make changing with geometry and shapes.
"She doesn't know about it"
Yet.
I believe if the parts are covered with a bit of insulation or a fire blanket the heating will be more uniform and will happen in a shorter time.
Both have their charms, I like them both, thanks Lyle
A little steel wool helps get rid of any surface blocky spots
That is very interesting Mr. Pete, those both came out really well! And I learned something new, I wasn't aware that gun bluing was something one could do at home. Thanks!
"Rust happens" LOL, Yep!
I do small screws in a piece of tupper wear and agitate it. The more you agitate the faster/better it takes the bluing.
Fix the air leaks, it saves both on time to build up pressure and on power to drive the compressor. You don't leave the lathe motor running all day just in case you want to turn a single rod, but an air leak is just like doing that.
It's more likely he doesn't hear it, rather than deliberately letting it leak.
I don't know where you can find those wire swabs but of course you could make up a couple dozen of them in a short evening.
HEAT BLUEING GORGEOUS .
PS - WHEN WATCHMAKERS HEAT BLUE THEY USE (( COPPER PLATES )) .
I have a clamp just like that. I made it in shop class along time ago. Never put any finish on it
just oil. I like the blue on it. Looks like i have a another project now.
For anybody who wants to try heat tempering to generate colours, "Clickspring" has videos of a clock project where he is using blued steel fittings as a contrast to brass, and has instructions for making bluing trays using brass shavings to spread the heat evenly.
How about putting the part along with some of the chemical into a plastic bag and "kneading" it around to wet all surfaces. Should get the dipped result with less waste.
Use only ziploc bags for best results. ;-)
You should watch a channel called clickspring. His heat bluing is out of this world, he gets it uniform by burying the part in brass shavings.
I use the Birchwood casey super blue. Always keep a bottle in my shop. From what I've heard, its a more potent solution so it'll work on a wider range of steel alloys. I haven't used the perma blue, but it looks like it did good also.
Thanks
I had to look, Tandy Leather still exists! They have a store locator page on the website so guessing they still have some actual stores, have not seen one in decades.
Thanks
Thank You for wisdom.
11:11, another reason to dispose of the chemicals properly is because you love your country and you love where you live. You like having clean drinking water and healthy rivers, etc.
I imagine that bluing chemical that was used as a dip can be stored and used again. Don't pour it back in the original bottle, but perhaps store it in another container and mark it for future use.
For the screws i believe a pan with sand would work. The sand will distribute the heat evenly.
+mrpete222 gloves arent for protecting your skin. they're for not having to wash hands when you finish your work
I belive you can take almond or walnut wood or almond shells or walnut shells ground to fine powder soaked in distilled water and place your metal in that leave over night or cook it to create a Form of bluing.... Even coffee grinds can be used
Thanks, I vote for the flamed one !
I like the flame one 2
Me too...
Nice glass butter churn you are washing the parts in.
Thatlazymachinist also has a very in depth look at the heat treatment and coloring of steel.
What temperature is required for the blue color? Very interesting
The straw colour on the second clamp would be my choice . Didnt know it could be quenched to stay that way .
Glueing the 3 in 1 to a bigger piece of metal. So Smart.
Mr. Pete:
Check out Clickspring videos, He makes a bluing tray to heat blue screws. Covers the parts in brass chips to create uniform colours.
yes they still have Tandy. I get the catalog they send out. thanks Pete!
Engine oil also hardens the steel. if using the hot plate it is better to use ceramic blanket.
I like to use Precision brand tool black.. Quart bottle is kinda pricey but lasts a long time.. Put it in a spray bottle.. Clean with mineral spirits first then super clean before applying the tool black.. LOL nice Webley.. Love mine!
Great series. Really enjoyed watching. They sure turned out "purdy"! P.S. Bang, Bang!!
+MrGoosePit Thanks
Does the hot method weaken the or change the tempering of the Metal
ASAP
On using bluing chemicals I have found heating the parts and then dipping them in the chemicals give the best deep blue but it is a iron phosphate black not blue no one make a true blue any more. The old blue was a deep Prussian blue. Also don't walk in to lowes and ask for Prussian Blue they will go hunting for Russian glue.
Frederick Kaludis
You're describing Nitre Blue.
Interesting. I hadn't seen bluing done before except by heating brass (clickspring's videos). What is the purpose of the bluing other than looks? Ditto for the oiling? Simply to prevent rusting? Thanks.
the blue in both cases is a thin layer of non rust oxide witch prevents rust(the destructive oxide). It also may make the surface harder and more scratch resistant ( I am not entirely sure this is the case for steal it is for aluminum)
Have you looked at the bluing videos on the clickspring channel
The flamed one has a nice look
Hi Lyle nice video, maybe you could experiment with salt nitre bluing, that would make a good video, thanks for all your efforts, much appreciated
Great short story about your childhood
Thanks
they say you should use cold water to stop the rusting process. does hot water really work then?
is the heat coloring a type of oxidation? If you did this in an argon environment would the blue take?
just borrowing the comments to ask a question. ;) I always wondered if the black tip on a screw driver is needed or not. for example, if I chip one of my screw drivers and the re-grind it and often times you need to grind down to thickness too. should I blue or oxidize it somehow? thanks!
What gun was that peeking in there at the end? based on the grip shape... and your personality... I'm guessing it's a revolver. As a loyal viewer and firearms enthusiast, I'd be curious to know, and see what you own for firearms.
Bluing don't make the product better, but, surely makes it look better....
And, better looking tools, always seem to function better... lol
Pierre's Garage definitely blueing to avoid corrosion with time.
Does the solution deplet in potency when the dipping method is used?
JIM
I like the torch finish myself. Looks good
I thought your casting furnace was originally a heat treatment oven?
Great video! I've watched before, but as I'm thinking of bluing a pistol frame, I need all the help I can get. Have you blued aluminum? I think they have another product.
I have attempted to color Aluminum. I always fail
So, would this prevent rust altogether or for a certain amount of time?
Is there any reason why you didn't case harden them by quenching in oil ? That 'blues' steel nicely and being harder they are more durable.
I noticed the grip end of a pistol in your video. What was that all about?
+Herb Blair Random guess, he had everything he needed out for blueing and perhaps did a little touch up on his firearm.
Nice vid , I've ben looking for a finish for my finger plate I just made, I think\k you motivated me! Thanks TC, cheers from Howie