Need to reblue some magazines

[lone-wolf]

Would love to do a hot bluing setup, but the chemicals seem to be a pita to reliably get in Canada, I'm thinking about grabbing a couple bottles of liquid blue and throwing the magazine bodies and blue stuff into a small painter's bucket or similar. I need the inside of the magazines coated because they're all bare steel now. Paste would be a pain to get inside.
Is there a good way to neutralize the bluing liquid in areas I can't easily access?

Or better processes.

[blacksmithden]

Would love to do a hot bluing setup, but the chemicals seem to be a pita to reliably get in Canada, I'm thinking about grabbing a couple bottles of liquid blue and throwing the magazine bodies and blue stuff into a small painter's bucket or similar. I need the inside of the magazines coated because they're all bare steel now. Paste would be a pain to get inside.
Is there a good way to neutralize the bluing liquid in areas I can't easily access?

Or better processes.

I've been snooping around for years for cheaper cold bluing liquid than the stuff that's available to the average consumer. The price for a few milliliters of the stuff is stupid. I'll be watching this for my own benefit.

[lone-wolf]

I've been snooping around for years for cheaper cold bluing liquid than the stuff that's available to the average consumer. The price for a few milliliters of the stuff is stupid. I'll be watching this for my own benefit.

you might be able to find it, tree stump remover(potassium nitrate) brought to a boil... be careful, looks like it'll give a good blue to metal.
Pretty sure I seen a post on cgn about it in the smithing forum

Tree stump remover doesn't seem to exist north of the usa.

I was thinking about grabbing the big bottle of super blue off amazon too

[Rory McCanuck]

you might be able to find it, tree stump remover(potassium nitrate) brought to a boil... be careful, looks like it'll give a good blue to metal.
Pretty sure I seen a post on cgn about it in the smithing forum

Tree stump remover doesn't seem to exist north of the usa.

I was thinking about grabbing the big bottle of super blue off amazon too

I remember the owner of Beartooth Bullets did an article about using that, years ago.

[Rory McCanuck]

I remember the owner of Beartooth Bullets did an article about using that, years ago.

Just went looking for it, but the archive of his tech notes is gone!
The forum is still there, but his articles are gone, what a shame!

[M1917 Enfield]

Just went looking for it, but the archive of his tech notes is gone!
The forum is still there, but his articles are gone, what a shame!

Does this help - https://web.archive.org/web/20180825....com/index.htm

[FALover]

I purchased a bottle of Birchwood Casey (32oz.) off Amazon. Worked for what I needed and still have plenty for other projects.

https://www.amazon.ca/713132-Casey-P...%2C4033&sr=8-4

[M1917 Enfield]

I have had excellent results from this product -



SUPER BLUE® LIQUID GUN BLUE, 32 FL. OZ. BOTTLE
$79.99

SKU:
BC-13432
Bulk Pricing:
Buy in bulk and save
KEY FEATURES
DOUBLE-STRENGTH BLUEING SOLUTION
FOR BLUEING HIGHLY POLISHED STEEL PARTS AND HARDENED STEELS CONTAINING NICKEL AND CHROME ALLOYS (EXCEPT STAINLESS)
SUPER BLUE EXTRA STRENGTH GUN BLUE IS THE BLACKEST BLUE

DETAILS

A DOUBLE-STRENGTH BLUEING SOLUTION DESIGNED FOR BLUEING HIGHLY POLISHED STEEL PARTS AND HARDENED STEELS CONTAINING NICKEL AND CHROME ALLOYS (EXCEPT STAINLESS). SUPER BLUE® EXTRA STRENGTH GUN BLUE IS THE BLACKEST BLUE. USE CAUTION TO CONFINE THE SOLUTION TO THE AREA TO BE REBLUED, AS IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE EXISTING BLUE.

13425 - SUPER BLUE® LIQUID GUN BLUE, 32 FL. OZ. BOTTLE








Make sure you do not buy the cheaper and less effective Perma Blue also from the same maker. It is only slightly cheaper but much less effective and does not give as deep a blue.

The most important thing to remember when using this product is to completely remove all and any traces of oil or otherwise you will get a streaky or blotchy finish. I soak what I want to blue first in acetone and then heat the metal parts up to warm to touch for best results and rinse in hot water between coats to get the desired depth of blue.

It only takes about 10-15 minutes to work and then rinse in warm soapy water and brush with a soft to firm bristle brush or old toothbrush to remove all residue and the oil the surface with WD-40 or Fluid film to seal it from rust.

A 960 ml bottle is the best deal and will last you for years as long as you seal it well between uses and do not tip used liquid back into the bottle but keep it in another bottle as it seems to lose strength between soaking of parts in it.

[RangeBob]

The most important thing to remember when using this product is to completely remove all and any traces of oil or otherwise you will get a streaky or blotchy finish. I soak what I want to blue first in acetone and then heat the metal parts up

The warmer the metal when you apply it the better the cold blue works I find.

reminds me of
an episode of Dirty Jobs where he was in a galvanizing factory. They cleaned the parts with two methods, the former being a degreaser, the latter was dipping it in a hot mild-sulfuric-acid bath. The final step was dipping it in molten zinc.

[M1917 Enfield]

The warmer the metal when you apply it the better the cold blue works I find. I also use a hot air gun on the metal parts after rinsing them it soapy and then clean water to set the blue and dry out the part.