Cold Blue

i would like to cold blue some of the workshop tools I have made

What make of solution do you recommend from your own experience and where can I get it from

thanks

The best I found was G96 gun bluing paste. Wash everything in very hot detergent water and apply the paste whilst metal's still hot to the touch. Small paintbrush works quite well. Wash off thoroughly and oil up lightly. Wear rubber gloves throughout.

There's also KoldBlak. I found that worked, but less well, and more faffing.

Edited By Mick B1 on 17/03/2019 15:39:45

I have a few old tools that have a really decorative pattern of blueing.

They look like the marbled paper you see in expensive books.

I've often wondered how that was done as it looks so effective.

Have you read the wiki page It describes several methods, one, Colour Case Hardening sounds like it could be your marbled paper effect.

Just found this thread... I was interested myself in some bluing, mainly for small tools I make.

...found Abbey Blu Gel on eBay, less than £10 which is what I wanted to spend. I'm not saying it's the answer to all bluing... but for small items, it worked for me.

Clean the part well with 99% IPA... coat, wait, rinse. Repeat 3 times. Works well and is dead easy.

.

That sounds very promising ... Thanks for the reference.

I realise that this is a rather subjective question, but:

How durable would you say it is ?

MichaelG.

I think that depends to a considerable extent on conditions. In a dryish place with reasonably stable temperatures and an occasional wipe from an oily rag, it should be good if the layer was sound in the first place.

If you look at the cannon in my album, that was made in 2002 and blued with G96 paste after unsatisfactory results with some liquid cold blues. The photo dates from 2005, and it looks the same today.

Not sure Michael tbh, it's mainly aesthetic for me, and I guess a lot would depend on the surface hardness. The piece I did as a test isn't hardened... it's just a die guide for a tail stock chuck, but it has finished nice. I'm expecting it to provide "some" rust resistance, but only combined with a thin covering of oil. I think I paid £8.55, so at this price, it was worth a shot (pardon the pun)

Thanks for that, Lainchy ... I’ve already ordered some, anyway.

MichaelG.

Hi Plama,

That rainbow marbled finish was obtained by immersing in a molten Sodium Cyanide bath at a high temperature for a few minutes and then a rapid quench in water. This caused a bang and sprayed water all over the place.. The Cyanide was in the size and shape of pidgeon eggs before being molten. I think the process also gave some case hardening to the item.. When I was an apprentice Patternmaker at Drummond Bros, the hardening shop was opposite ours and had the only running water to wash hands etc, for several hundred yards, so we were in there frequently.. I bet the Cyanide process would turn the hair grey of a modern H&S person.

Keith

No probs Michael.

If you don't have 99% IPA and some protective gloves... source them too. I've seen some youtube videos online, and they all say that it's vitally important that it's 100% degreased. I did the following....

degrease,

apply with a tissue (or brush which is probably easier) and wait 15 seconds or so

rinse (remember that your sink might be metal! - although I think this risk is low)

dry

repeat twice more starting degrease again, so three coats in all, then oil.

... Great info by the way Keith! I sometimes wonder if H&S is a little over the top, but in the case of that.... I'm sure it would be welcomed!

I've had good results using this stuff Weblink It's also available in a bottle, but I've found that the product in a tube keeps better, I've had the same tube for several years now, still works OK for blueing the odd thumbscrew etc.

I used to have some Jenolite(?) Koldblak/Koolblak(?) gel in a tube, it worked well on steel and less well on brass. I used it to black the brass chanins for my crane and found I had to leave the chain to soak for several hours, but they still look black.

Neil

I agree with mick. I used to be well into my shooting and g96 is the best, and I've tried plenty. Parts need to be spotless before blueing. Washing with ordinary Wasing up liquid and warm water works for me. Then oil or rub over with renaissance wax.

I’ve used Gun Blue liquids like Birchwood Casey with some success on small parts.

I've had repeated good results from the kit I bought from Caswell. Notes and pictures here:

**LINK**

Kevin

Virgin Flaxseed Oil (Linseed Oil) gives a nice durable finish to workshop tools. Clean the tools, rub it on, and bake in a domestic oven. No bad smells either!

.

Ordered yesterday, at a very reasonable price ... and arrived this morning.

Fantastic service from: **LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Abbey-Blu-Gel-Blueing-Gun-Metal-Barrel-Blue-Liquid-Shotgun-Rifle-Airgun-75gm/262286134180

MichaelG.

Is that the same as raw as opposed to boiled linseed?

An attractive idea as long as the workpiece is not held together with Loctite.