[30calmachinegunner]

I have had some Brownell's Ospho 9 bluing salts for some time and have a few requests to do some smaller parts(T&E and such) that wouldn't be right parkerized.

Well I finally got around to it today, it says 10# salts to 1 gallon of water, I put it in the tank I got for this and the solution was about 2" below the top of the tank, didn't think a thing about it. Bluing salts need to be brought to a roiling boil to work properly, not like parkerizing.

As the solution heat up it started popping, thinking it needed stirred I went to stir it and all HELL broke loose. The solution erupted like a volcano, I mean it went EVERYWHERE.

I got the gas turned off and everything calmed down but over 1/2gallon of the VERY CAUSTIC salts were everywhere, did I mention how caustic the salts are?

After that very embarrassing and messy blunder I moved everything before trying again, I left the solution alone and put the fire to it again. This time the solution only bubbled to the top of the tank and only a little leaked out.

Well the good news is the T&E look good blued, well actually it is more of a black oxide type finish, the finish came out very good in my opinion. Boy did I ever learn a lesson when trying something new.

Has anyone else had this experience?

 

[Mouse]

WoW!
I assume that you're Ok?

No I haven't done anything like that but I did see a dufass spray brake cleaner on an open flame once.
Does that count?

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

30cal, I hope it wasn't in your kitchen!!!!

 

[bittwiddler]

Isn't that stuff extremely alkaline? If so did you clean it up with vinegar? At least you didn't get any on you

 

[Bill S]

Had you completely dissolved the salts before bringing the solution to a boil? The other thing that comes to mind - either stir from well before it approaches boiling, or wait until after it's boiling well. If you dump something into a superheated solution that's right at the edge of boiling, you'll get the reaction you describe.

 

[jmann]

The heat generated by putting water to the salts is usually enough to get the temp up to 180 or so before you even light the burner. Salts need to be stirred and broken up before heat is put to them. The finish is a true blueing, but the surface prep of the metal dictated the final look. If the metal is bead blasted it is going to look like phosphate. If the metal is polished to 500 grit then it is going to look like you can stick your finger into the metal. Please read the instructions that came with the stuff. Brownells has them in pdf format on their website if you no longer have them, or I can e-mail them to you on monday if you shoot me your address. This stuff is wicked bad and will go through skin in just a few minuites and through leather workboots in about 45. There are many steps to the bluing process both before and after you dunk the part in the bubbling tank, and any one of these not done correctly can cause your bluing to turn out bad. I have 5 tanks set up for my bluing, 3 are heated. 1 of which carries the actual soloution and I really need another heated one to to really good work. After prepping the metal and removing all polishing compound this is how I do my parts.
1. Hot cleaner tank
2. cold water flowing rinse tank
3. bluing tank
4. back into cold water rinse tank
5. Soloution neutralizing tank
6. Hot water rinse tank
7. Water displacing oil tank.

There is a reason most were parked, bluing is a pita!

 

[oprod]

bluing school

Too kool for school are you?
As my pappy always said if your gonna be dum youd better be tuff!
rub baking soada on any of those areas that you got spattered otherwise that stuff just tends to eat at you for days. Make a real strong solution of baking powder and water and scrub your walls or what ever you dont want that stuff groing on. You should also know that stuff will creep out of the vat too so i put mine in 5 gallon buckets with lockable lids like paint comes in(lowes or home depot) Use ice cubes to cool increase your water amount instead of straight water you will see that it does not splatter.

 

[30calmachinegunner]

I'm okay and the parts look good. I talked to Brownell's at the SHOT show and they even said their "bluing" is more of a black phosphate finish, similar to Du-Lite then the true rust bluing of old. I'm not looking to do a lot of this but wanted to be able to do smaller things occasionally.

What I got on my hands burned a little until I got it washed off good, not a big thing I've far worse from other blunders.

I've been through the Brownell's instructions before, that's one reason I've been holding off doing this for awhile, bluing is a PIA compared to parkerizing. The only thing I "dumped" into the solution was something to stir it with, sure wasn't expecting THAT result though.

I just thought this interesting experience might be a little educational as well as somewhat humorous since no damage was done.

Did I mention the parts look GOOD.

 

[Mouse]

Did I mention the parts look GOOD.

This thread is worthless without pictures!

 

[Bill S]

The only thing I "dumped" into the solution was something to stir it with,....

That's sometimes all it takes. A change in surfaces or movement can be enough.

 

[ravenrob]

I feel your pain Brian. I did that crap for 13 years. Every time I hear of a story like this, I remember why I quit!

 

[blackrifles]

Brian,

Glad you're OK, chemicals are VERY unforgiving, even with the greatest caution, SH*T happens.

Well, at least your day wasn't THIS bad, "Joe Dirt" meets Feds.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/04/macedonia_man_arrested_after_h.html

 

[toolmanhd]

30cal, Hey thanks for the info.
This will help alot when I finally attempt hot blueing.
Been tossing idea around for awhile.

Is parkerizing that much easier?
Maybe I should start there first.

 

[RetVet]

Well, at least your day wasn't THIS bad, "Joe Dirt" meets Feds.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/04/macedonia_man_arrested_after_h.html

Ah, another Darwin Award candidate. He'll need to try harder next time if he expects to place in the top ten.

 

[ohioblacksheep]

Just wondering about something.
A friend of mine who works with me is going to give a shot at blueing some SS Garand parts. On the sturing part. I like useing a wood stick to stur my park solution. Would that work in the blueing tank???...Lou

 

[Lucky#13]

It has been a LOOONG time since I did hot bluing. About 1984, I would say! When I worked for a well known pistolsmith, I did the bluing 2 or 3 times a month. But we never used the Brownells solution. It was way to complicated. We had our own home brew that was very easy in comparison, but it is still volatile stuff. I can remember the chemicals we mixed, but not the ratios. I have been tempted to set up bluing, but I just don't have the space, and I am not sure I want the trouble with as little as I do.

If I recall, we used a piece of steel or iron bar to stir the solution before and during the heating process. Not sure if wood is a good idea, but it may not hurt. I know the temp was FAR higher than parkerizing, as you do need that rolling boil. The results sure are pretty, though. Ours would come out a very deep color, almost black, depending on the steel. Of course, as jmann says, the metal prep determines a great deal. Mostly we went to about a worn-out 320 grade paper on, say, a Colt 1911. But somethings called for as fine as 600 grit. Ah, those were the days!

 

[Signal9]

I don't think you can blue stainless steel parts. Brownells sells I believe a blackening chemical solution specific for stainless however.

 

[ohioblacksheep]

Signal,

The stuff we got is from Brownell for the SS blueing.. I read the instructions and it IS an involved process....Lou

 

[jmann]

Yep stainless can be blued with oxinate 85? I think it is 85. It is the same stuff that will blue cast parts which is what I use to blue my bottom plates and any other cast part with on a 1917 before it is put together and blued in the regular bluing soloution. This way parts of the gun dont turn red.

 

[ohioblacksheep]

Jmann,

Yep thats the stuff, I knew it was an 80ish something.
The heads up on preblueing the cast parts with it on 1917's is a REALLY GOOD bit of info to have Thanks a Bunch !!!!

I get guys asking about blueing my new Water Jackets with the bronze ends before they build the guns.. I think there over looking that the whole gun with the bronze ends is still going to need to go into the salt bath when the rec. is rivited on.. The difference in the cast parts is another thing they'll need to think about... From what I see so far, there is NO EASY way to do the blued 1917 Water Cooled setup....Lou