Torch blue?

[JeffG]

I am building a Virginia 54 smoothbore. To check my finishing of the steel buttplate, I torch blued a portion of it. The color came out very nice, more of a deep navy blue. My question is, does anyone use this method (without oil) to color steel parts? How durable is it? Thanks for any and all input.

 

[LRB]

Can be very pretty , but will not last where handled often.

 

[crockett]

I made a friction folder with a locking, dorsal spring on top. The spring was blue from the tempering and I liked the color so I just put it on that way.

 

[JeffG]

That's what I suspected...

 

[LRB]

Heat colors are just a thin layer of oxidation. You can coat the colored part with a coat of clear laquer and it will last longer, but not forever.

 

[Herb]

I like propane torch bluing. This .58 Hawken fullstock I built about 8 years ago and it has been shot at least 1500 times, hunted elk in the rain and snow for 8 days in two years. This blue is tough. You can hit CONTROL and the + sign to enlarge the photo so you can see it better. Also you can read the bottom target.

I built a copy of Jim Bridger's Hawken and heat blued the lock, triggers, trigger guard, butt plate and toe plate. (Browned the barrel but heat blued the plug and tang). I photographed it against the original in Helena, Montana and then decided to wear my blue off. 4/0 steel wool wouldn't remove it, I had to go to emory cloth to remove some of it. It is easy to use, and if it does wear off, it is simple to re-do it.

 

[crockett]

Herb- nice job! The breech plug- never thought about whether on a Hawken the originals were browned or blued- the originals you studied, did the breech plugs appear to have been blued?

 

[Herb]

The plug and tang are color case (hardened, I guess, don't know the right term). The barrels may be browned or blued and then went to a kind of brown patina over many years. Doc White at the Green River Rifle Works told me the Bridger Hawken had a browned barrel. Here is the Jim Bridger plug and barrel in the Helena Museum.

 

[crockett]

Thanks for the good photo- the barrel is definately been handled differently from the other parts. The trigger guard must have been blued and the breech plug and hammer and triggers look pretty much the same- either blued or casehardened. I'd say anyone would be on firm footing by browning the barrel and bluing the other parts.

 

[JeffG]

Very nice! I have lots of time to think about it. Lots of work before I get that far.... :hatsoff:

 

[mazo kid]

Why no oil? When I have done heat bluing I have always immediately dunked the hot part into an oil bath. Then remove the part and let the oil remain on the part a couple of days. I think it helps improve the durability but have no proof of that.

 

[gunmaker43]

You can get sort of a glossy blu/brn by spraying boiled linseed oil on the hot parts. Tom