Announcement: Advanced Gunsmithing book

Advanced Gunsmithing book & Charcoal Bluing

Here is a book in pdf format that I found, I am doing research on gun finishes and was reading into charcoal bluing (looks awesome I personally saw one finished) and ran into this book published in 1940 and as many of you know some methods to do things never change I hope it helps someone out, I believe there is no copyright infringement, because of the publish date, if I am mistaken I apologize and will promptly delete this. (please let me know, im not to familiar in this subject matter)

Just click on the red (download) word in the first sentence.

http://www.machinistblog.com/download-advanced-gunsmithing-book-pdf/

was reading this book and author mentions that the accompanying book for this is the following just bought it on amazon great price

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811703266/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Unless you are a chemist, Angier's book will only confuse you. Most of the formulas use the old archaic names for the chemicals, many of which call for mercury and other chemicals which are highly toxic and who's use is restricted to the layman.

If you are interested in early 20th century gunsmithing books, those by Vickery, Roy Dunlap, and 2 different Howes are the ones to get. If interested in 19th century gunsmithing, then The Gunsmith's Manual is the one to have.

Now you tell me,,,hahah oh well I bought it, hope I learn something from it, want to read the charcoal bluing section, not much information out there

want to read the charcoal bluing section, not much information out there

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There is no "section" on charcoal bluing, just a single page.
Build a coke or charcoal fire.
Cover with an iron plate.
Put the barrel on the plate until it reaches the color you want.
Can also be done in a sand bath.

It's just temper bluing and is a thin, fragile coating. I know a couple of guys who did it by heating the barrel with a torch. Basically the same process as fire bluing a screw.

DKanger said:

There is no "section" on charcoal bluing, just a single page.
Build a coke or charcoal fire.
Cover with an iron plate.
Put the barrel on the plate until it reaches the color you want.
Can also be done in a sand bath.



It's just temper bluing and is a thin, fragile coating. I know a couple of guys who did it by heating the barrel with a torch. Basically the same process as fire bluing a screw.

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Use Kingsford Brand for best results. Not much to it.

silverchip said:

Use Kingsford Brand for best results. Not much to it.

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Sitting here all alone in the apartment and this just made me laugh out loud! That was just funny!

Donny

Kingsford brand for "Royal" blue.... I get it!

Take a fishfryer tripod and replace the pot with a plow disc.
Use a propane burner for your heat source.
Heap about 6" of slacked (slaked?) lime.
Bury your spurs,pistol etc . in the lime.
SLOWLY!!!, bring the heat up to SOAK the object.
Using GLOVES and TONGS check the coloring process as needed (trial and error) reburying after each visualization.
Upon reaching the desired color, STOP HEATING and neutralize.

You can achieve "COLORS" such as black,purple, sky blue, dark blue etc.

EXPERIMENT with scrap metal of the same composition as your intended blueing object.

ALWAYS USE GOGGLES AND A GOOD RESPIRATOR WHEN USING THIS TECHNIQUE IN AN ADEQUATELY VENTILATED SPACE.

Using GLOVES and TONGS check the coloring process as needed (trial and error) reburying after each visualization.

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A separate piece of similar polished metal placed on top of your pile will eliminate having to dig your piece out. Just watch the color on the external piece.

Upon reaching the desired color, STOP HEATING and neutralize.

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What do you mean by neutralize? To neutralize is to make a highly acidic or basic compound have the ph of water.

Thank you all for your remarks. I see you have different thoughts when it comes to charcoal blueing according to what ive learned charcoal bluing is not applying an open flame as one would blue screws with a torch, in charcoal blueing your item would be placed in a hardwood charcoals cut into smaller pieces (this gets you better even coverage), using regular charcoal is not good because of the binders and chemicals used, it has to be between 800 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit and the metal must be deprived of air (meaning it should not hit it) and cooked for 3 hours (according to what I read) then pulled out and allowed to cool/cure for 3 days. I've also read that somewhere in these steps you can add animal bones, bone blue. (note sure how this works) if I find the link/s where I read it I will post it.

Here is one

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=918.0

I see you have different thoughts when it comes to charcoal blueing

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We have different thoughts because we understand the process and you don't. You are what is referred to as a Wikipedia Ranger, one who spends hours surfing the net reading what others have experienced and thinking you are learning something. In the link you posted, only Jerry Huddleston really knows what he is talking about and Tom Curran to a lesser extent. I think both are members here.

I will repeat.......Charcoal Bluing is nothing more than TEMPER BLUING and there are several ways to achieve it. When steel is heated it goes thru various color stages at specific temperatures. When the specific temperature is reached for the color being sought, it is held there for a given period of time. The longer the soak time, the thicker the coating. The process can be achieved by flame, aerobically on a steel plate, anaerobically by burying the part in sand or lime as mentioned, by submersion in a melted metal alloy that melts at the specific temperature required, or in a heat treat oven. All give similar results with the difference being the thickness and durability of the final product.

Burying an expensive barrel in a pit of red hot charcoal and then trying to hold those red hot coals to between 800-900 degrees for three hours is a fool's folly. There is more to it than that and you will probably end up with a warped barrel that is burnt black. The reason the anaerobic method is preferable is so you don't burn the carbon out of the barrel while trying to maintain a long soak time. Packing the barrel in fine charcoal actually preserves the carbon. On the other hand, do not confuse charcoal bluing with color case pack hardening which adds carbon to iron or mild steel at a higher temperature and then gives differential coloring when quenched. The purpose of that process is to add wear resistance to parts while maintaining a soft inner core.

Temper Colors are colors of various metals when a particular temperature is reached. If the subject is steel there is a metallurgical chart of these colors this chart does not have "White" or Black".

If by "Black" this discussion is about a very dark blue then this could be a temper blue. If "black" is what is being discussed then this is a "Black oxide" not a temper color that can be gotten at various temperatures. There has to be a introduction of some other material to produce a "black oxide" such as charcoal but not limited to wood charcoal.

The true black oxide finish that is often found on triggerguards and trigger plates of high quality guns is an extremely durable finish often being the last colors to age/fade from these fine firearms. Charcoals of various materials can be used to produce this black oxide finish. I have never seen or heard (I guess that there is always a first time) of a true charcoal black oxide resulting from heating to high temperatures used on barrels of firearms. Roger

rmgreen said:

Temper Colors are colors of various metals when a particular temperature is reached.

If by "Black" this discussion is about a very dark blue then this could be a temper blue.

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Thats exactly was I was talking about.


DKanger

no need to get upset, its true I do not understand the process but as you can see there are different thoughts, no one said it was wrong or right, just pointing to what I could see. Im sure there was no propane tanks 150 years ago and they got the job done, but yes im sure there is more than one way to skin a chicken. I'm not familiar with wiki.whatever it is, but one thing is for sure reading does help non the less (just look at this site). But hands on has its place also and fills those gaps. Im just hungry for knowledge that's all, all they ideas mentioned are noted, literally and are going to be tested and I cant wait to learn.

"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing."
Wernher von Braun