Brownells Gunsmith Tech Corner - January 2012

Brownells Gunsmith Corner
 

Bluing in Your Shop
By
Paul Mazan

One of the problems that faces every gunsmith on a regular basis is the gun or parts of guns that need to be reblued. Even if you have a full hot salts bluing set up there are always those small jobs that sit around waiting for bluing day. If your shop does not have a bluing set up those customer parts lay around waiting for the time that you have enough bluing work to send them out. There is a solution that can get those small jobs done for the big shop and provide the hobbyist or small shop owner a way to service his customers needs in a shorter turn around time. That puts money in your pocket sooner and the solution is an alternate method of applying Brownells Dicropan IM.

If you are not familiar with Dicropan IM it is a bluing product that has been in the Brownells catalog for years. It is a solution that makes an accelerated rust bluing process possible and Brownells provides a full set of instructions for this application. Simply put, the process requires removing whatever finish or rust from the part, with rust and blur remover. The bare metal is them preped by polishing, sanding, draw filing, or a combination of all three. It all depends on the condition of the part and type of finish you want on the finished gun. The instructions then call for heating the part in boiling water, applying the solution and then removing the oxidation that forms on the part with steel wool or a soft wire brush. The process of reheating the part in the boiling water and carding off the oxidation is then repeated until you achieve the depth of color you want. As presented in Brownells instructions the process is as foolproof as it can be. It is safe for use on old soft soldered doubles and will give you a very durable and beautiful finish. My shooting partner and gunsmithing mentor Reid Coffield put me on to an alternative method of using this product that requires less time and equipment and results in a finish just as good looking and durable.

Apply the Dicropan IM using a cloth or swab saturated in the solution. If the IM does not evaporate immediately simply reheat the part until it does. A coating of rust will form on the part. Using insulated rubber gloves (remember the part is hot!) remove the part from the hangers, take it to the buffer and wire brush the entire part, removing the rust. Hang the part back up, heat it and apply a second coat of IM. This process is repeated until the depth of color you want is achieved. Most firearms parts require 5-10 coats of IM but I have had some alloys that have taken 10-15. I can have the barrels of a double done in about 45 minuets to an hour and have done an entire Colt 1903 (slide, frame, grip safety, magazine release and slide lock) in an afternoon.

It’s really as simple as that! No muss no fuss, no bother. The quality of the finish depends more on the prep work than the actual bluing, and tough? You bet it’s tough! You have been removing the oxidation with a wire wheel or steel wool, the only way your going to scratch it is with a sharp piece of steel. Think about it, real rust bluing right in your shop. No need for tanks, burners highly caustic solutions or chemicals that you will have to dispose of one day. Hot salts bluing is necessary for high volume shops where time is money and there is plenty of bluing work to be done but now the small shop or hobbyist can provide a service to his customers or take care of his own projects with a couple of hours work. Personally I think that is a breakthrough. At least it has been for me now I can blue guns myself without a large outlay of cash or setting projects aside until I have enough to take to the Platers.