I got the beginings of my hot blue tank from the fab shop yesterday! :D see the photos.
I went back and reviewed Marshals right up on his Marlin trapper, I do see that the artical is almost two years old but, (so far) this is the kind of "stump remover" I can find, it's about $6.00 a pound!
The info I found at Brownells says that 1lb will fill about 15ci., my tank is 42" long, 6" wide and 6" tall, if I fill it to 4.5" deep that is 1134ci!!! that calnculates to about 75+ lbs!!!!!!!, that's about $450!!!!!!!!!!! ouch!!
The 40lb tub (potasium nitrate) from Brownells is $62 plus hazmat shipping (anybody have a clue as to what that may be?). I'm going to see if I can get it at the local supply house that sells chemicals to the UofO.
OXYNATE no.7 is $110 for 40lbs, but mixes with watter at 10lbs per gallon of watter, so it may be more economical?, has anyone used this stuff?

I've use the Oxynate no. 7 from Brownell's and it works well. I've never used "Potassium Nitrate".

If your planning on doing some hot tank blueing you might want to pick up "Gunsmith Kinks" first addition from Brownell's or better yet get the four volume set. Lots of really great info in them. There a compendium of ways gunsmiths have solved smithing problems and found good ways to do things.

Why not rust blue it?

I paid $3 per pound for potasium nitrate. NItre blueing, unless I am very mistaken, was usually used for smaller parts. You can set up a rust blueing rig for about $15, including supplies, that will do most barrels and receivers.

Check your local Farm & Feed Supply.

Potassium Nitrate is a high content in a lot of fertilizers. Be aware if you buy in bulk it will trigger a red flag ala Timothy McVeigh by homeland security, no big deal but be aware of it. It is classed an explosive that's why the hazmat fee.

What is a rust blueing rig, and how is it made (for $15)? I paid more than that for my cold blue kit, and I hate cold blue.
All the best,
Glenn

A bottle of Laurel Mountain Forge barrel brown and degreaser, about $8. A pioece of PVC pipe long enough and large enough in diameter to hold your barrel, or barreled action, about $5. A PVC cap to seal one end, about $1. I'm assuming you have containers to hold water, and a means of heating it, like a microwave. Gallon of distilled water, $1.

Use the browning solution as directed. Coat the oart, let it work, and coat again. When the rust builds to the desired point, slide the part into the PVC pipe. If it is a barrel, be sure to grease the bore, and cap the ends with rubber stoppers or wooden plugs. Heat distilled water to boiling, and pour inot the pipe. let it sit for 5 minutes or so, the drain the water. You can reuse the water as long as it isn't too discolored. Card the part with a coarse cloth dipped in water. Repeat until the part is the color you want. Most barrels take from three to five applications to get dark enough for my taste.

I know, Laurel Mountain Forge says "Browning Solution" on the label. Look at the tiny writing on the back! When you boil the part, or expose it to boiling water, the brown oxide converts to black oxide, and gives you the dark blue finish we all love.

Pretty much all there is to it.
Before I started doing this, I never realized it was that easy to rust blue metal. The process here is a little time consuming, and wouldn't be feasable for a production shop. For the home gunsmith, it works just fine.

Thanks Charley! Now, you mention "Browning" - does the barrel / part come out brown, or blue? And is it really RUST? That just doesn't seem right to me, but I'm a total amatuer to blueing / browning guns. All I've ever used is cold blueing, and that NEVER came out right.

What I'm thinking of doing is re-coating the receiver of a Remington Speedmaster. The original finish looks like paint instead of blueing. Should I not mess with this? It's a mid-60's vintage gun, and I just want to reblue to protect it - sentimental value / still in use / never to be sold type gun.

All the best,
Glenn

Here is how hot tank bluing works. I'll get you an article on how rust bluing is done.

Bluing the Traditional, Hot Salts Way
By: Andrew Swan

My trusty Remington 870 has been through a lot here at Brownells since I purchased it. I have disassembled, bead-blasted, cold blued, reassembled, and disassembled again . . . more than any shotgun often goes through in a lifetime of use. And, having heard a lot about Bob Brownell starting this great company offering hot salts bluing products, I thought now would be a great time to see how the traditional, hot bluing salts method is done, and how it compares to some of the other finishes I’ve been working with this past year. I figured I’d get an almost “factory-new” look to my shotgun – and this month’s WebBench™ article completed at the same time.

That’s when I spoke to one of our gunsmith techs here, David Bennetts, and asked him what it would involve to re-blue my shotgun. He looked me in the eye, and said, “You are going to get an education.” We decided to fire up the bluing tanks on an unusually cool Iowa August day, and he would give me my education in the art of hot salts bluing.

Before the advent of the modern solutions for bluing guns, giving a firearm that unique, blue-black finish was an exhaustive procedure requiring many, MANY hours of intense, hands-on labor. The gunsmith owes a debt of gratitude to Bob Brownell, who revolutionized bluing with the introduction of Oxynate No. 7. This solution allows the gunsmith to blue a greater number of guns with significantly less work. Most importantly, the bluing process is repeatable with consistent results that will make the gunsmith confident in the work they are doing. The blued finish is relatively simple and easy to achieve. It involves seven basic steps:
1.Clean the properly polished gun and parts in Dicro-Clean 909™.
2.Rinse and scrub in cold, clean water.
3.Immerse in Oxynate No. 7 solution for 15 to 30 minutes.
4.Rinse and scrub in cold, clean water.
5.Rinse in boiling water.
6.Immerse in Water Displacing Oil.
7.Apply optional “after-treatments”, if desired.


David and I started our bluing training with some safety precautions. Hot bluing salts are very caustic and must be handled with caution. Proper ventilation, eye protection, skin protection and fire protection are NOT optional. They are absolute necessities and CANNOT be overlooked. Read the directions booklet that comes with the pail of Oxynate No. 7 carefully and make sure you understand everything before you begin. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Technical Support Staff at Brownells.

After reviewing and following the safety procedures, we began by stirring the tank containing the Oxynate No. 7. It is important to break up the surface salts and the material that has settled to the bottom of the tank. Once this was done, David lit the burners on the Brownells Bluing System for the Dicro-Clean 909 tank, the Oxynate No. 7 tank, and the boiling water rinse tank.

As we waited for the tanks to heat to the proper temperature, David told me that, in his opinion, bluing is one of the more profitable areas of gunsmithing. As we looked at the parts of six guns that were to be blued (our co-workers found out what we were doing and chipped in to add to our workload), he suggested that what we were looking at represented about $400-500 worth of work. It seemed to me that one could make up the cost of the bluing equipment in a relatively short time. David confirmed this by saying that once people find out you can blue a gun and do a great job, they will “beat a path to your door.”

The Brownells bluing room utilizes the full Bluing System Kit. For those of you who might not have a lot of room and still want to blue your own parts, you might consider the Brownells Roll-Around Compact Bluing System which will handle up to 18” barrels and rolls out of the way when you’re not using it.

Once the tanks reached the proper temperatures, we were ready to begin. The parts to be blued had been cleaned and polished beforehand.

We first ran soft iron wire down the length of the barrels and through holes in the parts with enough wire protruding to hang the parts on the hanging rods across the tanks. This makes it easy to move the parts from one tank to the next without touching them. You also won’t need to worry about any contamination from the wire since that also goes through the entire cleaning process.

The next step was cleaning the polished parts in the tank of Dicro-Clean 909. This tank heats to 180° F and is used to get the parts absolutely free of any oils, dirt and grease. Get the part clean! Any trace materials will botch up the bluing. Parts should be immersed and scrubbed for 10-15 minutes.
Once this step was completed, we rinsed the parts in cold, flowing water to remove any traces of the Dicro-Clean 909. This should be done quickly, taking no more than 2-3 minutes. Any Dicro-Clean 909 left on the metal will cause the bluing to streak.

The part was then put into the Oxynate No. 7 Bluing Tank, which was boiling at a temperature of 292° F. It is important to make sure that no air is trapped inside a barrel or part when it is immersed in the bluing tank. The hot temperature will cause the air to expand rapidly and will blow the caustic solution all over you and the shop. Tip the part up as you lower it into the tank, making sure that no air is trapped inside.


The part needs to be in the bluing tank for 15-30 minutes. When using a stainless steel basket to hold small parts, make sure that you swirl the basket around slightly to ensure that the parts are completely coated. It is critical to completely cover the parts being blued with the solution to prevent any discoloration or uneven bluing.

At this point, an assembly line procedure can be started, with parts being cleaned as you wait for the bluing solution to work its magic. Watch the temperature on the bluing tank and make sure that water is not boiling off, which will improperly balance the mixture. The instructions for the bluing system give you tips to properly maintain the solution balance. Read and follow them carefully.

Avoid leaning over the bluing tank as catching a face full of vapors is a very undesirable feeling. After 15 minutes, check the part by briefly lifting it out of the bluing tank. Rust will attack the metal quickly, so take a quick peek to see if the desired color has been attained.

Once you are satisfied with the color, rinse the part in the cold water tank. Agitate and swish the parts in the water to remove all traces of the bluing solution. Then place it in the Boiling Water Tank for 5-10 minutes for simple parts, or 15-30 minutes for complex parts, to boil out any remaining salts residue.


David gave me a great tech tip. When you remove the part from the hot water rinse tank, apply Brownells Solder Black on any soldered joints. David used a cotton swab to apply the Solder Black and it turned those solder areas black to match the blued steel. Applying the Solder Black at this time is ideal because the metal is perfectly clean and hot which allows the Solder Black to work quickly and give an even finish.

After removing the parts from the hot water rinse, they were placed in the Water Displacing Oil Tank. This removed any water from the part, and gave the metal a protective coating to prevent rust, sweat, or body oils from disturbing the finish. The parts should remain in the oil until they are cool, usually 45-60 minutes. This will allow the maximum displacement of any trapped water.

That was it! We had blued the parts for six guns in about 3 hours from the time we fired up the tanks until we took the last part out of the oil. The result was a deep blue-black finish that was consistent and even, without any discolored areas. It was a relatively easy thing to do, despite the occasional itching from the steam from the bluing solution. That was a small price to pay compared to the satisfaction I felt from taking my 870 from bead-blasted steel to a professional-looking blued finish.

As David and I talked, it became apparent that with practice and attention to detail, bluing was a job that can generate a lot of business for the gunsmith. The initial investment is not overwhelming, and the results were professional, even for this novice. The instructions provided with the bluing system, along with the technical support from Brownells that is only a phone call away, can let you provide a service for your customers that will leave them very satisfied – so satisfied that word-of-mouth can lead to a very profitable and satisfying part of your shop's income.


Many thanks to David Bennetts, Gunsmith Technician . . . just one of the many qualified Gunsmith Technicians here at Brownells.

Materials Used
Brownells Bluing System Kit - #082-005-007
Brownells Solder Black - #083-032-004
Brownells Cotton Swabs - #080-000-255

Alternate Materials
Brownells Roll-Around Compact Bluing System – #082-900-008



Rust Bluing

Top quality you say? Yes, better than the current commercial hot caustic bluing done in professional shops. The process is fairly simple and requires no expensive equipment to get started.

It is important to keep in mind that the purpose of finishing the metal of a gun is to prevent corrosion. The most effective way to prevent steel from rusting is to protect it with a fine layer of rust. That is what bluing is all about. In addition, we get the added benefit of glare reduction and a fine appearance.

Early military rifles were kept in the white, or bare metal, because the soldier has time to constantly care for his rifle. The person who carries a gun for hunting or home defense needed a way to prevent corrosion.

Early gunsmiths began developing secret formulas to let them carefully grow a layer of rust on steel in order to create an effective barrier to further corrosion. These formulas included toxic and dangerous materials that induce a very fine grained oxide on the surface of the steel. They would remove the top surface of rust and repeat the process until the steel was a very fine brown in color and would hold oil as further protection.

Please allow me to digress a bit and explain the rusting process in a way that is not scientific, but makes a little sense to those who are trying to understand why we might rust a gun to prevent it from rusting. The damaging form of rust that we often see on a firearm is caused when oxygen reacts with the steel to cause oxidation, or rust. Think of the uncontrolled process being like a heavy weed growth with a thick stem and roots. It is unsightly and leaves the large stem and roots showing on the ground when we mow these weeds. This is similar to the pitted versions of rust we occasionally see on guns that have not been cleaned and oiled properly.

The controlled oxidation process is more like planting a putting green. We use special chemicals, humidity, and proper timing to produce a very fine layer of ferrous iron oxide on the surface of the steel with very fine pits into the steel. We then "mow" the iron oxide with steel wool to remove the surface layer and leave only the very fine pits in the steel to provide color and hold oil.

Bare iron is likely to oxidize when exposed to moisture, acids from the hands, or impurities from the environment, but the oxidation process slows quickly once the first layer of rust forms. The creation of a very fine surface layer of ferrous iron oxide on the surface of the steel is very effective in retarding further rust. This is especially true if oxygen can be sealed away from the steel with a substance such as oil.

Another form of accelerated oxidation that had been used in the early 1800s was to raise the temperature of the steel to around six hundred degrees where an oxidation process takes place and the steel turns dark blue in color. This process was known as Fire Bluing and was not only very difficult on large surfaces, but the penetration of protection was very shallow and easily worn off the steel. It is often used today to quickly and easily blue small parts like screw heads.

The oxidation process was an excellent way to provide a rust barrier on guns, but it left us with a brown color on the gun. Another good finishing process would be to change the ferrous iron oxide to ferro-ferric oxide, which is black in color. This is done by exposing the ferrous iron oxide to very hot water.

Modern gun companies began looking for a way to quickly produce the popular dark finish on their guns in an assembly line fashion, so the hot caustic blue method was developed. This process uses high temperatures and very dangerous caustic materials to quickly blue the gun. This process is way beyond the scope of most hobby gunsmiths and is best left to the professional refinishing shop.

A process that is within the reach of the advanced hobby gunsmith is to use a process known as black chrome. I have never seen the process used on firearms, but I am entertaining the notion of trying this process at home.

Most of the materials needed to do a fine job of rust bluing at home are inexpensive and most can already be found in the shop or kitchen. You will probably have to buy the bluing solution from Brownells, but the remaining materials are:

*

Sandpaper
*

Mineral spirits
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Rubber gloves
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Tweezers or clothes pin
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Distilled water
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A pot for boiling water
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Old newspapers
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genuine cotton balls or strips of cotton fabric
*

acetone
*

wire for hanging parts
*

wood dowels
*

0000 steel wool



If you are planning to do a brown finish instead of blue, you will not need the distilled water or pot.

A decision must be made before we begin. I have successfully used two different browning solutions and like both of them, but there are different requirements for each. The Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown and Degreaser does not require the acetone or rubber gloves to prevent oil contamination, but must be used in a reasonably controlled temperature and humidity environment.

The other solution I have successfully used is the Pilkington Classic American Rust Bluing Solution. This product is much more expensive and requires caution in not letting grease or oil on the steel, but does not require the humidity controlled cabinet.

If you are planning to brown or blue your parts on a warm and humid summer day, or planning to do a lot of bluing, then it would be best to use the Laurel Mountain Forge solution and make an inexpensive humidity and temperature controlled cabinet. On the other hand, if you are comfortable with careful surface contamination and need to work with browning in a less optimal environment, then the Classic American Rust Bluing Solution might be the better choice. I will say that the American solution does contain toxic materials that must be considered.

Both products do an excellent job of browning or bluing steel. I have used them both and find I was able to use either product in my warm and somewhat humid garage without the need for special cabinets. Rust based finishes should be done in the correct temperature and humidity for optimal results.

It is July in California and the outside temperature will be over one hundred degrees on most days. I will use the Laurel Mountain Forge product on this project, because it is less toxic, less expensive, and does not require the careful attention to surface contamination. I will, however, use the surface decontamination procedures just to illustrate how it is done for those who chose to use another solution.

Now that we have made the decision to use the Laurel Mountain Forge product for this article, I must prepare the surface of the parts to be blued. This is done by examining the parts for any damage and then filing or sanding out any blemishes.

We do not want to take the metal to a mirror finish when doing a rust bluing job. We only need to smooth the finish down to where there are no pits and we have the polish of 320 grit sandpaper.

I chose to use my Remington project gun to blue the barrel, loading lever, and the cylinder. The frame of the revolver will be nickel plated for a future article. This gun had the bluing removed over a year ago after experiencing a serious rust problem. The barrel has some serious metal damage and is a good candidate for this article.

I began by using 120 grit wet or dry sandpaper backed by a rubber eraser to start sanding the scratches out of the bare metal. I also use unscented mineral spirits instead of water in to keep the grit sharp and to keep the steel dust from clogging the grit. I do this by taking a small dish of unscented mineral spirits and brushing a little onto the sandpaper every few minutes. I use the unscented version of mineral spirits to reduce the odor that tends to linger in the area.

I use the 120 grit sandpaper to remove all of the surface flaws and get to clean metal, but the sandpaper adds scratches to the steel. If surface scratches are really bad, I will begin by draw filing the surface of the steel and then progressing to 80 grit emery cloth before advancing to the 120 grit paper.

After the rough scratches have been removed with the 120 grit paper, I usually switch to 220 wet or dry paper and repeat the process. Figure 2 shows the barrel after being sanded and is ready to be blued. The upper barrel is not going to be blued and will remain in the photos as a benchmark to help illustrate the color change in the parts as they darken. With the earlier marks cleaned up, I finally advance to 320 grit to finish the job. 320 grit paper seems to provide the best tooth for the rust bluing without showing any marks in the newly blued surface.

After finishing all of the parts that I plan to blue, I laid them out and prepared them for cleaning in acetone. Figure 3 shows the parts as they are finished and ready for cleaning.

I am using Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser, because it is not toxic and contains a detergent to remove grease and oil before starting its work. Although it does not require degreasing of the parts, I still choose to rinse them down with acetone to remove any remaining grease or oil in the joints. This is done by applying acetone in a well ventilated space with a rag saturated with acetone.

With the parts all cleaned up and ready to brown or blue, lay them out on a newspaper just to keep them clean. Take a cotton ball in some tweezers and dip it into the browning solution and apply it evenly to the metal parts. I had clamped a wood dowel in my vise and slid the cylinder and barrel onto the dowel while they sat in the warm and humid garage to rust.

You should notice an immediate loss of shine as solution goes to work. Avoid any collection of liquid on the part as the rusting solution is also a rust solvent and may disturb any rust formation. You may also notice the dulling of the pat start to turn a light brown within a very short time as the solution starts creating the fine-grain rust pattern we desire.

Let the part sit in a warm and humid location for about three hours while you do something else, but avoid disturbing the parts. If you look at the parts and notice brown rust forming in some places, but bare steel in others, do not worry about this as it will be corrected in future applications of the solution.

Prepare the boiling water solution while the parts are rusting. I usually borrow a pot from the kitchen and use a burner on the bar-b-que outside to prepare my de-ionized or distilled water solution for boiling. If you are browning your parts, you will not need this step of the process so just ignore it.

Allow the parts to sit for three hours as a fine brown rust forms. This is creating the very fine grained pitting into the steel that represents the putting green smooth rust that is desired to hold the oil in the future. Figure 4 shows the parts as they should appear after about three hours of sitting and rusting. If you are browning your parts, skip the next instructions on boiling and move directly to carding.

Boiling of the rusted parts is necessary if you are bluing your steel. Skip this step if you are attempting to put a plumb brown finish on your parts. Using a kitchen pot with enough deionized or distilled water, bring the water up to a boil and get ready to dunk your parts.

Take each part and attach it to something that will allow you to remove the part from the boiling water without being burned. Caution--Boiling water is hot and you must make sure it does not come in contact with your skin through dunking or any other accident.

With the part securly attached to a wire or other tool, lower the part into the boiling water and allow it to sit for about five minutes. Remove the part and carefully blow the water from the part to make sure the part becomes dry. Be careful because the part is now very hot and any water coming from it is also hot.

I have laid the parts back out on the newspaper to illustrate how much different it looks now that the ferrous iron oxide to ferro-ferric oxide. It looks as if the parts have been dipped in a fine black powder, but that was the red rust only a few minutes ago.

Carding is the next step in creating our new finish whether we are bluing or browning our parts. In this step we use 0000 steel wool that has been degreased by pouring acetone through it to remove any residual oils.

Rub the steel wool vigorously on the red or blackened parts to remove the powdery surface rust. Depending on how much oxidation has taken effect on the first attempt, you will either see the metal return to silver, or you will start to see a noticeably darkened or red finish on the steel.

After the carding is completed, the first effects of the new finish should be visible. Figure 6 illustrates the first carding of the parts for my project gun. Notice how the test barrel at the top in the photo is now much lighter than the parts that have been treated.

The treated parts also have areas that have not shown any change. This is where steaks formed in the original solution treatment and should go away as more treatments are done on the parts. Do not worry if your parts do not have the same rapid bluing action as these as the solutions work at different rates depending on the temperature and humidity of the rusting room.

Regardless of whether you are browning or bluing, the next step is to apply the solution again and to let it rust again. This time there is a slight warning. This time it is necessary to just apply enough solution to dampen the part without it becoming wet. The rusting solution is also a rust solvent and it can remove some of the previous finish if too much is applied.

Another thing you will notice is that the second and later applications of the bluing or rusting solution will act much more slowly than the first application. This is because the first application of the material is already providing rust protection to the bare steel, which is no longer bare.

Allow the parts to sit for at least three hours after you have applied another very light dampening of the steel with the solution. When the three hours has passed, repeat the steps above to boil your parts if you are bluing the parts or going right to the carding process if you are doing either browning or bluing.

I was able to stop the process after four rusting and boiling sessions. The part developed a deep and rich grey/black color. I let the part sit for about a day and then oiled the parts. Do not oil the parts if you are browning the parts.

If you are browning the parts, then there is a different process to properly set in the color. Some people attempt to neutralize the rusting with a mixture of water and baking soda. I have never used this and have not had a problem. Instead, I mix a little burnt umber paint dye that is used by painters and I mix it 50/50 with Johnson's paste wax. I apply that mixture to the rusted and carded metal and it provides excellent protection to the new finish. About a week later, I usually oil the parts, which gives the metal a deeper hue.

The finished parts are either reinstalled on the gun or I will wrap them in a cloth that is saturated with oil to provide additional protection.

This represents either a very long day of metal finishing or it can be split across two days. I often allow the rusting process to take place overnight if it is on the third or later iteration as the process is much slower and more forgiving.

These metal parts will be stored for a few weeks until they can be assembled back onto one of my project guns. Now you can experiment with bluing or browning in your own home shop.

Mohave Gambler

The barrel on my CVA muzzle loader is rust blued, it looks like CRAP, it'a all streaked and splochy, NO THANKS!!!
The loacal farm supply only has premixed fertalizer, the other home and garden places didn't even know what I was talking about!?
One online fireworks supplyer had it, for about $540 for the 100lbs I enterd into their order form!!! and the "scientific" supply place was even more than that!, the best deal so far is Brownells at $3.10lb + hazmat. Oxynate no.7 is sounding like a real pain in the ***! All the articals you read about it make it sound SO easy!?, it's no wonder guys are willing to give gunsmiths a handfull of cash to blue a riffle.
The "kit" from brownells is $1999.97 + Hazmat shipping and you still need to get your own propane tankes!?

Some day I'm going to learn to research this kind of crap all the way before I get halfway into it and slamm head first into a brick wall!?

Your right about one thing, a good hot tank bluing job requires the proper equipment. Another point is that metal preparation is about 95 percent of the bluing job.

Rust bluing is much simpler, but a longer time frame to do a job. Time charges from a gunsmith will reflect this where hot tank bluing takes much less time. Thats why it is much less expensive for a smith.

It hardly is worth the cost of setting up a hot tank system to do one or two guns. Your way ahead to just have a smith that is set up do it for you.

If you are interested in a good blue without a lot of trouble use Oxpho blue from Brownell's. It works well and goes on cold. Metal preparation is the same for any other type of blue though. Nice thing about Oxpho blue is it works thru oil.

WrenchMan, don't slam rust blueing because the job on a low-end blackpowder gun is crap. Some of the finest doubles ever made have rust blued barrels that are deep colored, rich, and have lasted for decades! As said, it is slow and expensive (time=$) so you don't see it done except by real pro restoration shops.

Wrench Man, you are confusing hot bluing with nitre bluing. The two are completely different processes. Nitre bluing uses melted potassium nitrate crystals and is best suited for small parts, although I have also had great results on handguns. Hot bluing processes use various formulas of salt solutions, and are much more practical -- and inexpensive -- for rifles and shotguns.

Here's a Mauser action I rust blued. Not much of a picture, but the action looks ok.

It would apear that the price of chemicals has increased by 200-300% since the articals that conviced me to take on this hair pulling endever we published, Marshals artical is almost two years old, the chemical he used is THREE times the price now, the artical in the "Shotgun News" Treasury no.6 says that Oynate no7 is $60 for 40lbs, today it's $110! + hazmat/shipping, DU-LITE Oxyblack is about $175 for 50lbs shiped?, and Jantz Black Magic Salts are $45 for 25lbs + $25 hazmat and I'll need twice that amount for my tank!?

This IS NOT my idea of "inexpensive"!!!
The last engine I built cost $5000! and I finished it with $12 worth of paint.
The idea was to have this project on the range and in the woods for under $500, it's starting to look like I'll have a barreled action in the back of the safe collecting lint?

[QUOTE], Marshals artical is almost two years old, the chemical he used is THREE times the price now,

I bought potasium nitrate stump remover two months ago from Home Depot, for $3.50/pound. Maybe you need to shop around!

Word to the wise, hot blue is considered haz-mat operations most everywhere and even doing it for yourself in your own shop can land you in a heap of trouble with DEP/EPA unless you shell out another $325 or so to get a haz-mat collection drum delivered and picked up by a certified haz-mat company. You can even land youself in more trouble if you transport the used material to a haz-mat company youself.

Rust bluing is easy, making it look right takes a little practice. Drillings, H&H, Merkel, Krupp, Eibar and a lot of other high end guns all used rust bluing and many of those surviving still use it today. You can also salt blue, charcoal blue, electro-carbon blue, and gas blue. Every process has it's up's and down's and it all boils down to how much effort you choose to put into it.

Comparing the rust bluing on a CVA that likely sold for less than $100 to a Drillings or custom muzzle loader that sells for $2000+ is like comparing the $99 TV ad paint job to a $4000 hand rubber lacquer from the hot rod shop.

I've been rust bluing for years and started with less than $5 investment. Of course since then I've upgraded my equipment just to make it easier on myself but it's not necessary. $10 worth of chemicals is plenty enough to rust blue about 50 guns and then some. I make my own browning solutions because I don't always want the same finish on every gun, the process must be tailored to obtain the desired results. Gunsmiths protect their processes because it's like any other trade, they have invested years of trial and error experience into developing their techniques.

Putting an even color standard rust blue on a modern gun is probably a 20-30 hour total process depending on the technique used and about 5 hours actual hands-on labor time. Putting a custom finish on can easily take in excess of 300 hours for the total process with anywhere from 50 to 100 hours of hands-on labor time.

If you're only interested in doing one gun, and it must be hot blued, then by far your least expensive route is to pay someone else to do it. No way is buying all the equipment and chemicals going to be worth it for one gun. You can do a rust blue for a reasonable cost in money, but your investment in time will be large.

I am curious about the bad rust blue job on the CVA? I've rust blued any number of parts using the Pilkington brand solution Brownells sells for the purpose. The only problem when I started was water with way too much mineral content. Distilled or deionized water fixes that. Cold blues, of course, streak all the time. Any chance someone tried to pass off a cold blue job on you as being a rust blue?

If you have a tank you don't know what to do with, consider Parkerizing as another possible home finishing use for it. If you try rust bluing, the tank can be your boiler.