rust bluing
 

Can someone describe the rust bluing process and why the Germans used it? Thanks Ed.

ED, there's an excellent...
 

article, complete with pictures, in the FAQ which is located in the General Information section of this site.

Rust Bluing
 

There is a book, Firearm Blueing and Browning by R. H. Angier, that is (or was) available from Amazon.com that covers rust blueing in detail, but the general process is as decribed in the General Information/Frequently Asked Questions, with an additional step: the rusted parts are boiled (usually in plain distilled water), or subjected to live steam (the steam cabinet described is not at boiling temperature, but is warm and damp to promote rust formation) before they are carded. This converts the soft red rust into the harder black oxide.


All of the processes described by Angier pretty much follow the above pattern, but the formulas for the blueing chemicals vary greatly.


Bob

Re: Rust Bluing
 

Is there any documentation/speculation as to the actual formula used for the earlier DWM Lugers? I have read the book by Angier and while there are references to certain firearms with relation to formula, there is no mention of DWM. I wonder if there is any actual documenation of their detailed process. I know that Colt held this data to be one of their top secrets. (BTW, years ago I used a browning formula from this book and followed it to the 'T' with excellent results).

Japanning
 

Bill, somewhere in the deep, dark past I think I reas that "japanned" means "tin plated". But I stand to be corrected.

Re: ;^) Japanning
 

Nawwwwwwwww..really? I am thinking of that color you see on the hands of old pocket watches, markers found on old scientific gauges, old music box springs..it is a nice dark royal kind of blue. From what I am thinking it has to be a heat treatment of some kind. I think I first encountered it when I took old alarm clocks apart as a child. But..'japanned' and tin plating do ring a bell in my mind. It could be the old 'school's out' bell, who knows?

Re: Japanning
 

The blue you are talking about is the "fire blue", or "Colt Blue", or "S&W Blue" discussed in an earlier thread!

Re: Japanning
 

Again, Hugh, you are correct. Having just jumped to a page on 'jappaning' (an old process that used a shellac and pigment to coat metals but in modern times has been done with heat treatment). This is apparently what we in the firearms arena call it fire blued (if you were an old tool collector you would call it 'japanned'). Thanks for the good input.