Discriminatory Blueing Parts

cirelaw · 01-13-2019, 10:19 AM

I wondered how they avoided blueing the inside rail and other parts?

Ron Wood · 01-13-2019, 11:07 AM

For a rust blue finish, the bluing solution was only swabbed on the exterior as opposed to dipping the entire frame as is done with a hot salt blue process. Consequently the interior remained in the white.
Ron

mrerick · 01-13-2019, 11:29 AM

It also was difficult to do the "carding" process to remove the red oxide rust after it had slowly formed on interior surfaces. There was no good reason to do all that extra difficult work.

DonVoigt · 01-13-2019, 12:21 PM

I thought I read once upon a time, that the "white" areas were coated with wax- though maybe I dreamed that.
Also the inside was "polished" if the rust blue solution "dribbled" into areas it should not.

Maybe Charles Danner will explain how he does it?

Norme · 01-13-2019, 01:07 PM

This is a very complicated topic, bluing procedures varied both by manufacture and by year. For example, the first two photos are of an early Mauser 1937 S/42 which was rust blued and the second two are of a 1937 Kreighoff which was salt blued.
Norm

cirelaw · 01-13-2019, 03:31 PM

Eric

SIGP2101 · 01-29-2019, 03:14 PM

To me it looks like final machining and polishing steps on only some interior surfaces were executed after bluing was applied.

DonVoigt · 01-30-2019, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIGP2101

To me it looks like final machining and polishing steps on only some interior surfaces were executed after bluing was applied.

No on "machining" and yes- or "quite likely" on any needed polishing if any drips or runs were apparent.

Rick W. · 01-30-2019, 09:13 PM

The lack of rust blue on some surfaces of a Luger always puzzled me, and to some/large degree, still does.

When I bought my first "nice" Luger, I noticed right away that the muzzle was not blued. Of course, thought it was a defect, but was assured by an old knowledgeable friend that is the way it was done back then.......for real.

Initially, I thought, well the control surfaces were left bright........must be because of the thickness of the application.........well...........wrong again with rust blue thickness. and did not answer the muzzle being bright.

Then I did my first full Luger rust blue job, I did it like the originals, some things left uncoated. After carding the first time thru with 0000 wool, my mentor said to use that; it came to me that all the interior nooks and crannies, would be a painful adventure. Not sure if that is the real reason or not, but made an impression on the new guy. The second pass, my mentor, introduced me to a 0.0025" stianless steel bristle rotary wheel............he made me do it the hard way first to teach me, always better ways to consider with knowledge gained. I am still kinda amazed at that specialized wheel, can run the hand thru it at speed, and feels like a soft baby brush; but yet takes the soft coating off easily without marring the hard coat.

I was trying to come to grips with the terms drips and runs, hard to imagine those words in context with a rust blue job. So little solution is used, I can see overswipes; but runs are kinda hard to get rid of in some ways; lots of extra work.

The strawing of small parts..........ah, how elegant they look. We are talking drawing colors, not tempering colors, the straws and blues are a delight to behold. Noticed tonight on a nice 1876 Winchester in 40-60, some screws are the dark fire or nitre blue. Guess these firearms were made back when; craftsmanship was there as was artistry.............a fine time to observe huh?

I have looked over the fence at fume slow rust bluing in a glass container.....but as in most gas type deals, goes everywhere on the items inside. The even application is to be admired for colorizations, but still gotta get the soft off those interior places. So back to the damp swab I reckon.

01-13-2019, 10:19 AM	#1
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	Discriminatory Blueing Parts I wondered how they avoided blueing the inside rail and other parts? Attached Thumbnails

01-13-2019, 11:07 AM	#2
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 6,988 Thanks: 1,067 Thanked 5,099 Times in 1,676 Posts	For a rust blue finish, the bluing solution was only swabbed on the exterior as opposed to dipping the entire frame as is done with a hot salt blue process. Consequently the interior remained in the white. Ron __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

01-13-2019, 11:29 AM	#3
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,900 Thanks: 1,372 Thanked 3,094 Times in 1,503 Posts	It also was difficult to do the "carding" process to remove the red oxide rust after it had slowly formed on interior surfaces. There was no good reason to do all that extra difficult work. __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

01-13-2019, 12:21 PM	#4
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,677 Thanks: 1,440 Thanked 4,348 Times in 2,038 Posts	I thought I read once upon a time, that the "white" areas were coated with wax- though maybe I dreamed that. Also the inside was "polished" if the rust blue solution "dribbled" into areas it should not. Maybe Charles Danner will explain how he does it? __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

01-13-2019, 01:07 PM	#5
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	This is a very complicated topic, bluing procedures varied both by manufacture and by year. For example, the first two photos are of an early Mauser 1937 S/42 which was rust blued and the second two are of a 1937 Kreighoff which was salt blued. Norm Attached Thumbnails

01-13-2019, 03:31 PM	#6
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	Fresh off My Favorite Eric Attached Images

01-29-2019, 03:14 PM	#7
SIGP2101 User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 256 Thanks: 74 Thanked 67 Times in 32 Posts	To me it looks like final machining and polishing steps on only some interior surfaces were executed after bluing was applied.

01-30-2019, 09:13 PM	#9
Rick W. User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 339 Thanks: 81 Thanked 359 Times in 198 Posts	The lack of rust blue on some surfaces of a Luger always puzzled me, and to some/large degree, still does. When I bought my first "nice" Luger, I noticed right away that the muzzle was not blued. Of course, thought it was a defect, but was assured by an old knowledgeable friend that is the way it was done back then.......for real. Initially, I thought, well the control surfaces were left bright........must be because of the thickness of the application.........well...........wrong again with rust blue thickness. and did not answer the muzzle being bright. Then I did my first full Luger rust blue job, I did it like the originals, some things left uncoated. After carding the first time thru with 0000 wool, my mentor said to use that; it came to me that all the interior nooks and crannies, would be a painful adventure. Not sure if that is the real reason or not, but made an impression on the new guy. The second pass, my mentor, introduced me to a 0.0025" stianless steel bristle rotary wheel............he made me do it the hard way first to teach me, always better ways to consider with knowledge gained. I am still kinda amazed at that specialized wheel, can run the hand thru it at speed, and feels like a soft baby brush; but yet takes the soft coating off easily without marring the hard coat. I was trying to come to grips with the terms drips and runs, hard to imagine those words in context with a rust blue job. So little solution is used, I can see overswipes; but runs are kinda hard to get rid of in some ways; lots of extra work. The strawing of small parts..........ah, how elegant they look. We are talking drawing colors, not tempering colors, the straws and blues are a delight to behold. Noticed tonight on a nice 1876 Winchester in 40-60, some screws are the dark fire or nitre blue. Guess these firearms were made back when; craftsmanship was there as was artistry.............a fine time to observe huh? I have looked over the fence at fume slow rust bluing in a glass container.....but as in most gas type deals, goes everywhere on the items inside. The even application is to be admired for colorizations, but still gotta get the soft off those interior places. So back to the damp swab I reckon.