straw colored parts

10-10-2001, 07:09 PM

How was the straw color aquired on the luger parts. Was it a heat process or chemical? Thank you.

Dok · 10-10-2001, 07:21 PM

It was and is a heat process.

Dok

John Sabato · 10-11-2001, 08:23 AM

Jack, straw part restorations can be done by our very own Ted Green (Thor)if you have a shooter you are prettying up... Check his profile for more information...

regards,

John Sabato

BILL · 10-11-2001, 01:54 PM

I think that there is some confusion when folks see the term 'Nitre Bluing' and see the end result is what we know as 'straw' colored parts. Brownells sells chemicals for 'Nitre Bluing' and , while it is a heat process, it is also a chemical process in that is uses a 'salt' bath heated to a certain temperature to achieve the straw or blue colors. I am not sure but I believe that the temperature of the bath is the actually coloring agent and not the chemical used in the bath. So...it is really a trick question (heat or chemical).

Doug · 10-11-2001, 06:15 PM

Not to ruin Thor's business. But I re-strawed parts before in the kitchen oven. I think that it was 325 for 10-15 minutes. You must sand and degrease the parts before you start.

BILL · 10-11-2001, 08:26 PM

Unfortunately home ovens are just not very accurate, consistant, or even. I have seen some real amateur home kitchen reblues and restraws and they somehow always look just like what they are. Unless you have had a really nice rust blued pistol or well strawed part it is hard to know what to compare it to. I agree that one can turn a polished piece of metal straw color in a kitchen oven (even fire blue it if you want to) but having the proper equipment, knowledge and experience is critical to ending up with a really nice job. If you have a pistol that you value I would suggest that you leave it as is or have it done by someone who is really proficient at it. There is an old saying that a wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse and I think that applies to kitchen table gunsmithing. I have seen too many bad 'cold blue' touch ups and lousy straw jobs over the years.

Rick K · 10-11-2001, 10:47 PM

The absolute expert on straw colored parts is our own Ted Green know as Thor on the Forum. If you have a Luger re-strawed by Ted, he will ask you what hue of the straw color would you prefer! He is that good! He has also become an expert in recreating the beautiful rust blue finish that was so well done by the great manufacturers of Lugers up through part of 1937. (After that, they switched to salt bluing). If you want to know about strawing, ask Ted! If you want to know about bluing, ask Ted!

10-10-2001, 07:09 PM	#1
Jack E. Warren Guest Posts: n/a	straw colored parts How was the straw color aquired on the luger parts. Was it a heat process or chemical? Thank you.

10-10-2001, 07:21 PM	#2
Dok RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bermuda (Eat Your Heart Out) Posts: 1,626 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: straw colored parts It was and is a heat process. Dok

10-11-2001, 08:23 AM	#3
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,152 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,304 Times in 1,096 Posts	Welcome to the Lugerforum Jack... Jack, straw part restorations can be done by our very own Ted Green (Thor)if you have a shooter you are prettying up... Check his profile for more information... regards, John Sabato

10-11-2001, 01:54 PM	#4
BILL User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 826 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Welcome to the Lugerforum Jack... I think that there is some confusion when folks see the term 'Nitre Bluing' and see the end result is what we know as 'straw' colored parts. Brownells sells chemicals for 'Nitre Bluing' and , while it is a heat process, it is also a chemical process in that is uses a 'salt' bath heated to a certain temperature to achieve the straw or blue colors. I am not sure but I believe that the temperature of the bath is the actually coloring agent and not the chemical used in the bath. So...it is really a trick question (heat or chemical).

10-11-2001, 06:15 PM	#5
Doug User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: USA Posts: 168 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: straw colored parts Not to ruin Thor's business. But I re-strawed parts before in the kitchen oven. I think that it was 325 for 10-15 minutes. You must sand and degrease the parts before you start.

10-11-2001, 08:26 PM	#6
BILL User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 826 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: straw colored parts Unfortunately home ovens are just not very accurate, consistant, or even. I have seen some real amateur home kitchen reblues and restraws and they somehow always look just like what they are. Unless you have had a really nice rust blued pistol or well strawed part it is hard to know what to compare it to. I agree that one can turn a polished piece of metal straw color in a kitchen oven (even fire blue it if you want to) but having the proper equipment, knowledge and experience is critical to ending up with a really nice job. If you have a pistol that you value I would suggest that you leave it as is or have it done by someone who is really proficient at it. There is an old saying that a wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse and I think that applies to kitchen table gunsmithing. I have seen too many bad 'cold blue' touch ups and lousy straw jobs over the years.

10-11-2001, 10:47 PM	#7
Rick K User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Cochran, GA Posts: 305 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: straw colored parts The absolute expert on straw colored parts is our own Ted Green know as Thor on the Forum. If you have a Luger re-strawed by Ted, he will ask you what hue of the straw color would you prefer! He is that good! He has also become an expert in recreating the beautiful rust blue finish that was so well done by the great manufacturers of Lugers up through part of 1937. (After that, they switched to salt bluing). If you want to know about strawing, ask Ted! If you want to know about bluing, ask Ted!