Bluing

Rbrooks45 · 04-23-2010, 09:29 AM

Anyone know if you can blue over the top of nickel plating?

Ron Smith · 04-23-2010, 09:44 AM

Hi Ron,

No, not at all. In order for bluing to take,and to take properly, you need bare fresh metal. Bluing won't even take over body oil, such as finger prints.

Bluing is rapid oxidation (rust), nickel won't rust.

Ron

alanint · 04-23-2010, 09:48 AM

No. Nickel plating forms a non-porous surface that bluing will not react to. The plating must be stripped off before you can blue. Another possibility if stripping the nickel is not an option would be a coating such as gun kote. The downside would be the thickness of the coating on top of the nickel may affect certain tolerances. In those cases you would have to sand down the coating and hope the proper clearances are achieved.

Mauser720 · 04-23-2010, 10:44 AM

Rbrooks45 -

I personally have no experience with the removal of nickle plating from steel. However, if you do a search with www.google.com you will find there are two ways to do it: (1) with chemicals which are dangerous and require special precautions because of noxious fumes; and, (2) using a reverse electrolysis procedure.

As a suggestion, it might be worth checking with a motorcycle shop that does plating of motorcycle parts. They will probably be familiar with reverse electrolysis since they are experienced with plating motorcycle parts.

And everything written above about the importance of close tolerances is especially important.

Good luck with your project.

John Sabato · 04-23-2010, 12:27 PM

Good Advice... visit a plating shop for advice... the electrical method is best.

Olle · 04-23-2010, 09:24 PM

I have had real good luck with Caswell's MetalX stripper: http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/metalx.html

They say that it needs to be heated and agitated to work, but I simply dunked the parts for a few days and it worked just fine. I guess it would work quicker if you heat it, but it's way easier to just leave the part in it for a while. It left some black residue that could be brushed off easily and some parts with thicker plating had to be dunked twice, but it was a very painless (and odorless) procedure. Best of all, it didn't etch the metal.

Rbrooks45 · 04-24-2010, 02:00 AM

Thanks all for he information. Ilooks like I will have to do some moe research but the best advice sounds like let a pro do it.

04-23-2010, 09:29 AM	#1
Rbrooks45 User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Bluing Anyone know if you can blue over the top of nickel plating?

04-23-2010, 09:44 AM	#2
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hi Ron, No, not at all. In order for bluing to take,and to take properly, you need bare fresh metal. Bluing won't even take over body oil, such as finger prints. Bluing is rapid oxidation (rust), nickel won't rust. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

04-23-2010, 10:44 AM	#4
Mauser720 User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 535 Thanks: 18 Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts	Rbrooks45 - I personally have no experience with the removal of nickle plating from steel. However, if you do a search with www.google.com you will find there are two ways to do it: (1) with chemicals which are dangerous and require special precautions because of noxious fumes; and, (2) using a reverse electrolysis procedure. As a suggestion, it might be worth checking with a motorcycle shop that does plating of motorcycle parts. They will probably be familiar with reverse electrolysis since they are experienced with plating motorcycle parts. And everything written above about the importance of close tolerances is especially important. Good luck with your project. __________________ Mauser720 - Ron "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."

04-23-2010, 12:27 PM	#5
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	Good Advice... visit a plating shop for advice... the electrical method is best. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

04-23-2010, 09:48 AM	#3
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	No. Nickel plating forms a non-porous surface that bluing will not react to. The plating must be stripped off before you can blue. Another possibility if stripping the nickel is not an option would be a coating such as gun kote. The downside would be the thickness of the coating on top of the nickel may affect certain tolerances. In those cases you would have to sand down the coating and hope the proper clearances are achieved.

04-23-2010, 09:24 PM	#6
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 664 Times in 318 Posts	I have had real good luck with Caswell's MetalX stripper: http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/metalx.html They say that it needs to be heated and agitated to work, but I simply dunked the parts for a few days and it worked just fine. I guess it would work quicker if you heat it, but it's way easier to just leave the part in it for a while. It left some black residue that could be brushed off easily and some parts with thicker plating had to be dunked twice, but it was a very painless (and odorless) procedure. Best of all, it didn't etch the metal.

04-24-2010, 02:00 AM	#7
Rbrooks45 User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Thanks all for he information. Ilooks like I will have to do some moe research but the best advice sounds like let a pro do it.