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JSB30
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Hot Bluing Salts
Oct 22nd, 2013 at 8:05pm
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For you pro gunsmiths out there. Which do you perfer Brownells product or Du-lite. Is the Du-lite worth the extra cost. I need new and am considering going to Du-Lite.
  
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Old-Win
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Re: Hot Bluing Salts
Reply #1 - Oct 24th, 2013 at 9:26am
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I like the Dulite.  With the right polish, it produces a bluer blue than the black produced by Brownells.  I'm certainly no pro though.  Bob
  
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Pete
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Re: Hot Bluing Salts
Reply #2 - Oct 24th, 2013 at 8:43pm
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All you need for nitre blueing is saltpeter. Heat it untill it is liquid. The temperature, time you submerge your steel determins the color, from straw to blue.
Make shure you agitate the item (you need to get rid of the bubles to form on the steel) or it will come out mottled.
Pete
  
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graduated peep
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Re: Hot Bluing Salts
Reply #3 - Oct 29th, 2013 at 4:37pm
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Not sure what is being blued; but nitre bluing would be a bit challenging to do large parts such as a rifle  barrel.
And since there was no mention of it, a huge word of caution when using molten Saltpeter.
Chemically, it is an oxidizer; hence it's value as a component in traditional black powder.
When heated to a molten state, you are at approximately 600 degrees; and anything, and I mean ANYTHING that contains carbon that may fall into this liquid, or if the liquid would splatter out on a wood work bench or floor will create a serious situation.
I know whereof I speak !
Years ago, I put saltpeter in a small Lee electric lead melter to try bluing screws etc.
It worked well enough; but not wanting to keep the saltpeter in the melter, I decided to pour the molten material out on the ground.
Unfortunately, there was dead grass in that area.
As soon as the molten saltpeter hit the ground,it immediately began a sort of roiling and boiling and smoking like a huge stink bomb. It eventually burned itself out; but not until it had consumed every bit of combustible material within a 2-3 foot circle !
  
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