Author Topic: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN  (Read 12570 times)

Offline petrinal

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rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« on: February 04, 2013, 08:18:47 AM »
I decided to rust blue my revolver, so I applied a rust devoloper to the gun



after getting the rust I wanted, I boiled the gun, leaving a blue tone in what previously was an orange colour..



then with steel wool I sanded the gun



leaving a pleasant blue tone in the steel, quite lasting





I had to repeat the process several times, more than 7, and the parts must be boiled again after the last step, "to kill" the process.

this was the original finish..




now it looks more authentic







I "slightly" aged the edges of the gun, with very fine sanding paper, to give a more "well used" look, resembling leather use.

with time, this finish goes into a more blueish finish. It is quite resistant agains rust, and stands handling well, though it is weaker on the cooper cleaning rods than standard blueing.

note:

the hammer is a replacement, I was not able to get the original UBERTI hammer, with the pleasant traditional hammer curve, so I had to use an low profile hammer, with a huge crest, low but very thick, that made the hammer easier to cock, but slower in its fall, so I had to cut the crest, to reduce weight, as a low hammer fall is bad for accuracy.

all the best


Offline MJN77

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2013, 04:53:35 PM »
Looks good. What did you use as a rust developer?

Offline petrinal

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2013, 04:42:06 PM »
Dixie Gun works browning solution.

I applied it, after a light warming of the piece with a torch, to erase humiditiy and make the solution "stick" to the metal. let ir rust, then applied agian, let it rust overnight.

then steaming or boiling, carding with steel, wool....repeating the process around 7 times. Any browning solution., of the type sold for Kentucky rifles, might well work, in my opinion. If it gets the piece well rusted and brown/orange, just steam or boil it and it will turn blue...layer after layer.

I am using now rust developers chemicals that I buy here.

let me add, that before starting the process, I didnt polish the pieze much. Anyway, this rust blueing is quite imconpatible with a very bright finish.

Please note that as I wanted and Army revolver, I decided to remove the varnish from the grips, giving it a new oil finish. I am an engraver and tried to engrave the frame with an US, but the frame is casehardened, in this centerfire UBERTIs, and the burin just didnt bite the steel.

I mentioned "centerfire", as the black powder cap and ball Uberti Peacemakers, can be engraved despite being casehardened,  because of softer steel.

with more time I will engrave an Inspector seal in the grips.

all the best

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #3 on: Today at 03:31:27 PM »

Offline Bonnie_blue1861

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2013, 06:11:38 PM »
That really turned out nice. I just picked up an ASM 1860 type I transition and contemplating if I would like to do a similar finish on it to make it look like an older but well cared for revolver. You did a great job on your Cattleman.

Correct me if I'm wrong...if you DON'T boil it, you will instead get a "rust browned finish" instead of a "rust blued finish" with that very same solution. ....right?

Offline petrinal

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2013, 06:52:30 PM »
That really turned out nice. I just picked up an ASM 1860 type I transition and contemplating if I would like to do a similar finish on it to make it look like an older but well cared for revolver. You did a great job on your Cattleman.

Correct me if I'm wrong...if you DON'T boil it, you will instead get a "rust browned finish" instead of a "rust blued finish" with that very same solution. ....right?

well, in fact, I "steamed" it...in a rice steamer




if you dont boil it, it will remain brown or orange...but  it will keep rusting... unless you apply a varnish, or scald it with hot water, as in the old days..

it is the boiling or steaming, what, like magic, turns the ugly brown finish into a dark blue, though, I insist, little by little.



the gun was put into the steamer in this condition:



and was taken out in this new condition (before applying steel wool):



as such a lower temp., the heat treatment of the steel is not affected.

this finish makes the gun look more authentic (original XIX century ones were heat or rust blued being heat more brilliant in tone) but very well preserved, but I reccomend experimentation before.






all the best



Offline Bonnie_blue1861

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2013, 07:34:21 PM »
Wow....Your a genius.  ;D

Hmmmm...a cheap used Rice Steamer off ebay.

Offline petrinal

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2013, 04:09:02 PM »
please not that the chambers in the cylinder are painted, to preserve original finish, and that I sealed the barrel on both sides. This finish is good for pre WW2 Lugers and ASTRA 400s, in other words, pre 1930´s automatics, as this guns were rust blued.....(Lugers and ASTRA 400´s have the inside parts of frame and slide in the white).

 I have seen a man restoring a damage area in the blueing of an ASTRA 300 with this method.

all the best

Offline Bonnie_blue1861

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2013, 10:11:04 PM »
As far a painting the cylinders, what kind of paint did you use? I assume an oil base but was it like a brush-on rusteoleum?

What did you use to seal off the barrel 100% at both ends... to protect the bore?

Offline petrinal

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2013, 09:46:32 AM »
I used normal enamel paint, just degreased the chambers before. that way I kept the original finish inside the chambers, and just with solvent I cleaned it when the blueing outside. was finally done.

I used a bottle cork on both ends in the barrel.

with aging the gun would look really old, just lightening the finish on corners and certain areas. I might do it in short, maybe today...who knows.

wiht a copper brush you can do it. this finish is tough, and will stand handling well, and is very resistant to rust, but seems to be far more sensitive to copper rods than normal alkaline blueing. But you can use very fine sanding paper, applied with care.

all the best

Gen. Jackson

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2013, 04:06:18 PM »
Very interesting. I enjoyed your photos very much.

I am somewhat confused however. Was the original 1873 Model P actually all blue including the frame? I was under the impression that the first issue Colts to the U.S. Army were case hardened at the frame. Please enlighten me.

Offline petrinal

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2013, 05:46:18 PM »
Very interesting. I enjoyed your photos very much.

I am somewhat confused however. Was the original 1873 Model P actually all blue including the frame? I was under the impression that the first issue Colts to the U.S. Army were case hardened at the frame. Please enlighten me.

well, they were casehardened, but many  civilian 1873 were finished on a custom order basis in several finishes, be it at the Colt factory or in gunsmith shops.

so we should focus in original period finishes, not only in original factory ones.

in page 146 of RAUL L. WILSON´S Steel Canvas, you can see a Colt single action army, from the Helfricht shop, engraved and with an all blue "brown (rusted) finish", that, by the way, looks like blue in the picture. It has a Bisley grip and trigger and the gun was custom ordered. It is a good example of what I say.


I have added some more aging to the gun, to make it look like a used original...








with this hammer, the gun does not look so old.....the finish is the same




same finish, but picture made with flash..






so any rust, case hardened, or heat blue finish, is original from the XIX century.

Gen. Jackson

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2013, 09:16:07 PM »
well, they were casehardened, but many  civilian 1873 were finished on a custom order in several finishes, be it at the Colt factory or in gunsmith shops.

so we should focus in original period finishes, not only in original factory ones.


That is a good point. I understand where you are comming from. And your "aging" of the revolver looks very good. I like it. Thanks for your reply.

Offline Harley Starr

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2013, 10:43:17 PM »
That's a beautiful piece of work.
A work in progress.

Offline Virginia Gentleman

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2015, 03:35:22 PM »
Here is one that we had done in rust blue except the trigger, base pin and base pin screws and other screws were all nitre blued.  We were going for the new all blued effect which apparently was available from Colt as an option. 

Offline pistol1911

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2015, 09:08:41 AM »
Do you de-oil the steel wool and if so how?

Offline Virginia Gentleman

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Re: rust blueing my UBERTI CATTLEMAN
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2015, 02:03:13 PM »
Do you de-oil the steel wool and if so how?

Yes, you have to or it will ruin the rust bluing in process.  Get a clean jar, put in your 0000 steel wool, pour in acetone to cover the steel wool. Next, close the lid and shake well, then take out the steel wool and let it dry.  It is ready to use after that.  I don't bother with carding wheels or brushes, they don't do a better job and just add expense.

 

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