Faux color casehardening

[Hickok]

DamDame, the revolver is a Pietta, and yes the frame is case hardened, (to whatever extent the Italian firm considers "case hardened.")

[damdane]

Damdane,
If you anneal a cased part before polishing then blue you will get better results. Also if can anneal you can color case harden with a minimum of cost. Lump char coal and Kasenite can do a good job.

By Kasenite, do you mean Cherry Red? I know what that is but I never thought of it  for coloring. I saw your pictures and they are amazing. I am new to this forum, and don't want to hijack this thread, but want to continue this discussion. Can you advise me, should this be a new thread, a PM, or continue here, thanksfor your input, I have shop enough to do most jobs,
Thanks Mark

[Crow Choker]

Hey  Hickok: Good Post!! Around five yrs ago I had to "deburr" a burr on a cap and ball frame which left shiney metal. Not wanting to just use cold blue in the usual manner that would result in a patch of "blue", I played around with some of Brownell's Oxpho-Blue, Dicropan T-4, and 44-40 cold blues. What I did after getting the metal to the polish I wanted and degreased (used denatured alcohol), was to lightly heat the metal using light passes with a propane torch or a hair dryer. I experimented with both the propane and hair dryer heating the metal to different degrees, then applying the cold blue with a q-tip. Alot of different color variations resulted depending on which chemical and how warm the metal was. The temp of the metal produced different results. It didn't need to be so hot that the bluing 'sizzled' upon touch, just warm enough to produce the color variations found in caseharding. I then had to lightly rub the area blued. I experimented on a piece of metal similar to the gun frame.
I've used the procedure  a couple of times since for touch up. Seems to wear well except at one sharp corner of the frame, but areas such as that seem to take a 'beatin' anyway. As to which heat source and what cold blue was best---the 44-40 didn't give good reslults and I liked using the propane torch the best. Would be interesting to take a raw frame and play around with it. I like your procedure, will have to give it a shot. I like your Tru-oil trick. Will have to apply it. "High fives" to yer procedure and post!!!!!!!
"Amen" to your line at the bottom of your member info-PTL!!!

[Kent Shootwell]

Damdane, I'll PM you.

[Hickok]

Thanks for the kind words Crow choker, and a PTL to you brother!

As to heating the metal, one of those little butane Micro-torches like Lowe's sells might be about perfect. It would be easy to pinpoint a small area with a bit of heat and dab it with Oxpho Blue. I am going to have to try it.

Sounds like your experiments and mine are running pretty close! That is great, because it means we are on the right track!

There are alot of variations to be tried and with everyone adding in some results, improvement is sure to come!

[GunClick Rick]

How do they use BONE to case color?

[damdane]

It is bone charcoal

[GunClick Rick]

What type of bone,where do they get it from tanneries or sluaghterhouses?Just wonderin,read they used it, becuase it gets a real deep color?