belgium blue nickel steel?

Buzzard Bait · August 4, 2011, 02:54 PM

OK I have had some good luck with using Belgium blue on modern guns I got an older gun that was at one time blue, its marked nickel steel which I think might have been sort of a for runner to stainless steel. It is now as silver as any of the knives and forks in my wife's kitchen drawer. Has any one tried to blue this type metal with any sort of rust type blue?
bb

Scorch · August 5, 2011, 02:07 AM

Nickel steel is one of the forerunners to modern tool steels. It can be blued with regular bluing salts, but will turn plum red unless it is blued at the right temperature. Since nickel in the alloy increases the metal's resistance to oxidation and corrosion, I would imagine that rust bluing would have mixed reslts.

Gunplummer · August 5, 2011, 05:38 AM

Scorch pretty much covered it. I have had good luck with Brownell's own mixture as far as good penetration. You may have to repeat more often if it is heat treated to a higher level than a barrel. I had a Krag get a purple reddish tint on the barrel. No helping the color change that I know of, but it is not really ugly. It is something You are not used to.

August 4, 2011, 02:54 PM	#1
Buzzard Bait Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 502	belgium blue nickel steel? OK I have had some good luck with using Belgium blue on modern guns I got an older gun that was at one time blue, its marked nickel steel which I think might have been sort of a for runner to stainless steel. It is now as silver as any of the knives and forks in my wife's kitchen drawer. Has any one tried to blue this type metal with any sort of rust type blue? bb

August 5, 2011, 02:07 AM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Nickel steel is one of the forerunners to modern tool steels. It can be blued with regular bluing salts, but will turn plum red unless it is blued at the right temperature. Since nickel in the alloy increases the metal's resistance to oxidation and corrosion, I would imagine that rust bluing would have mixed reslts. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

August 5, 2011, 05:38 AM	#3
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Scorch pretty much covered it. I have had good luck with Brownell's own mixture as far as good penetration. You may have to repeat more often if it is heat treated to a higher level than a barrel. I had a Krag get a purple reddish tint on the barrel. No helping the color change that I know of, but it is not really ugly. It is something You are not used to.