Rust Blueing

[rdm1962]

I'm ready to stat a rust blue job on 8mm Yugo. I wanted to know if I have to use a degreaser like TCE or will break clean work? I have a few spray can of Auto Zone break clean. It does a good job removing grease from parts. The label says it in residue free. Anybody have any thoughts on if it will work or not. Thanks Ralph

[Dr.Hess]

Is this with expensive bluing salts, or inexpensive Red Devil Lye? If it is expensive stuff, I would use the recommended degreaser. If it's not that expensive, then you can try Brake Clean.

[AzRednek]

If you can do it without getting chewed out by the wife. Stick as much as you can in the dishwasher. Auto dishwasher (not the stuff like Dawn for hand washing dishes) detergent will do a great job de-greasing. I used to double dose the detergent and remove the bulb of the stuff to make glasses and silverware spot free, its wax.

 

For parts like a barreled receiver that wont fit. A neighbor built me an iron tube and welded a piece of flat iron on the bottom to use as a stand and keep the solvent from leaking out. Back in the day believe I tried several different solvents and discovered gasoline to be the best and cheapest. I'd soak it in the tube often overnight but a couple times maybe 2 or 3 hours. After soaking in gas I'd wash it off with laundry detergent, not dish soap as it contains lanolin.

 

For all the mil-surp Mausers, at least a dozen or more I did. I used Birchwood Casey's Super Blue. Other Birchwood Casey's like perm blue etc didn't come close to the Super. If all the parts you're bluing are original military the Super Blue will do a terrific dark job on everything except the butt plate. Polished steel as used on commercial guns the Super Blue goes on thin. If the Super Blue doesn't take on the butt plate. Roughen up the butt plate's surface with fine sand paper. If you're building a sporter I'd suggest one of the commercial recipes. If you want to make the Yugo look like the original military bluing, my method was near perfect.

 

Small parts such as screws you don't want to risk losing in the dishwasher. I used boiling water. Get the water to a rolling boil then add just a tad, like 1/4 teaspoon of laundry detergent or better yet if you have it, washing soda. A small amount of laundry detergent will de-grease but don't think more is better unless you want to deal with a stove full of suds. I'd simply dump parts and water into a fine strainer. The hot parts will dry in about 30 or less seconds. I also used the boiling water to clean the bolt's interior of the hard aged grease or cosmo. Be certain not to use one of the boss' good pans or you might suffer from a severe Saturday night beating or at least get cut off for several days!! I picked up a junk sauce pan at Goodwill.

 

EDIT: Thinking back over the years I've suggested the dishwasher. Somebody will usually flame me. "I eat off the dishes done in the dishwasher". After I did the parts, I'd run the washer empty for a cycle with plenty of detergent, small amount of bleach and if its handy some non-sudsing ammonia. No ammonia handy, Pine Sol is basically deodorized ammonia but it will form suds. Don't use to much. If you wind up with suds residue, a short cycle will clean them out.

[AzRednek]

PS

 

If you come across any rust spots after de-greasing. Keep in mind steel wool contains oil to prevent rust. You will have to de-grease after using the steel wool. I once tried Homer Formby's oil free steel wool and the bluing didn't take to well. The very expensive Formby's steel wool is designed to do wood and leaves a residue on metal. Not sure what the residue is, likely leaving wax or what ever they use to prevent the steel wool from rusting.

 

I used to degrease steel wooled spots with gasoline or Brake-Klean. If you use engine de-greaser and a water rinse. Wash it afterward with detergent and warm water. Engine de-greaser is water soluble kerosene and will leave the surface a bit oily. Many years ago when it was only 90 cents a can. I blasted steel wooled spots with freon.

 

Before and after pictures will be appreciated.

[rwims]

I get acetone from the hardware store. it seems to work great.

[AzRednek]

Acetone is great stuff, safer than gasoline but for a cheapskate like me I prefer gas. No matter which petroleum based product you use. Follow it up with detergent and hot water. The cold bluing will take on non polished metal like brand new.