I've tried to call Ron Smith on the phone but no one answers. I hope that means he and Liz are on a well deserved vacation. Since i can't ask Ron I'm asking all of you. I've been told throwing copper in a blueing tank is a no-no. Does anyone have any experience with blueing copper inlays? Can it be covered with a varnish or other product and then dropped in a hot blue tank, can it be rust blued, can it be placed in a separate jar and placed in the tank so only the salts in the jar are contaminated. Will the salts in the jar that become contaminated satisfactorily blue a floorplate/ triggerguard assembly? You get my drift. What are my options with copper inlay and while we're at it are there other inlay materials that require special treatment.


Lee Griffiths
4/5/2006 9:00:55 AM

Hey Good Lookin........In answer to your copper question Lee. I think that problem only arises in a Hot Blue tank. I know that the multi inlay guns of Ron's the blue was a nitre blue. I think you might be OK with a rust blue also. I remember Frank Hendricks and I talking about his steel inlays which were set up by having a thin copper backing to attach the two metals as aninlayed overlay. But you had to be certain the steel was pounded around any exposed copper to eliminate this problem I think he said this was only true of Hot Blue. If I am wrong on this.you can shave the top of myhead in two weeks in Emporia. CYA then

Martin Rabeno
4/5/2006 9:23:40 AM

Marty, I'm such a generous fellow I am willing to do the head shave thing even if you are correct. I am well practiced. I believe I have a couple of old rusty dull blades around here somewhere. They should work just fine. I'm going to try rust blueing (for the gun not Marty's head although that may help with the glare). What is the best way to bring the lustre back on the gold? I'm doing a gold, copper, silver inlay combo.

Lee Griffiths
4/5/2006 11:16:23 AM

lee .i use an eracer on the end of a pencil or 400 steel wool .. ron p.

Ron Nott
4/5/2006 12:27:06 PM

Erasers work good Lee.

Martin Rabeno
4/5/2006 12:32:50 PM

Lee,
I can't speak for copper but I know small amounts of brass (same family) doesn't hurt hot blue solutions. Things like a front sight or some older Remingtons used to have a cartridge "head" in the action. My advice would be to check with your bluing source. They may have an answer. Guess it just depends on what type of blue you want. With the rust blue, I think you are safe all the way around.

Rex Pedersen
4/5/2006 4:07:03 PM

Hello Lee.
Another problem with copper in the hot blue tanks is not only damage to the salts bath. Often the salts will then go ahead and plate out a light coat of copper on any gold in the tanks.
This can be really tough to remove, especially on flush gold line work.
As Rex and others said, rust blue should be OK.

John Barraclough
4/5/2006 8:00:45 PM

Thanks for the information. I will plunge ahead or perhaps stumble as the case may be.

Lee Griffiths
4/5/2006 10:57:07 PM

On the matter of bringing the lustre back on gold after RUST blueing- fine silver and gold don't rust but the steel that gets stuck on the surface does. So the problem is keeping the gold clean but not washing-wearing the surface away. On your gold inlays use Finger Nail Enamel paint it on thick, it lasts me about 8 boiling cycles. [hopfuly you are done by then] On wire inlays,when they start to look dirty from bluing and after you card off the steel part of the piece. Use the finest steel wool #0000, and burnish the wire inlay bright- carefully. Then you can apply more solution and continue. It doesn't take much so go easy.
If I could write well I could be rich.
If I could talk well I would make a Lot of $ as a salesman.
So I am just a poor engraver. My 2 cents worth is all I got.

Mark Hoechst
4/6/2006 8:44:57 AM

is there a website I can go to so that I can learn about the blueing process and better understand what you guys are talking about. also Lee will you be posting pics of this project when you are done?

K. David Gruber
4/6/2006 12:55:44 PM

David you might try this site: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/faq.aspx
to learn more about blueing.



Robert Bissell
4/6/2006 5:45:44 PM

Lee I noticed the floorplate with the Three tone inlay on your web page. Incredible work. How did you end up blueing it.
David

K. David Gruber
6/10/2006 4:32:07 PM

I had it rust blued.

Lee Griffiths
6/10/2006 5:51:06 PM