Date(s): April '13. Album by chris case. Photos by chris case. 1 - 11 of 11 Total. 2363 Visits.
1 Tig Welded Aluminum Diamond Plate Hard Gun Case
Trying to keep the design compact, and NOT look like a gun case. This one suits a Model 12, heavy duck w/ 28" barrel and factory Polychoke. Well worn, but I like 'em it that way.
2 Lined with Cotton Flannel, If it's soft enough for a lady's pajamas, it ought to prevent wear to bluing. Foam padding is blue polyethylene like a sleeping pad for back packers. Snug fit to minimize chafing.
3 High quality luggage handle, from a thift store suitcase. Polished Stainless steel 'suitcase latch', ready for a pad lock.
4 Locked and loaded.
5
6 "Hot water bluing" with household chemicals. Similar to "Belgian Bluing", or "Cold rust bluing". but done is a couple hours with cheap chemicals.
In a one cup glass measuring cup:
1/4 tsp salt, 1 oz of vinegar, fill with Hydrogen Peroxide, stir until salt dissolved.
7 The only special item is a pan long enough to do a barrel. The short pan in back will be handy for doing receivers and small parts.
A wire hooked into the barrel extension was a handy handle, as was the magazine support ring.
NOTE, some editing since first posted:
No need to boil, the reaction takes place 165f. Hot enough to be steamy is good. Watch for it to turn black, some red left is OK too. Remove from water and use a soda straw to blow the water out of screw holes, you want it DRY before carding with the steel wool.
8 Red foam covered barrel after swabbing on the mix of chemicals. It works immediate on hot parts. eta: (But let it sit rusting for a while, then re-apply the solution if it dries. overnight, or maybe 2-3 cycles per day. ) Then drop into pan of tap water, turn in heat. Do not overheat, or you can 'steam clean' the bluing off at this point. eta: Don't spray, swab. Spraying let the reaction take place in 'pits' leaving a mottled surface.
9 After soaking in boiling water for a few minutes, the red rust has turned blue. Ignore the red sludge that floated to the top of the tank.
The fumes are just steam from the hot water bath.
10 Remove from tank, let dry, then steel wool off the soft outer black stuff.
Repeat the process of swab, air, hot tank, card with 0000 steel wool,swab,..... until the desired darkness and eveness. I've found that if fresh 'dip' doesn't make red foam, it's done all it is going to do. Make a new batch.
When even blackness is achieved to your liking, wet it down well with baby oil to 'seal'. Don't use lube oils with their anti-oxidants, you want the oil to oxidize into a sealer.
11 Barrel re-installed to the 1930 Savage/Springfield #720 Browning A5 clone. Receiver and trigger guard will get treated soon.
Then, on to the stock work- deepen checkering where a previous refinish sanded it down, epoxy crack in fore end, hand rub satin spar varnish.
