F
Fla mac
Guest
Can you cold blue 11L17 steel?
john
Mims, Fl.
john
Mims, Fl.
jackie schmidt
New member
Since these free machining steels actually have lead suspended into the grain structure without actually being an alloying agent, it might show blotches.
As with a lot of things, do a test piece and see the results.
As with a lot of things, do a test piece and see the results.
And every piece can come out slightly different since the lead is dispersed.
It is there to interrupt the structure of the steel and make shorter chips during machining.
It also acts (slightly) as a lubricant on the cutting edge of the tool being used.
The problem of using 'Cold Blue' is mostly how thin the blued layer actually is.
It wears very easily from the slightest rubbing.
And while hot bluing is far from anything 'large' in thickness the different chemistry
produce a blue that lasts far better than the cold chemistry.
martin zuck
Member
Are we talking about the old type of cold blue or the stuff that is used for touch up today? The old type of cold blue is every bit as durable as hot blue. Also I believe it's worth noting that either type of bluing does not add dimensionally to the surface.
It bonds to what is there and alters the surface material in the metal.
It sitll has a measurable 'depth' of penetration into the metal but it is not a 'surface' film that would alter dimensions.
MilGunsmith
Member
I have had good luck with glass bead blasting and then imersion dipping the parts. I use Brownell's Oxpho-Blue. Keep a peanut butter bottle on the bench to drop parts in, swish around and remove. Wipe down and oil. I find that the harder the steel, the less it takes cold blue. I have a 30" piece of 1-1/2" PVC pipe with a cap glued on one end and a cleanout plug on the other for doing barrels.
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MilGunsmith
Member
I have been he same gallon bottle for years. I only pour enough to cover the small parts and then swirl bottle. The barrel pipe setup takes about a pint The used blue stays in the parts bottle. I pour off used into another bottle and let it settle, then use it again.