How things have changed

B

BenKeith

Guest
Years back when I wanted to blue a gun or part, I would just go to the grocery store, get me some Red Devil Lye and stop by the fertilizer place and pick me up some ammonium nitrate, brew up some salts and blue what ever I was wanting. Now try buying some Lye, (sodium Hydroxide) and some 35% pure (white) ammonium nitrate. Seems the lye is a key ingredient in making crystal met so it's not readily available and the ammonium nitrate is a key ingredient in home made bombs so it's hard to find also. Spent all day running around and still haven't found the sodium hydroxide without ordering it on the internet.
 
Sad to say, but get used to the modern world, especially after Tim McVay. My sons office was only 3 blocks from the Murray Building blast. Fortunately he was just getting in his car to go to work when he heard the explosion.
Donald
 
Ben

It's the price we pay to be safe and secure in our homes at night. Right??;)

I used to buy Sodium Nitrate at the local pharmacy. It made a much better bluing solution than P. Nitrate or A. Nitrate. If you ask your pharmacist for any of the nitrates today you'd probably get a suspicious look and a visit from the Federales.

When I used to buy the stuff at the drug store they'd often ask me what I wanted it for. I would tell them that my cow needed an enema. That would always get a laugh.

But regardless, do what I finally did. I bought a bucket of blueing salts from Brownells. I swallowed hard, paid the freight, and haven't looked back. Transfer the salts to a moisture proof container and they will last forever.

Ray
 
Almost pure lye (NaOH) is still readily available at most hardware stores (Lowe's and Home Depot included). Roebic drain cleaner is ninety-something percent NaOH and is relatively inexpensive for a container. I know because I buy it and use it for making BioDiesel.

SteveM.
 
how thing have changed

It's just BIG brother protecting us."
:D The EPA doesn't trust us. :we might hurt our selves'''
 
Many many moons ago when I was a young lad several of us were trying to make black powder just to see if we could. Off to the nearest drugstore about 3 blocks away to buy potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal. I'm sure the pharmacist knew what we were doing, and smiled as he sold us the stuff. All we managed to do was get in trouble with our folks for the stench that came from burning the stuff.

Now we'd have BATFE at the door and everyone thrown in the slammer for bomb making. I'm sure glad we're safe now though. :mad:
 
Done tried them all, Lowe's, HD, Ace, etc, nobody here stocks the Reobic Heavy duty crystal drain cleaner (100% good stuff), they all carry the diluted and mixed stuff. A couple say they could order it at $5.95 per pound. I finally found a customer of mine that had seven pounds of another brand that's 100% @ $4.95 per pounds. That gives me enough to blue the few parts I wanted to do this weekend and will find a cheaper source somewhere.

This time I will buy a lifetime supply. I went back and bought another bag of Ammonium Nitrate and will order at least 100 pounds of Lye when I find. Also gonna look into the sodium nitrate. Never had tried it, even though I knew it would work but if it's better than the ammonium, that's some good stuff, because the blue jobs I get with the current mix look great and hold up extremely well. I've got guns I blued 40 years ago that still look brand new.
 
Lifetime supply?

You, my friend are a hoarder. The next shortage has started.

Good luck with your project.

Dave
 
I guess if I store a quantity of something that will probably no longer be available to me much longer, then yes, I a hoarder.

Just like I got tired of this primer crap, when I recently was able to get the ones I use, I bought 2K small rifle 5K large rifle and 500 LR Mags. Since I don't shoot BR, that should last me several years.
 
BenKeith said:
Done tried them all, Lowe's, HD, Ace, etc, nobody here stocks the Reobic Heavy duty crystal drain cleaner (100% good stuff), they all carry the diluted and mixed stuff. A couple say they could order it at $5.95 per pound. I finally found a customer of mine that had seven pounds of another brand that's 100% @ $4.95 per pounds. That gives me enough to blue the few parts I wanted to do this weekend and will find a cheaper source somewhere.

This time I will buy a lifetime supply. I went back and bought another bag of Ammonium Nitrate and will order at least 100 pounds of Lye when I find. Also gonna look into the sodium nitrate. Never had tried it, even though I knew it would work but if it's better than the ammonium, that's some good stuff, because the blue jobs I get with the current mix look great and hold up extremely well. I've got guns I blued 40 years ago that still look brand new.
Click to expand...

It's tough to beat the recipe that you are using...and I mean tough to beat!
Almost any color blue can be matched with it depending on time in solution, temperature and formula. The guys at .......I won't mention their name that do the best and mostly exclusive work on Model 12 Winchesters and Mod 94's as well...that are a pain in the a$$ to blue properly...use this formula!
Mark
 
It is terrible working construction around mines, ain't it? I'll never forget the fellow delivering out to the mine he was working near Cave Creek, Arizona. He thought he would premix the bags in the back of his pickup truck at the fuel pump. Sure made a big deep crator across two lanes of the highway. You have to know he never made that mistake twice.:D
 
Dave Coots said:
You, my friend are a hoarder.
Dave
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Reminds me of the gal that went to the bank with a big bag of quarters. The teller commented that she must have been hoarding quarters. She said, "Well, my sister whored half of 'em" :D
 
Who Me? said:
Reminds me of the gal that went to the bank with a big bag of quarters. The teller commented that she must have been hoarding quarters. She said, "Well, my sister whored half of 'em" :D
Click to expand...

LOL! :D
Got to go now, the PC police are knocking on my door for laughing at this joke.
 
A few days before the 4th of July this year the evening news from a nearby city reported a minor was arrested with an “explosive device” in his pocket. They even mentioned investigating him & the incident as a suspected you know what!! :confused:
Bet that kid’s still being water boarded….
Gurgle gurgle gasp gasp…
“What target were you going to take out with that black-Cat firecracker punk?”
“Mommy”
Gurgle gurgle…..
 
What set it off?

Big Al said:
It is terrible working construction around mines, ain't it? I'll never forget the fellow delivering out to the mine he was working near Cave Creek, Arizona. He thought he would premix the bags in the back of his pickup truck at the fuel pump. Sure made a big deep crator across two lanes of the highway. You have to know he never made that mistake twice.:D
Click to expand...

I've throwed hundreds of bags of mixed anfo, and the last time i checked, i'm still here.

Later
Dave
 
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