Rust Blue solution

I'm nearing completion of my one piece barrel and want to by Rust Bluing Solution. I have Bob's Rust Blue as seen on Anvil Videos (not happy with it) Have Brownells (didn't try it yet) Tried to order Mike Lee called twice left message. Looked a Laurel Mountain but all I see is Browning.
Any recommendations?

Brownells should have the lee stuff. All my nephew, who does restorations, uses.

Here you go!
Barrel Brown & Degreaser - 2.5 oz - $19.35 : Laurel Mountain Forge, the finishing touch

Yes, it says Brown but when you boil the rusted parts, you get rust bluing.  Read the instructions and it will talk about rust bluing.  I wish they would change the name, its confusing.   Its the only rust blue solution I will use and I've tried a bunch of the others.  Laurel Mountain is very forgiving while the others are NOT
Phil

Ordered Mike Lee Express Blue from Brownells, Laurel Mountain is out of stock, Has been ordered from Midway. I'll give them a test drive.
 Thanks guys for the help!

I really like the Art's Belgian Blue, Midway sells it. It says "cold blue" but it's the same process as Mike Lee - boil, apply the solution, boil again, card, repeat.

javaduke; am I to assume it is actually a rust blue not a cold blue! I've never had any success with cold bluing, tried all that Brownells sells as well as others. Yes it looks good but after a while the bluing rubs off, does not last long. I think I seen it at Brownells.

Like I said, it IS a rust blue solution, just like Mike Lee, not sure why they call it "cold blue", maybe as opposed to the hot salts bluing. Not a slow rust process though, you just boil the part, apply the solution, and it will start rusting immediately, then boil again to convert it and card using steel wool or Brownells carding wheel, and repeat this process several times until you get the color you want. I usually do it about five times for larger parts like slides and frames, and two-three times for small parts like grip safeties. Then boil the parts again for about 40 minutes and soak them in motor oil overnight.
Here's a good example of what it looks like, I built this gun from Caspian parts and finished with Belgian Blue. 

Thanks javaduke, Seems to be a Rust Blue to me! I guess they call it cold blue for the same reason Laurel Mountain calls theirs Barrel Brown though it will brown yet dark blue after boiling. Might be that stuff on the Anvil videos called Rust Blue was copyrighted. Might not be able to use it in the name of the product. Not a lawyer so I don't know. I do have good results with cold blue on small parts, seen a Youtube video where after cold blueing cover the part with oil and let it sit. Oil will float to the surface and will allow the solution to continue bluing. Then wash the item to stop the process.

From what I’ve read in old books on gunsmithing, the major difference between “browning” and “rust bluing” is the boiling of the parts between application of solution.  By boiling the parts, the Fe2O3 changes to Fe3O4.  Both need to be carded between application of the solution (“passes”).  The “brown” surface is soaked in oil and then varnished. The “blue” surface is just oiled.  I have used rust blue but I made my own solution that I copied from Roy Dunlop’s book.

I've received the bottles of Laurel Mountain from Midway and Mike Lee from Brownells. I'm thinking of ordering Art's Belgian Blue. javaduke am I to assume the product is applied after boiling, then boil to blue? Is there any dry time between applying the blue and boiling? Do I boil then apply blue while wet or allow to dry?  Repeat as necessary to get darkness desired? Being lazy I'm looking for the simplest and best way! To me color is not important, accuracy and function is!
Wobbley I down loaded a book recommended by Mark Novak, Anvil Videos. Supposedly written years ago with numerous formulas. Now I have to find it, I did a while ago!

In rust bluing the parts have to rust. So the parts are boiled, hung to dry (only takes a second) apply solution, placed in a humid area (usually overnight), then “carded”, then the next “pass”.  It’s time consuming because it takes 5-7 passes, but it actually makes better “bluing” than the chemical process, IMO.

As I said earlier, I only use Laurel Mountain.  I would never let it rust up overnight, I want more control than that.  I rust in a box, actually a long plastic container made to store Christmas wrapping paper.  If the humidity is low and rusting is hard to get, I place a couple cups of hot water in the box to raise the humidity to at least 70%.  However, don't raise the humidity to the point the metal becomes wet.  I can usually get 2, sometimes 3 cycles a day.  Just set it aside for the night, then go again in the morning. I only allow a slight amount of rust.  If you let it rust up heavily, the end product will be more like a matte finish.
Phil

Froneck wrote:I've received the bottles of Laurel Mountain from Midway and Mike Lee from Brownells. I'm thinking of ordering Art's Belgian Blue. javaduke am I to assume the product is applied after boiling, then boil to blue? Is there any dry time between applying the blue and boiling? Do I boil then apply blue while wet or allow to dry?  Repeat as necessary to get darkness desired? Being lazy I'm looking for the simplest and best way! To me color is not important, accuracy and function is!
Wobbley I down loaded a book recommended by Mark Novak, Anvil Videos. Supposedly written years ago with numerous formulas. Now I have to find it, I did a while ago!

Yes sir, first you boil to heat up the part, no need to dry it completely, just shake or wipe off excess water, then apply the solution, you will see the darkening effect immediately. Then boil again for another 5 min or so, then remove from water and card with the Brownells carding wheel or 0000 steel wool. Then repeat all these steps again - boil, apply the blue, boil again, card, repeat until it looks good, then boil for another 40 min or so, and then dry and soak in motor oil overnight.

Forgot to mention, make sure you clean the part thoroughly before bluing. I usually sand blast it, then clean in my ultrasonic cleaner, I use a mix of distilled water and simple green, and then I heat it in the oven for about 15 min and check for any oil spots. If yes, then I clean the oil with some acetone and put the part back to the ultrasonic cleaner.

One important thing is, it is really important to soak the part in motor oil at least overnight, or better yet, for 24 hours.
I just finished a slide for a customer, after 15 applications it was very dull gray color and way brighter than it should look and it wasn't getting any darker anymore. So at this point I left it in the boiling bath for another 40 min, then took it out, let it dry (at this time of year in AZ it was almost instantly ))) and put in the air with some old used motor oil and left it overnight. Next morning it was deep black and looked gorgeous! I'm not sure what is the actual chemistry there but it works

I'm hear completion with my Homemade .22 conversion, making the one piece barrel was a lot of work from a 2" diameter Lilja blank. Added to the work is I'm also making the one piece barrel for a Advantage Arms and Adam's Nelson. My machine shop customers and trigger shoes also slow me down.
 I do have the Mike Lee's Express Blue, Brownells and Laurel Mountain Rust blue still in unopened bottles plus most of a bottle of Bob's Rust Blue. Ordered a bottle of Art's Belgian Blue from Midway, will be here in a few days! Not cheap, dam near $100 with shipping and tax!
 I hope Art's is a rust blue and as good as claimed.