rust bluing a bead blasted surface

[Metric]

Thinking about another rust bluing project.

My first project was fun and turned out great. For metal prep, I sanded everything to 320 grit, and everything worked out pretty much as expected.

For my second project, I am thinking about a pistol with a worn blue finish -- originally polished on the flats, and bead blasted around curves. Thinking about sanding the flats to 320, but leaving the bead blasted curves as-is (just degreasing and removing the old blue, but not doing any sand/polish on those areas).

Should I expect this to retain a two-tone finish/texture after the rust blue process? Should I expect any complications when rust bluing the bead blasted areas? (using Mark Lee Express Blue #1)

 

[4V50 Gary]

Do it.

Tape off the areas you don't want blasted and blast away.

 

[Metric]

I don't have the equipment for bead blasting -- I was thinking of just rust bluing directly over the old bead-blasted surface (after removing the old blue).

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I would try to find a piece of test material first. Rust bluing involves carding -- wire brushing the rust off -- after each session of rusting. I'm not sure the bead blasted surfaces will look bead blasted after several applications of carding.

 

[Lavan]

It doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

[Hawg]

It will work on a bead blasted surface but it will be a matte finish.

 

[Roughedge]

I've done it on a 1911 slide and it makes the bead blasted area more of a mat finish. I used glass beads so its wasn't a rough surface to start with and I was using Dicropan "IM" .express blue should have the same results.

 

[Metric]

Thanks guys. I think I will give it a try, and if it doesn't work well I can always go back and sand everything for a uniform look. May be a couple weeks before I can get to it, but when I do I'll start a new thread on the project.

 

[Unclenick]

It would be good if you can find a piece of bead-blasted steel to try it on. My one concern is that the carding will be interfered with by the surface texture, so you don't get all the loose magnetite off, resulting in a finish that can trap moisture or that periodically has a speck fall off, leaving exposed steel. If I were doing it, I might try using a higher power ultrasonic cleaner to do the carding, as that won't care about the surface texture, but I've never actually done that, so no guarantees. Just a thought.

 

[BornFighting88]

I bead blasted a 98 action and cold blued it. Matte as matte can be but beautiful!!! Even and smooth. I like how it came out.

 

[Unclenick]

Cold blue is not rust bluing. The latter only achieves partial blue at each pass. Takes about six passes to get the best job from it, with loose magnetite carded (rubbed off with de-greased steel wool or with a stainless super-fine buffing wheel brush, etc.) between each rusting and boiling step. But it produces a beautiful satin sheen blue that is traditional for English shotguns and as firmly attached to the steel as hot bluing.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
Sand it even to 320, then bead blast it and finish

It will be a fantastic matte blue!

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
Here is my retro combat 1911, I built with a home shop, slow rust blue finish!

 

[4V50 Gary]

More rust blue to front. I can see the old and the new.

Actually, if you wanted consistent, you'd have to refinish that whole slide.

 

[BornFighting88]

seagiant, it looks great!!

 

[seagiant]

More rust blue to front. I can see the old and the new.

Actually, if you wanted consistent, you'd have to refinish that whole slide.

Hi,
Not possible, I don't work like that, I will take a better pic.

Must be oil or the light?

Eh...Might be a little discolor on the end now that I look hard at it, in the pic, but hard to see holding it?

I don't work on other peoples guns just for my self and I'm happy with it.

The good thing about slow rust blue is you can stick it in the blast cabinet, blast it and do it over, not that hard!