Bluing stainless steel body and/or valve

[custar]

I did try to search first, but I didn't find any answer to these question.

I want a little different look to a classic Automag. Will a Classic valve or even the front of a RT or Emag valve take bluing? Are there any drawbacks to doing this? Ditto for a stainless steel body.

custar

[Sumthinwicked]

u could buff your valve take all writting on it like i have at the house makes it look nice if you polish it right

[50 cal]

Stainless can be blued. You need to find a gun shop with stainless bluing salts. If you leave the stainless matte finished it will turn out more black than blue.
Polished stainless looks really sharp blued.

Make sure you ask for stainless bluing.

[trevorjk]

pics?

[LegumeOfTerror]

what about a cold blue?

[50 cal]

Cold blue only works on carbon steels and looks really crappy if done on a large area.

[custar]

Thanks for the info. I thought the stainless would work, but I have not seen pics of it done on a mag yet. Academy has a bluing kit, so I think I will try it on an old, beater body and valve. If it doesn't work, there is little of value lost.

custar

[Don Carnage]

You better post pics if it works. ;)

I have a spare polished body lying around that I don't mind bluing if it can be done well.

[Freebird]

Thanks for the info. I thought the stainless would work, but I have not seen pics of it done on a mag yet. Academy has a bluing kit, so I think I will try it on an old, beater body and valve. If it doesn't work, there is little of value lost.

custar
you cant blue stainless steel with a conventional blueing kit. You need special corrosion formulas for stainless steel because blueing is really "controlled corrosion" and stainless steel is well, stainless?

[50 cal]

I there is a place here in Knoxville that blues stainless. I'll look them up again.
I've been wanting a blue X valve for my E Mag. I'll settle for bluing.

[DarkLynx]

I there is a place here in Knoxville that blues stainless. I'll look them up again.
I've been wanting a blue X valve for my E Mag. I'll settle for bluing.

"Bluing only works on steel or stainless steel parts for protecting against corrosion. Because it changes the Fe into Fe3O4, it does not work on non-ferrous material."

From Wikipedia, it won't work on aluminum.

[questionful]

I have a book that quotes a few ways to color steel. I don't know much about them but I'll list them for discussion:
Heat Bluing
Cold Bluing (what you guys are talking about I believe)
Cold Browning
Black Finish

But the books says "steel", not "stainless steel".

[Dirge]

Some of the newer salt formulations will work for stainless, but you need to find a gunsmith who has a tank dedicated to it (or at least they should).

Aluminum in a bluing tank is bad. Very bad. It will first float (if it's light enough) and foams until nothing is left. Looks kind of cool. It then deposits the material on anything else in the tank. After this happens, one should change out the tank. This sucks a lot!!

[50 cal]

"Bluing only works on steel or stainless steel parts for protecting against corrosion. Because it changes the Fe into Fe3O4, it does not work on non-ferrous material."

From Wikipedia, it won't work on aluminum.


I am wanting to blue the original stainless valve.

[cyclic]

I don't recall right off hand, but stainless can be blackened. Check with firearm refinishers in your area. If its polished first it looks like black chrome, bead blasted for mat finish, and sand blasted for a black parkerized look.