"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."
                -- Marcus Aurelius

Author Topic: Blueing / blackening armour  (Read 15795 times)

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Blueing / blackening armour
« on: 2013-07-31, 04:13:24 »
Anyone ever done this?  Any tips?  Is it reversable?
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Lord Dane

  • The Hound, Hunter, and Hammer of Justice
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,900
  • Selflessness, Service, Justice.
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #1 on: 2013-07-31, 06:27:34 »
Anyone ever done this?  Any tips?  Is it reversable?

Bluing is very time consuming process. I know, I tried. Gave up & went with black paint. We have a whole forum string on this topic. Ask Sir James.
"Fides, Honos, Prudentia, Sapiencia" (Faith, Honor, Prudence, Wisdom)
"Fiat justitia ruat caelum" (Let justice be done)

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #2 on: 2013-07-31, 12:02:20 »
Since it's mild steel, I was thinking more of gun blueing rather than heat blueing. What's that like to work with?  Does it wear off over time?
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Sir Edward

  • Forum Admin
  • Commander of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 9,340
  • Verum et Honorem.
    • ed.toton.org
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #3 on: 2013-07-31, 14:17:17 »

Gun bluing can definitely still scratch/wear off over time. Pistols will get a certain amount of holster-wear, along corners and edges. I'm sure it'll be the same for armor.
Sir Ed T. Toton III
Knight Commander, Order of the Marshal

( Personal Site | My Facebook )

Sir Vander Linde

  • Forum Follower
  • ***
  • Posts: 103
  • Protokoll....
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #4 on: 2013-07-31, 15:38:48 »
I've blackened and darkened some bucklers I've made, but the methods I use require fire.

I'm planning on using a gun bluing kit I have laying around here (was part of a prize I got, useless to me  ::) ) on a buckler I'm currently working on and then testing the finish. I'll let you know how it turns out.

other wise I do oil burns.
1)oil & charcoal powder applied with a brush and burned of gives a nice dark black finish
2) linseed oil burned off gives a dark grey
** that's all I usually use if paint isn't involved in some way.

Sir James A

  • Weapons & Armor addict
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 6,043
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #5 on: 2013-07-31, 15:41:13 »

Gun bluing can definitely still scratch/wear off over time. Pistols will get a certain amount of holster-wear, along corners and edges. I'm sure it'll be the same for armor.


Yep, mild steel is mild steel. You can get off-the-shelf wipe-on bluing, but it's a bit annoying. Have to prep the surface with other chemicals first, use rubber gloves, rub the bluing on, trying to keep even coats so that it doesn't show "overlaps" or darker/lighter spots; and then it can still rust. Which means stripping the bluing down to bare metal ... rinse, lather, repeat. I tried on some scrap pieces and wasn't happy with it. Not to mention, if your articulation is off and the plates rub anywhere, it'll rub the blackening off down to bare metal.

Now, done right, it looks *fantastic* to me. I haven't been too impressed with the OTS wipe-ons, the ones I've seen that come out well are done with a heat source (like Allan's).

Paint is a good option, powder-coating is even better. It's like a hardened paint shell. Common with motorcycles (gas tanks), aftermarket upgrades on vehicle brake calipers, and / or parts that take a beating that regular paint wouldn't hold up to as well. It is, of course, more expensive, and harder to find somewhere that can do it, since it is an electro-chemical process.
Knight, Order of the Marshal
Sable, a chevron between three lions statant Argent

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #6 on: 2013-07-31, 18:41:50 »
I'm kicking around trying it on my helmet. Going for something like this:
EDIT:  Will it mess up the brass?
« Last Edit: 2013-07-31, 18:45:01 by Sir Patrick »
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Sir William

  • Cogito ergo sum
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,154
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #7 on: 2013-07-31, 21:31:30 »
Not if you avoid it.  ;)
The Black Knight, Order of the Marshal
'Per Pale Azure and Sable, a Chevron counterchanged fimbriated argent.' 
“Pride makes a man, it drives him, it is the shield wall around his reputation.  Men die, but reputation does not.”

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #8 on: 2013-07-31, 22:32:04 »
Not if you avoid it.  ;)

You make it sound easy.
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Lord Dane

  • The Hound, Hunter, and Hammer of Justice
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,900
  • Selflessness, Service, Justice.
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #9 on: 2013-07-31, 23:20:57 »
If you heat the brass, it will scorch and melt. Unavoidable at bluing temperature.
"Fides, Honos, Prudentia, Sapiencia" (Faith, Honor, Prudence, Wisdom)
"Fiat justitia ruat caelum" (Let justice be done)

Sir Wolf

  • He Who is Not to be Named
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,389
  • i have too many hats
    • man e faces
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #10 on: 2013-08-01, 01:54:13 »
boiled linseed oil over an old gril. make sure the linseed and the fire never meet or u got big flames! lol. put some tin foil or a cookie sheet down first. it blacked my helmet with a red hugh. oh SOAK YOUR LINSEED OIL RAG! then get rid of it.  boiled linseed oil can randomly combust and burn down your house. i know someone who had this happen to his shop;

Sir Brian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 4,735
  • Felix uxor beatam vitam - Happy Wife Happy Life
    • Order of the Marshal
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #11 on: 2013-08-01, 10:37:01 »
Quote
manufacturer’s warning that all oil-soaked rags should be stored under water in a covered, metal container, or washed before storage or disposal.

Very true about linseed oil spontaneously combusting while it oxidizes, therefore you should hand wash them prior to disposal and as an additional precaution I seal them in a Ziploc bag while still wet.  ;)
"Chivalry our Strength, Brotherhood our sword"
Vert, on a Chief wavy Argent a Rose Sable,
a Gryphon Segreant Or

[img width=100 height=100]
<a href="http://s221.photobucket.com/user/Tah908/media/LP_Medals_zpsq7zzdvve.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i221.photobucket.

Sir Patrick

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,647
  • Nex pro inhonesto, Deus pro totus.
    • The Order of the Marshal
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #12 on: 2013-08-01, 12:01:44 »
boiled linseed oil over an old gril. make sure the linseed and the fire never meet or u got big flames! lol. put some tin foil or a cookie sheet down first. it blacked my helmet with a red hugh. oh SOAK YOUR LINSEED OIL RAG! then get rid of it.  boiled linseed oil can randomly combust and burn down your house. i know someone who had this happen to his shop;



This may sound stupid, but do you close the grill?  That's a big grill to stuff a helmet in!
Gules, a chevron argent between three cinquefoils ermine.
"Better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a lamb."
Knight, Order of the Marshal

Sir Wolf

  • He Who is Not to be Named
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,389
  • i have too many hats
    • man e faces
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #13 on: 2013-08-01, 13:06:29 »
i did but my helmet was smaller.

but i have seen people lite a fire and put the helmet on a stand above it and pour motor oil on the helmet. lol WHOOSH goes the fire hehehehe

Sir William

  • Cogito ergo sum
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,154
Re: Blueing / blackening armour
« Reply #14 on: 2013-08-01, 16:28:44 »
Not if you avoid it.  ;)

You make it sound easy.

Well, to say so is easy- it is the doing that isn't, not so much.  Sir Wolf's suggestion of a grill is one I've heard of being successful before.  Well away from the house (and yourself).
The Black Knight, Order of the Marshal
'Per Pale Azure and Sable, a Chevron counterchanged fimbriated argent.' 
“Pride makes a man, it drives him, it is the shield wall around his reputation.  Men die, but reputation does not.”