Case color?

From what I understand the parts have to be packed in bone meal and then heated! It is a rather involved procedure. I have seen an explanation of the procedure in a shotgun magazine called "The Double Gun Journal" It was in an issue several years ago.

You might want to drop in on
www.gunshop.com
they have a BBS and might give you a more detailed explanation of traditional Case Hardening.

Geoff Ross

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One reason to vote in the next Presidential election.

It's the Supreme Court, Stupid!

[This message has been edited by K80Geoff (edited March 29, 2000).]
 
The last two years I've been experimenting with a rather primitve method using simple charcoal. I've been placing various pieces of scrap metel, cheap knives, etc. in either the fireplace or bar-b-q grill and then experimenting with different rates of cooling the blackened metal. To date the best results I've acheived has been to heat the piece for a couple of hours and then submerge it in room temperature motor oil.
Last week for the first time I had the courage to attempt this method on actual gun parts. I did this to the hammer and trigger of a model 29 Smith project I'm working on with surprisingly good results.
Some of the real smiths here will rightfuly point out the flaws with this method due to the temperment of the metal that it comprmises. However for a cheap, home job done on small parts I'm quite pleased with the results.
 
Thanks for the replies so far guys...I have an older 1911 that needs refinishing anyway,and the other day,I came into a really nice set of stag grips for a 1911 which started this ball rolling..I guess I am trying to achieve the Single-Action Army "look" on a 1911: case color frame and parts with the deep blue Colt factory finish slide. I think the contrast would look great. I too have achieved results by heating the bare metal to 275 degrees, dusting with bone meal and dabbing with selinium dioxide;I've got the straw color,cobalt blues and some well defined borders,but I seem to be missing the reds and magentas.There has to be other ways without de-tempering.Suggestions?
 
Just using Birchwood Caseys Perma Blue after heating the metal in the oven to about 150-175 degrees will give some impressive color. I also used to experiement with tinture of Benzine (spelling?) and it will give some nice colors if used in the same fashion. Real color case hardening is an involved process that starts with submerging the parts to be hardened in a mixture of bone dust, and wood and leather charcoal. The parts are packed in a cast iron container with the parts, being careful that they do not touch each other, or the sides of the container. A layer of sand is added on top of this mixture and a loose fitting lid is attached. The sand will allow gasses to filter through, but doesn't allow oxygen in (I think that's the reasoning anyway). The parts are brought to about 1400-1500 degrees and are left there for a couple of hours. The longer they stay in the furnace, the more carbon from the bone and charcoal is abosorbed by the steel parts. At the end the parts are quickly quenched in a tank of water to which an airline has been installed to create bubbles that add to the mottling appearance of the finished parts. Usually Potassium Nitrate is added to the quench solution. If air hits the parts before they are quenched the color will be ruined. As with any metal finish, good polishing is a must if the color is to be brilliant. A 400 grit hand polish is about right. Their is also a cynanide casehardening that is used, you see it a lot on the colt clones that come from Italy. I don't like the colors that this method produces, however.
 
Alex,thanks so much for your kind and informative reply--that was exactly the kind of info I was looking for--sort of knew the "real" process would not be something to do in the kitchen.Several phone calls this afternoon turned up the info on cyanide;apparently this is where alot of the red color comes from but to a man,nobody likes it much;refered to as "tye-dye".The results I have so far really has whetted my appetite for more though...Regards.
 
In recent years, I think the few factories that actually do case coloring (rather than just coloring) have used a cyanide bath with air bubbles, not a setup for the home experimenter unless said experimenter has suicidal tendencies.

Some of the processes discussed here will ruin the temper in the steel and leave it soft, also not recommended.

The only real reason for case hardening in the old days was that the old frames were iron, not steel, and couldn't be hardened any other way.

Jim
 
1911Heaven, WOW. After completion you have to post a pic here for us!

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
Gunslinger-Thanks for the enthusiastic encouragement! I will post a photo when done...I put it all together last night just to see what the first go looked like,and I have to tell you,it's the best looking 1911 I've got!It's a strange trip for me to see my ugly duckling in the space of one day transform into something I would set on the mantle...Regards.
 
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