Rusty varnish: composition and application

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

We have all experienced rust more than once, it follows us everywhere, it can be found both on fences, locks, chains located on the street, and on items that we store at home, for example: on knives, keys, reenactment swords and on gun barrels. This is a rather serious problem, because even a small area corroded by corrosion will grow over the entire metal product over time. Rusted items become less durable, look unsightly, have holes in them and lose their functionality.

Previously, it was possible to protect or rid a metal object of rust only in industrial conditions, but now compounds have been invented that can be used to deal with this problem at home.

The topic of this article will be bluing rusty varnish at home.

Why metals rust and how to deal with it

Rusty - these are metals that have passed into an oxidized form as a result of environmental influences. Metal is protected from corrosion by thin invisible films of oxide compounds, which are formed naturally under the influence of oxygen in the air. Despite the fact that due to them the metal has some passivity, they still cannot completely protect it from rust formation.

Typically, to increase the anti-corrosion resistance by chemical or electrolytic in industrial plants, additional protective films are applied to the metal.

Compositions to increase the resistance of metal to corrosion paint it black, but a number of drugs can change the color of the product in the most unpredictable way. Rusty varnish is one of the most reliable metal protection compounds in the home.

We do not recommend using industrial methods to form a protective film at home, as this is a very expensive and useless task.

What is rusty varnish

Rusty lacquer is a solution that produces magnetic iron oxide on a workpiece. Also, this mixture of a number of components causes severe corrosion of the upper layer of steel.

Most often gun barrels are burnished, although burnishing of some other metal products is also possible.

Rust varnish contains acids, metal shavings and sometimes heavy metals.

When burnished with such a compound, a thick layer of black iron oxide is formed on the metal. The surface damaged by corrosion is removed with a stiff brush, and the black metal is a protective film.

Burning with rusty varnish. Pros and cons

Because the oxidation of iron is rusty(English varnish) is an acid method, in addition to a number of advantages, such processing also has disadvantages.

The advantages of this method include:

• For objects soldered with tin, this method of oxidation is the main one. Because it is one of the few solutions that, while painting over tin, does not damage it.

• When used, it creates a beautiful thick matte surface that hides all visible imperfections and scratches.

• Since the temperature of bluing with rusty varnish does not exceed 100 degrees Celsius, you do not have to purchase special dishes for this procedure.

• Where you apply rusty varnish, there the product will turn.

• Compared to other oxidizing compounds, English lacquer releases a small amount of toxic fumes when heated.

Cons of bluing rusty varnish at home:

• If the pre-cleaning is not good enough, some elements may remain unpainted when applying this solution.

• Burning a gun with rusty varnish is a rather lengthy process, but despite this, all actions must be done quickly enough, otherwise you risk being left with a too rusty product.

• Difficulties may also arise when using this method due to impurities in the metal. This can be expressed in the appearance of reddish-brown areas on the product. To eliminate this effect, the resulting film will have to be removed and the entire bluing procedure repeated.

• With a small content of iron in the alloy will have toempirically select the temperature from 20-50 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is not correct, the product may turn red.

Here's everything you need to know about the pros and cons of bluing.

Safety precautions when working with rusty varnish

Like all bluing products, rusty varnish is a fairly toxic substance, so when working with it for personal safety, you need to follow a few rules:

• Only work with this substance outdoors, as the fumes that occur when it is heated can adversely affect your he alth.

• It is necessary to protect the skin as much as possible, in particular to wear gloves. This substance is very sticky and does not wash well.

How to prepare the composition for bluing yourself?

Of course, you can buy the so-called English bluing varnish in specialized stores, but it will be much more profitable to make it yourself.

Preparing rusty varnish at home is a rather laborious process, but quite real.

Components and tools you will need:

• Hydrochloric acid (technical) – 60 ml.

• Concentrated Nitric Acid - 64 ml.

• Cast iron or carbon sawdust - 40 grams.

• Metal scale - 45 grams.

• Purified water - 1.1 liters.

• Glass or porcelain container with a volume of more than 1 liter.

Rusty varnish (recipe):

• Pour a third of the scale and metal chips into the container.

•Pour the entire prepared volume of hydrochloric acid into it.

• Slowly pour in a third of the nitric acid.

• After the mixture turns greenish and brown gas evolves, and then this reaction subsides a little, add another third of the chips and dross to the container.

• Add the next portion (another third) of nitric acid.

• After the reaction resumes and subsides again, add the remaining acid, chips and scale.

• Let the creamy, rusty mixture stand for 24 hours, covering the container with a film fixed with electrical tape or tape.

• When the mixture is infused, add all the purified water to it.

• Shake the resulting mixture and pour it into a more suitable bowl for bluing.

That's it, the bluing mixture is ready. As you can see, making a rusty varnish is quite simple.

How to properly prepare a product for oxidation?

In order to ensure the formation of a beautiful black film over the entire surface of a metal object, the product must be sanded, polished and degreased. If this is not done, then instead of a beautiful even layer of shiny black, you can get an uneven surface with streaks and reddish-reddish spots.

Materials:

• Rough sandpaper.

• Zero Sandpaper

• Brush.

• Pasta GOI.

• Degreasing solution.

Solutions for degreasing can be made independently, for this dilutesoda ash at the rate of 40 grams per 1 liter of water or caustic soda at the rate of 13 grams per 1 liter of water.

Let's look at what operations need to be done before blueing trunks with rusty varnish:

• Sand the surface of the object to be oxidized with coarse sandpaper.

• Carefully go over it with an emery “zero”

• Rub the brush with GOI paste and sand the metal with it.

• Wipe off the remaining paste with a fluffy cloth.

• Bring the degreaser to 100 degrees Celsius.

• Keep the metal to be processed in the liquid for 20-30 minutes to understand that the metal has been degreased, remove it from the solution and make sure that the liquid covers the surface with an even film, without collecting drops.

• Rinse the degreased product with clean water.

Degreasing and burnishing with rusty varnish must be carried out immediately after each other, otherwise a natural oxide film will form on the metal under the influence of oxygen, and the varnish will lie unevenly.

Applying rusty varnish

Burning begins with the fact that rusty varnish is applied in two stages (the instructions for making it at home were set out by us earlier). You need to apply this varnish, be sure to wear gloves, otherwise, due to the sebum present on your fingers, the composition will not cover the metal in the places you touch.

So, let's start applying:

• Apply a thin, even coat of rust varnish over the entireproduct surface. If this is a gun barrel, then its ending must be handled with special attention.

• Use a thin brush to blot smudges, excess polish and drips in holes and grooves.

• After applying the first coat of rusty varnish, place the product in a warm place with a temperature of about 50 degrees Celsius. At the beginning of drying, the product will have a slightly yellowish tint, then it will begin to darken and become covered with a dark orange layer.

• When the rusty varnish is completely dry, cover the product with another thin layer, making sure to eliminate all drips and bumps.

• Place the product again in a place with a temperature of at least 50 degrees Celsius (this can be just a place near a stove or radiator). As a result, the metal should be covered with a uniform rusty layer.

Cooking stage

This step is necessary to obtain a beautiful black color on the oxidized metal product. It is necessary to boil the processed metal in distillate or steam.

You can prepare your own cooking equipment. To do this, weld the bottom to a metal pipe of a suitable diameter and install a heating apparatus from an electric kettle.

The boiling process includes the following steps:

• Pour purified water or rainwater into the pipe (tap water will not work due to impurities).

• Add nitric acid (1.3 ml of acid to 1 liter of water) to the digestion vessel with water.

• Bring the solution to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.

• Boil brown-orange metal items for 15 minutes.

Rusted layer cleaning step

The cleaning step is done with a special brush, which can be bought from a specialized store or made by yourself.

To create a special motorized brush you will need:

• Metal mesh made of wire with a diameter of 1 to 1.5 mm.

• Scissors.

• A nut, a washer and a sufficiently long bolt.

• Drill or screwdriver.

Electric brush manufacturing process:

• Cut out 4 to 7 circles from the grid.

• In the center of each circle, cut a round hole equal to the diameter of the bolt.

• Secure the wire wheels with the nut, washer and bolt.

• Insert the protruding part of the bolt into the hole of the screwdriver and tighten it.

Scrape the blued surface with a homemade brush until the entire surface is shiny black. The first time the surface to be treated will most likely leave spots of a reddish tint, so all the above steps (rusty varnish coating, boiling and cleaning) will need to be repeated at least four times.

Oiling step

If you've gone through all the steps enough times, you should end up with a piece evenly coated in a beautiful graphite color film.

Now you can oil the metal. This procedure is performed not only to give additional shine to the treated metal, but also to remove residual moisture from the film.black color, formed as a result of bluing.

It is important to remember that after oiling, you will not be able to correct the resulting bumps and unpainted spots on a blued item, so it is important to remove all imperfections before oiling.

• Heat the machine oil in a clean, previously used cooking pot to a temperature of at least 100 and no higher than 110 degrees Celsius.

• Boil your product there for at least 5 minutes.

You should end up with a shiny black piece.

Let's go over all the steps you need to follow in order to achieve the best effect.

• Preparing the product for burnishing, which includes grinding, polishing, degreasing and cleaning the metal from the degreasing solution.

• Apply rusty varnish in two steps (1).

• Cooking (1).

• Cleaning (1).

• Apply rusty varnish in two steps (2).

• Cooking (2).

• Cleaning (2).

• Apply rusty varnish in two steps (3).

• Cooking (3).

• Cleaning (3).

• Apply rusty varnish in two steps (4).

• Cooking (4).

• Cleaning (4).

• Oiling.

Despite the fact that gun barrels are usually oxidized with this composition, bluing of home tools, dumbbells and weights with rusty varnish is also common.

At the moment, oxidation of barrels with rusty varnish is not done in production, since there are a number of ways that can be used muchbluing is faster and more profitable, but at home it is the most economical and easiest way we know.

In this article, you learned the reason why rust appears on the metal, examined in detail the manufacture of rusty varnish at home, using substances that are freely available, analyzed the process of bluing rusty varnish with your own hands and learned how to make it yourself all the tools you need for this.