A quick way to blue steel for the lazy

To protect a steel product from corrosion, it can be coated. Blueing has good abrasion resistance, which is superior to paint, and most importantly, it does not thicken the product. Thanks to this, even threaded elements such as bolts, nuts, etc. can be blued.

What you will need:

linseed oil;
vinegar or citric acid solution;
capacity;
tweezers;
gas-burner.

Steel bluing process

To blued a product, you must first completely clean it of corrosion. The easiest way to do this is to leave it overnight in an aqueous solution of citric acid or table vinegar.

After removing the part from the acid, it must be blown with a compressor or wiped with a rag so that rust does not reappear.

Next, linseed oil is added to the container. The product for bluing must be heated with a burner and dipped into the bath. It is necessary to heat up to +400°C. This is determined by the gray color of the tarnish. First the metal will turn purple, this is +300°C, then gray. Immediately after this, the product is dipped in oil.You can no longer heat it, as this will cause the metal to loosen and become softer.

When the part has cooled, it can be removed.

As a result of contact of hot metal with linseed oil, a black oxide film is formed on its surface, resistant to abrasion and protecting against corrosion.