I saw another post a little while ago talking about blueing ferrules, and that got my twisted mind working. I saw the blueng stuff down at the fleet-farm store by my house, i guess it is for guns. Does anyone know if the stuff works on stainless steel? and if so, will it attack guide rings? I want to know because I would like to try it on some casting or spinning guides with silver frames, after all, why should the bamboo guys get to do all the cool stuff? And this may give a neat effect if used with the right thread color.

Cold blueing will not work on stainless steel. Very simply put, blueing is controlled rust. Non-corrosive material cannot be done.

I don't know enough about this subject to really offer any constructive advice. I do know that stainless steel will corrode however. Whether or not it will corrode at a rate that makes it possible to cold blue or not I cannot say. I have used the Birchwood-Casey product on some of my common steel lathe parts and it worked well.

...........

well, maybe I will just go get a jar, and throw some guides in and see what happens.

Jeff,

You could give it a try, but I would be shocked if it worked. Basically, the chrome content that makes the steel stainless will prevent the blue from sticking. I used to re-blue my rifles when I was younger and I had a brainstorm to try to blue my knives (stainless 440C) and it didn't work. Let us all know if it works out OK.

Hi,

Bluing works well on nickel silver ferrules, but I don't know about stainless steel guides. On trick someone recommended is warming some automatic transmission fluid on a hot plate and dumping some guides in. After a period of time, they are supposed to come out looking like Damascus steel.

I usually don't pass along stuff that I haven't tried, but this one sounds neat to me.

Of course, be careful, and follow this suggestion only at your own risk.

Harry

i don't know about that one harry, may work, but it also sounds like a good way to burn the house down!

yes Harry the transmission fluid works really looks neat.but do it out side you have to get the fluid veary hot.like Jeff Nail said it is a neat way to burn your house down.later regards John