I heat the nitre salts to 600 degrees and then place the parts to be treated in and watch the color transformation. The parts will go through all the stages of color depending on how long they are in the solution. They have to be carefully watched and removed at the right time to get the correct color for the part being colored.
Perhaps the prettiest color (not right for Parkers) is peacock blue. I use this color on the screws of muzzle loaders and other hardware. The part has to be polished to a bright sheen with 600 grit and then left in the bath longer than the normal Parker nitre blue color.
|