Hot water Belgium bluing ?

[King Cobb]

Have a local gunsmith the family has done business with for several years. I asked if they could rust blue the barrels on my parker. He said they can Hot Water Belgium blue it. I know it isn't the correct type of bluing, but will it look right or be safe with the solder?

[B. Dudley]

Belgian blue will not compromise the solder joints. It is like rust bluing in that the temp gets no hotter than boiling water. The application of Belgian blue is a little different that traditional rust blue.

I personally have no experience with Belgian blue, but I believe the color it yields may not be correct for a Parker. I may be mistaken though.

[Ruff Hunter]

I've seen the results. They are much more blue that a proper rust bluing, which is closer to black in color. Not a bad look by any means, just not authentic for an American double.

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

We experimented with Several of the "Blue " products, 30 years ago. The end results are a dark blue not black. I have yet to see an original set of barrels that were produced in that color.
Stick with the newer commercial products that yield a true black finish. The preparation is 98 % of the finished job.

Brad

[King Cobb]

Thanks for the help guys. I was just curious if there was an alternative to having to mail it off to someone, but currenly haven't found anyone within driving distance down here in Texas who knows how to rust blue a parker.

I am guessing Belgian Hot Water Bluing would be what was used on my Superposed?

[B. Dudley]

Superposed guns should have been rust blued.

If someone can do Belgian blue, then they should be able to rust blue. The major piece of equipment is a tank to boil the barrels in. And since Belgian blue requires boiling, they should have the tank. However, if they have no experience in doing actual rust bluing, I wouldn't trust your Parker to them on a first try.

As for modern rust blue formulas that are easy to use. You can't go wrong with Mark Lee's.

Your in Texas. Kirk Merrington is in Ingram. Granted it is about 5 hours from you, but it is in the state.

[Steve Havener]

Living out her in "fly over country" without a decent double gunsmith within 400 miles I have no problem mailing my guns to a good gunsmith. The economics of mailing are so much better than driving more than 50 miles. Example if you are going to mail a set of barrels the cost will be roughly $10.00 plus insurance each way. A 5 hour drive equates to roughly 300 miles, today the cost of gas was down to $3.21 per gallon and if you have an average American car you will get about 20 miles per gallon. Total cost for gas one way about $50.00 plus wear and tear on the car and then you have to get home. Oh and when the barrels are done you have the whole trip to make again. So you have doubled the cost of the re-blue job.

[B. Dudley]

$3.21 a gallon. I wish.

[charlie cleveland]

gas is 307 and diesal is 355 in my little town of fulton miss....for the moment...sorry we got away from your thread...i too would want my parker looking like a parker....charlie

[King Cobb]

Its not the cost, just more the idea of mailing as opposed to dropping it off in person.