VH grade trigger finish

[Bill Paul]

Does Niter bluing take differently on different metals? The piece I saw was much "brighter". It was not on a Parker, but Definitely NOT what I have seen here. I would like to have my trigger guard done as close to original as practical, but don't want to have to strip and re-polish it either. Is all niter bluing the same?

[J. A. EARLY]

Originally Posted by Bill Paul

Does Niter bluing take differently on different metals? The piece I saw was much "brighter". It was not on a Parker, but Definitely NOT what I have seen here. I would like to have my trigger guard done as close to original as practical, but don't want to have to strip and re-polish it either. Is all niter bluing the same?

Bright blue probably meant it was hot blued. Duller bluing probably shows that it was rust blued like barrels. Nitre Bluing equals a tougher process to get right. You are correct as each piece of steel will respond differently and for every ten degree difference in the temperature of the nitre bluing, one gets a different color, from purples to straw colored to black to the perfect blue, and also depending upon how long it is left in the salts. And we are dealing with a solution at about 600 degrees. So if someone tells you they want $75 or more to do your triggers and trigger guard in nitre blue, be happy. It is not as easy as one thinks. Don't ask how I know.
https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/l...ing_Bluing.pdf

Degrees Fahrenheit
Color Of Steel
430
Very pale yellow
440
Light yellow
450
Pale straw-yellow
460
Straw-yellow
470
Deep straw-yellow
480
Dark yellow
490
Yellow-brown
500
Brown-yellow
510
Spotted red-brown
520
Brown-purple
530
Light purple
540
Full purple
550
Dark purple
560
Full blue
570
Dark blue
640
Light blue

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Bill Paul

Does Niter bluing take differently on different metals? The piece I saw was much "brighter". It was not on a Parker, but Definitely NOT what I have seen here. I would like to have my trigger guard done as close to original as practical, but don't want to have to strip and re-polish it either. Is all niter bluing the same?

The color of Nitre Blue is completely dependent on the temp that the salts are at.

Most think of Nitre blue as being the royal blue colors that are found in some applications where it is used.
However, near Black colors can be had at much higher temps. 830 degrees is the target temp for jet Black color. I have had a pretty hard time getting my salts anywhere near that temp, but I get very good results at 725-750 degrees. See the photos below of a VH that I Nitre blued the triggers and trigger guard on.

Brownells will tell you that you cannot heat the salts that high as it will ruin them. This is fake news as they say. I have been using the same pot of Brownells salts for years and evrytime they get heated up, they go up to those high temps.

IMG_4536.jpg

IMG_4540.jpg

[J. A. EARLY]

I get the dark blue at less temperature by constantly watching the part. No matter what the temperature of the nitre salts, the part will not reach that temperature instantly, so as it changes colors I quit when it is what I desired. Yes I have had Barney purple colored trigger guards and had to start over because I pulled them too soon. But I admit to being an amateur.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Bill Paul

Does Niter bluing take differently on different metals? The piece I saw was much "brighter". It was not on a Parker, but Definitely NOT what I have seen here. I would like to have my trigger guard done as close to original as practical, but don't want to have to strip and re-polish it either. Is all niter bluing the same?

Brighter may be because the part was polished to a finer degree. Highly polished parts (not appropriate for a Parker) results in a brighter nitre finish.