Marauder Restyle Part Duex

[Sharps40]

Thanks.. I think its sold already....not even quite done yet...We'll know this weekend.

First rust. Boil red ferric oxide to change it to black ferro ferric oxide. The first of 6 10 cycles of rust, boil, card, coat and start over with rust....slowly progressing from silver bare metal to red rusty to grey to satin grey black.

 

[Sharps40]

So, boil the steel to turn the red rust black....the ferro ferric iron oxide is tightly bonded to the steel, a tiny bit at a time and hidden under fluffy iron oxide that's loose/not bonded.

So, a scrub with degreased 0000 steel wool to get rid of the loose oxides and uncover the hard base color. Here at fist boil a watery grey. It'll darken toward black with successive rusting as we build the hard oxide color we want.

We don't have the high heat and caustics of a hot blue so the final color with rust blue is a grey black and a satin finish. Rust blue will not shine so no since polishin much more than 150g....besides, we need pores open to get the chemicals to bite, again, we do not have the near 300 Degrees F of Hot Caustic bluing. We'll come back after 6 or 8 cycles and see the finished lever.

All the fluf off and the first color is an even translucent grey.

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[Sharps40]

Second bloom is even more velvety smooth than the last.....we'll let the solution bite all night and I'll boil again in the morning.....prolly get a few cycles of rust and boil and card tomorrow. We'll see how it looks at the end of the day. With luck, pretty spanky good and without streaks or fingerprints.

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[Buckeye76]

I've been looking for a good cast iron pot to do my boils in. Am I right to assume that the need to be degreased? Most of the newer ones come pre-seasoned.

 

[Sharps40]

I bought it raw and boiled it a time or two to make sure it was cleaned. Go to a country store or something, get one raw. WarMart only sells em seasoned with some sortta oil.

 

[Sharps40]

About four rust and card cycles and its blacker than grey. Coming along nicely. I suppose this lever will be done today. For now its sitting with a coat of Pilkingtons on it and in the damp box while I go to the garage to load 38s and 45s. We'll check back in a few hours but this project might just be finished by tonight.

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[Sharps40]

That's it for bluing the lever. It buffed out to a lovely dark grey black and I gave it a oil while hot. Perfect satin black. Time to go install it on the Marauder and take the final photographs.

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[Sharps40]

That's it for bluing the lever. It buffed out to a lovely dark grey black and I gave it a oil while hot. Perfect satin black. Time to go install it on the Marauder and take the final photographs.

 

[Sharps40]

Done. Looks great and ready for final sight in and hunting. These pics show some of the light blems in the original finish.

I suspect it'll need the front or rear sight banged a bit left or right. Don't know what will regulate best...but my money is on 170s being closest off the bat. 150s will probably shoot a bit higher at longer ranges. Anyway, regulate at 25 check at 100 and go hunting this week if you like!!!!!

With a scope, you should have no trouble with up to 150 to 200 meters from tower stands. So, small enough for bustin brush and still accurate enough to reach out a bit.

 

[Sharps40]

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