Cold Blueing

I had not heard of this until recently. It's a method to surface treat steel. It adds a little bit of rust protection and colours the surface a dark blue.

I watched a few YouTube videos and picked one of the products that looked easy enough to use.

The process with most of the products is similar:

• Wear safety goggle and rubber, latex or similar gloves
• Completely degrease
• Lightly sand
• Pour a small amount into a container. Do not contaminate the original contents.
• Either paint on neat or soak in a diluted solution
• Wash off and repeat a few times until the colour is as dark as required
• Soak in oil for a few hours to give the finish a sheen

I cleaned the bits in brake cleaner and soaked in motor oil.

I understand that it won't stop rust if left outside but that it's a help in a workshop environment.

I think that the result looks nice.

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