Alternatives to Gun Blue

[IRstuff]

Are there alternatives to Gun Blue that are more corrosion resistant, or is that the nature of steel passivation?

I've got some fairly hard carbon steel that is exposed to water and ice, and I've just recently hit upon the idea of using gun blue to passivate and protect the steel, but it looks like it's not quite as robust as aluminum anodization, so I'm looking for alternatives.

Thanks



TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[BJC]

Their blued before they are put together.
I have a couple of overunders that are mechanically fastened together. Remington 3200s are, their is a visable gap between the barrels.

 

[IRstuff]

We're talking about skis, so yes, a cold blue.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[btrueblood]

Irstuff,

If you apply bluing today, you can expect it to abrade away by the end of the ski season, at least in spots.

You would need to oil/wax/grease or otherwise seal the bluing every time you put the skis away, or they will rust right thru the bluing. Unless you store them indoors to avoid condensation...

You will still need to hot wax, silicone spray, or otherwise provide a long-term corrosion resistant coating for summer or longer storage.

I just make it a point to take my skis to the lcoal shop each fall or two or three, and have them grind/polish the bases and edges in one pass on a belt sander. Cleans them up a treat.

 

[evelrod]

First off, I'll admit to total ignorance of 'skis'...never even looked at one close up. Be that as it may, this is the 21st Century and while I've owned a Colt .357 that was SS and even my exhaust system is SS, a question...Are the mfgrs of skis still in the dark ages or am I missing something obvious?

Rod

 

[ivymike]

nah, nobody the mfrs are selling to keeps their skis for 8 years. My brother lives in Denver and buys one or two pairs of skis a year, along with bindings and boots. I can't recall the last time I owned a set of skis for more than one season - usually just demo 'em now - but I recall that they used to seem "worn out" or "flat" after a little while on the bumps (not to mention the rock damage that accumulates in spring).

 

[IRstuff]

Skis are generally laminates that are edged along the bottom edges with carbon steel strips that run nearly the entire length of the ski. At least once per season, assuming actually skiiing more than once, the edges need to be re-sharpened, which usually involves grinding from the sides. The bottoms, unless they've been skied over rocks, don't require much in the way of tuning, although a complete resurface might be a good idea for mine.

Usually, a layer of wax is then applied to the bottoms of the skis to reduce friction on snow, although what passes for snow in California will generally grind off the wax PDQ.

My edges get dull, but that's partly because of California, where dirt and rocks are intimately involved with most ski resorts. If they're too dull, they won't cut into the ice that we call snow, and the typical black diamond slope would be nearly impossible to ski.

Obviously, I do keep my skis inside the garage, which isn't exactly wet, but they've been there a while, and had developed a serious layer of rust that required grinding off with the edger.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[IRstuff]

The snow at Heavenly and Sierra at Tahoe was great, but one of my skis delaminated at the tail, so I'm shopping for a new pair anyway.

Also turns out my skis are essentially antiques, since newer skis are sized about 5 inches shorter than height, while mine are about 5 inches taller than my height.

However, the long skis did allow me to keep up with my kids, since the longer skis are faster ;-)

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[ivymike]

yes, it's funny how slow some of the newer skis seem, after getting used to 205 cm ones.

 

[IRstuff]

Supposedly, it's due to the recent realization that shorter skis are more controllable, doh!!! The theory is that previous generations of instructors thought that longer skis would require more training and lessons, and job security...

Of course, a newer hypothesis of mine is that slower skis result in fewer injuries and fatalities, which is obviously good for the resorts, since it means fewer lawsuits.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[unclesyd]

I would look at the QPQ Liquid Nitriding if you can tolerate a black finish. I would also check with BWC and ther line of blacking and sealers.
You also get a very good oxide coating with steam air
oxidation that gives a magnetite surface. But like a lot of other coatings it needs to be sealed or oiled.

http://www.nitromet.com/

http://www.burlingtoneng.com/melonite.html

http://www.microsurfacecorp.com/blackcodiac.php

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/presto/index.html

Parkerizing is the coating of choice for fine guns. It offers a little better corrosion protection than bluing.

http://www.gunblack.com/gun_refinishing.html