Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

I started making some inserted bit hollowing tools and it was so easy I
couldn't stop. Now I have a pot full! Half inch shafts, 3/16 in. bits,
maple handles with copper tubing ferrules, but I need to gussy them up
before giving to turning friends. Might be a hopeless task and turners
will just turn away, but maybe blackening or bluing and polishing the
shafts would make them presentable.

I've never blackened cold rolled bar and need advice on a cheap and
simple way, if that's possible. I've heard of kits that employ cold
methods for black oxide. I'm a pre-newbie in all this and need advice
and/or a referral. Also any other ideas re making my ugly ducklings
into swans? TIA, Arch

Fortiter,


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

Arch

you could try gun bluing. depending on the length of time left on the
metal you can vary the coloration.

James

Arch wrote:
I started making some inserted bit hollowing tools and it was so easy I
couldn't stop. Now I have a pot full! Half inch shafts, 3/16 in. bits,
maple handles with copper tubing ferrules, but I need to gussy them up
before giving to turning friends. Might be a hopeless task and turners
will just turn away, but maybe blackening or bluing and polishing the
shafts would make them presentable.

I've never blackened cold rolled bar and need advice on a cheap and
simple way, if that's possible. I've heard of kits that employ cold
methods for black oxide. I'm a pre-newbie in all this and need advice
and/or a referral. Also any other ideas re making my ugly ducklings
into swans? TIA, Arch

Fortiter,


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

Hi Arch, get out your friendly Machinery's Handbook, most any edition, and
check the section "Coloring Metals". You will have several choices there
but not too many are home friendly, mostly because of the higher temperature
required to finish the process. You might also contact your local metal
plater and ask what they would charge to "blacken" them for you. I realise
however, given your ancestry, that paying for something you could do for
yourself is probably not acceptable.......(G)
"Arch" wrote in message
...
I started making some inserted bit hollowing tools and it was so easy I
couldn't stop. Now I have a pot full! Half inch shafts, 3/16 in. bits,
maple handles with copper tubing ferrules, but I need to gussy them up
before giving to turning friends. Might be a hopeless task and turners
will just turn away, but maybe blackening or bluing and polishing the
shafts would make them presentable.

I've never blackened cold rolled bar and need advice on a cheap and
simple way, if that's possible. I've heard of kits that employ cold
methods for black oxide. I'm a pre-newbie in all this and need advice
and/or a referral. Also any other ideas re making my ugly ducklings
into swans? TIA, Arch

Fortiter,


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

Arch wrote:

I've never blackened cold rolled bar and need advice on a cheap and
simple way, if that's possible. I've heard of kits that employ cold
methods for black oxide. I'm a pre-newbie in all this and need advice
and/or a referral. Also any other ideas re making my ugly ducklings
into swans? TIA, Arch



This is something I should try for myself before giving advice, but the
idea just popped into my head--
Induce a layer of surface rust on the tools (closed container & salt
water?) then use the Rust Convertor stuff or whatever it's called, for
auto bodies. It converts rust to a black oxide. Then buff it with a
scotchpad, to make it look halfway nice.

The bluing method used for guns and such was originally done first by
browning the surface, which was actually a fine surface rust, then
boiling in water which turned the oxide blue. At least that's what I
remember--can't find the book I read it in (one of Guy Lautard's
Machinist's Bedside Readers)

Ken Grunke
SW Wisconsin
http://www.token.crwoodturner.com/
Member, Coulee Region Woodturners AAW chapter
http://www.crwoodturner.com/



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Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:20:43 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

I started making some inserted bit hollowing tools and it was so easy I
couldn't stop. Now I have a pot full! Half inch shafts, 3/16 in. bits,
Hey Arch,

I doubt that any of your friends would turn away and not want one of
your tools. I sure wouldn't but if you wanted to simply polish them
then you should be able to rig up a sewn cloth buffing wheel with
some rouge or other buffing compounds and see if the shafts won't
polish up.

Bertie

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

Thanks all,

Ken I'll try boiling a piece of rusty steel, if it doesn't darken, at
least it shouldn't crack....maybe a LDD soak?

Bertie, email me when convenient.

Arch

Fortiter,


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

Bertie Pittman wrote in message
...
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 16:20:43 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

I started making some inserted bit hollowing tools and it was so easy I
couldn't stop. Now I have a pot full! Half inch shafts, 3/16 in. bits,
Hey Arch,

I doubt that any of your friends would turn away and not want one of
your tools. I sure wouldn't but if you wanted to simply polish them
then you should be able to rig up a sewn cloth buffing wheel with
some rouge or other buffing compounds and see if the shafts won't
polish up.

Bertie

Nor would I resist one being pressed in my cold, inactive woodturning hand!
Bertie! I don't think you understand the nature of this group. What you
propose is far too simple a plan for finishing these archetype hollowing
tools! I suggest you do a google with the search term "Rube Goldberg" and
do some studying on what is expected as answers for such requests! *G*

Leif

Making an ugly tool presentable (sometimes appearance matters)
 

One 65 degree black product is Instablak 333 from epi.com.

Derek