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Topic: I took the mild steel plunge

Saverio
Member
Member # 63

posted 08-17-2001 05:58 PM

I was getting tired of the uneveness, the smell, and the non-period look of my galv. steel maille, so I decided to strip the coating with some vinegar. It probably could have gone smoother than it did, but I'm still happy with the results. (Some of my clothes are still stained from the rusty vinegar water).

I put some pics on my page. Tell me what you think. http://members.tripod.com/~SantoBuobo/maille.html

Dan

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: Saverio ]

Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Jeff Johnson
Member
Member # 22

posted 08-17-2001 07:19 PM

Cool.

Also, I've heard that some home ovens, especially the self-cleaning ones, can get a high enough temperature to induce blueing. May be easier and cheaper than the propane torch.

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Geoffrey Bourrette
Man At Arms

Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Reinhard von Lowenhaupt
Member
Member # 119

posted 08-17-2001 08:55 PM

What you are discussing isn't true blueing. The process of blueing metal is actually an acid applied to the metal, where the "blueing" caused by heating is actually a carbon blackening. The 'carbonized' steel is somewhat rust resistant, while acid blueing requires constant oiling to prevent surface rust. Just wanted to point this out if anyone is interested.

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: Reinhard von Lowenhaupt ]

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Per Mortem Vinco

Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

Jeff Johnson
Member
Member # 22

posted 08-18-2001 08:26 AM

Are you talking about modern cold bluing?

Blue is blue. If something makes the metal blue, then it is blueing.

In "Medieval Craftsmen, Armorers" Pfaffenbilcher claims that heating to 313 Degrees C, followed by a quench, was the method employed by armorers.

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Geoffrey Bourrette
Man At Arms

Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

J.K. Vernier
Member
Member # 123

posted 08-18-2001 04:07 PM

Blueing has nothing to do with carbonization. It is a thin layer of oxide (Fe2O3) which can be induced by heat or chemicals. The thinnest layer is a golden color, and as the oxide builds up it creates a spectrum of colors through dark brown, purple, blue, and finally an opaque gray which can build up heavily into "firescale." The colors are indicative of specific temperatures (as Jeff pointed out), up to a certain point. Above a certain temperature (800 F?) all you get is firescale.

Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

Seigneur de Leon
Member
Member # 65

posted 08-18-2001 04:13 PM

Regia Anglorium insists on removing the galv. coating for the maille, though I've yet to do it. I like the shine, and figured I'd wait until they have an actual event before I do. Several people have suggested muratic acid, which is what sheet metal workers use when they soldier or weld gutters, etc..., but I was worried about dissolving my riveted maille. I've heard that vinegar, or acetic acid only discolours it. Did it actually remove the zinc, and was there any degradation of the metal?

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VERITAS IN INTIMO
VIRES IN LACERTU
SIMPLICITAS IN EXPRESSO

Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Reinhard von Lowenhaupt
Member
Member # 119

posted 08-18-2001 09:56 PM

There is also a process of heat blueing. It is an acid treatment done under heat (as firearms are treated). Cold blueing is merely a surface treatment, hot chemical blueing permeats deeper into the metal, where as heat-"blueing" as in this case is a chemical reaction in the steel to the heat. They are all different processes that produce similar results.

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Per Mortem Vinco

Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

Androu
Member
Member # 148

posted 08-19-2001 11:28 AM

I've heard that vinegar, or acetic acid only discolours it. Did it actually remove the zinc, and was there any degradation of the metal?[/B][/QUOTE]

Greetings,

Yes, vinegar will definately remove the zinc coating from maille completely if given a few days to do the job. I soaked my knee-length, long-sleeve hauberk in about five gallons of regular white vinegar for about a week and was left with bare steel. The maille rusted a bit while it was soaking, but a vigorous tumble in a duffle bag with a few handfulls of sand tossed in removed the bulk of it. Hope this helps.

-Matt Anderson

Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Saverio
Member
Member # 63

posted 08-19-2001 07:02 PM

The vinegar completely removed the zinc, though, as Androu said, it takes a couple of days to finish.

I had virtually no rust on my maille until I took it out of the vinegar. It then proceeded to turn brown while I was looking for another container to wash it in. I put it back in the bath to clean of the rust and then put it straight into baking soda water to neutralize the vinegar.

After that, a tumble with some fine gravel removed the little bit of rust that formed.

Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

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