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blued chain hauberk
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:11 pm
by Heath B fraychef
anybody ever done one or heard of t bieng done?
i was discussing it with a friend and would like to see if it could be done.
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:28 am
by Konstantin the Red
The technical difficulty in hot-tank blueing -- and that's mild steel only, sir -- is to ensure a nice even blueing job, keeping any links from lying upon other links so they have areas not blued. You have to stir it around a fair bit -- and the solution is not transparent. It's inky.
The logistical question to be answered is, is there a business nearby that does hot tank blueing and whose tanks are large enough to immerse a shirt of mail?
Blueing is also not very wear resistant. The insides of the links will very soon wear through.
Blueing works much better for sixteenth century plate. There are many works of art depicting dark plate armor, which seems to have been massively popular. Blued plate harness has also come down to us in museums.
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:44 am
by knitebee
if the mail is clean and polished (does need to be shiney silver) then throw it in the oven at 500deg for a while. It should give a nice deep blue. As KtR pointed out it will wear and scuff easly.
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:16 am
by losthelm
Chemical blueing or a Blue Patina?
How are you going to use the hauburk when your done?
For a decorative use a few non durable options are available.
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:01 am
by Thomas Powers
I had my rebar tie wire shirt, 1/4" id 4in1, hot blued around 1982, It's time to do it again!
I had my gunsmith do it as he had the tanks and chemicals.
Looked SPIFF!
but remember hot bluing does not prevent rust so taking care of it properly will extend the life of the bluing.
Thomas Powers