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View Full Version : Oxpho-Blue on planes, saws, card scrapers?



James K Peterson
04-01-2009, 9:54 AM
Is there any reason I shouldn't use bluing on the sole of my planes, hand saws, and card scrapers?

The only thing I was thinking could be a problem was if the bluing rubbed off on the wood. Bob Smalser gave a great post on bluing a chisel, but I just wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to put it on the sole of my planes (and saw blades and scrapers).

george wilson
04-01-2009, 10:25 AM
I use Oxpho blue to touch up old guns. I can tell you that it will wear off anything that gets rubbed on,like the bottom of a plane rubbing on wood. Why do you want to blue plane soles? It's not an appropriate place to blue. Nor is anything you handle firmly,like a tool. It won't be long before your fingers and thumbs wear out the blue on a scraper. You will be touching it up a lot.

David Gendron
04-01-2009, 12:06 PM
I have a saw from Smalser, that he blue and it does leave some mark on the wood... Not a big deal in this case since the saw is a coars rip saw. but I wouldn't do it to my tools or by a tool with it again!
David

Marc Casebolt
04-01-2009, 12:35 PM
I used it on my holdfasts that came from Gramercy (TFWW). As you can imagine they get banged a lot with a large maple mallet, and the bluing has not worn off at all. Also used it on the hardware I made for my frame saw which does not get much abuse, but it looks really nice.

Marc

george wilson
04-01-2009, 12:40 PM
Banging might be different from rubbing. Were those holdfasts cast? If so,the bluing went in deeper. Your banging isn't as abrasive as rubbing.

Marc Casebolt
04-01-2009, 4:28 PM
Hey George, I see what you're saying, about the banging/rubbing thing (there is a joke in there somewhere). According to Gramercy TFWW the holdfast is made of wire stock (3/4"), so is not cast iron. Also the shaft where it goes through the bench and wedges in is showing no sign of the bluing rubbing off at all. It would seem to get a lot of rubbing / friction there. I don't have a whole lot of experience with the Oxpho blue, but it sure seems to hold up for me so far.

Marc

george wilson
04-01-2009, 4:33 PM
It rubs off my polished guns with just a minimum of handling. Maybe it won't penetrate a polished steel surface as well as a rougher surface. In fact,I'm sure it won't. Those planes are going to be fairly smooth,too,although of cast iron. Maybe it will penetrate,but I think he'll regret it if he blues them.

Phil Thien
04-01-2009, 8:25 PM
Maybe it will penetrate,but I think he'll regret it if he blues them.

OTOH, if it rubs right off, not much to regret. :D

I have had mixed luck w/ OB. Some substrates hold it well. Others, not so well.

Tony Zaffuto
04-01-2009, 9:34 PM
If I remember correctly, Bob Smalser's primary reason for bluing was because he was a boat builder and always in a wet enviroment. Also, did Bob use bluing or browning?

T.Z.

george wilson
04-01-2009, 11:20 PM
Bluing is a protection against rust,but only the most minimal protection. Guns will rust fast if they are gotten wet,and are not oily. You've all seen old rusty guns. They were all blued,or browned. Both processes are forms of rust. The browning is more of a rusting process. Cold blue is just not a good blue,though. Good blue must be done hot,in a tank that the parts are submerged in,and repeatedly taken out,rubbed with steel wool,and re immersed in until a thicker blue,or brown is laid down.