I fired the bluing tanks this am. You know, I've made five new bluing tanks ... larger to suit longer pcs. now and orders I have.

Well ... the old tanks were 6 by 6 by 40. The new ones are 6 by 8 by 48. Doesn't sound like much ... but .... 6 by 6 by 40 is 1440 cubic inches. 6 by 8 by 48 is 2304 cubic inches. As I suspected ... almost twice as much. I was somewhat afraid of this. I had about a third to a half of a bucket of salts. I'd scrounged all the old solution I could save. I needed to bring the tank up to level and salt content.

I fired the shop. Got the first rack of parts in the cleaning hot solution bath ... tried to get the salt tank up to temp. I needed 280 F. I added water to the tank, and added salt. You can tell what's happening by the responce of the bath and the temp. You are watching the "boiling point" of the solution. If, as mine did ... it started a rolling boil at just 250 F, you know you need more salt to raise the boiling point. Otherwise ... you'll never go above that temp, because the salt/water ratio will prevent it.

Rememeber ... water boils at 212 F. Add salt, and you can raise that boiling point. This chemical mix is not just salt. It's designed to produce that rich black color. I added my salt compound. The temp came up to 260 F and boiled. I added more ... it went to 265 F. But - it was taking more and more to move the temp. That's it ... I'm out of salt. Ah Crap! But, I remove some overall solution, and let it boil some. That's boiling water out ... the salt will remain .... and richen the solution. I might be OK.

The temp gets to 275 F. I decide to go for it. I put in a rack of cleaned parts. About a thousand intakes, barrel hubs, etc. The temp. falls, then comes back as it heats. It goes to like 276 and hangs there. And hangs there. On and on ... then the parts start looking a bit rusty. Not black ... just rust. The tamp stays there. I need 280 F. I'm screwed.

I shut down the shop. I have to bite the bullet and order salts. It's expensive and the overnight will be nasty. Have to do it. I call ... I can order it .... BUT ... don't you know ... it's HAZARDOUS MATERIALS!!!!! has to be shipped slow boat. Might take a week. I'm screwed again.

Somehow ... I recall a guy I once used to blue some stuff for me. I wonder if he's still around. Still in business. Would he sell or trade me salts? I clean up, and decide to go to his place. But - I might as well take this propane tank. They don't have gauges. I was not sure how much I'd used it. I'd tried to spray a mist of water on it, to get a frost line indicator. Didn't work today.

Well, I can take the tank (it's 68 lbs empty if I recall). And, it had some in it. I just couldn't risk another aborted session. The yard trailer has yard waste in it and is almost full. I have to toss it on top of the debris. I head to town to Mr. Brown's place, the propane place, and the land fill. Get to Mr. Browns ... he's alive. Still there. Sign on the door says CLOSED. Lunch ffrom 12-1. It's 2:30. Not good. I go to the house. Young woman says he's here ... he forgets to change the sign. She takes me down to the shop, I go in and he's on the phone. Looooong conversation about a cat. Sounds like it's with a Vet or something. He keeps saying he doesn't want the cat put down. I figure his mood is gonna be strained, and I'm there to waste his time and ask for a favor. Takes a long time to clear the phone call. At the end, he regroups. I tell him I'm sorry he's having trouble with is cat. I'm still not sure the issue.

Well, when it's appropriate, I remind him he used to do some bluing for me. Tell him I have a real mess he might be able to help me with, if he's inclined. I'd like to buy or borrow some salt. Long story shorter .... he loans me nearly an entire bucket of the stuff!!!! I nearly hugged him.

I went to the propane place. Got a fill. I'd had about a third of a tank. Would just have been enough for the job. Glad to have it filled. I went to the land fill. Forgot my pitch fork, so I unloaded it with my hands like a groundhog digging a den. I did have gloves, thank God.

And, now I'm home. (If you are thinking my back must be all better now - to do all this ... ah ... sorry ... you'd be mostly wrong. On the 1-10 scale ... it was a solid 9 this am. Drugs brought it to a 4 before going to work. Was mostly a 7 after the land fill. Now I go back to sand the stuff again ... it's around a 6 after this rest).

Wish me luck. Ah ... GOOD luck.

Gary

Well, that sounds like a pretty crappy day yet somehow, semi-salvaged. So, you have a bunch of rework (sanding to do for betting on a 5 degree "come" (betting on the "come" is a term I'm familiar with, I have no idea if it translates outside my experience...).

I had a very frustrating day as well. It involved a bunch of government employees and contract employees that couldn't reach a decision if it jumped out in front of their car. I usurped enough authority and took enough decisions to protect all their sorry butts for another year... I just wish I could have fired half of them...I could have doubled the speed of progress! But, I couldn't have blued a darn thing!

Hi Jerry,

Man, I knew you had an important position, with a lot of authority .... but I didn't know you could "save sorry butts ... for a YEAR!" Man, I wish my sorry butt would have been in that group of sorry butts. I could really use being saved for another year about now.

I did finish the bluing session. Those who tell me to not over-do it, etc., would be disappointed in me. I felt really bad through most of it. Feel pretty bloody awful now. Nothing like being dizzy and queezy while working with boiling vats of nasty crud and scalding steel. I simply HAD to have those parts blued. There's no Jerry here to save my butt.

I think the stuff is alright. I had to finish, and leave. If I live til morning ... I'll see how I did.

Gary

Gary,

You're on your own. Your butt is just not mine to save!

Gary, still wish you would have taken an easy instead of pushing this session through. Hope you will be able to rest comfortably.

Thanks Mike,

Ah heck ... I'm fine. You know how it is. You finally get your ducks in a row ... no time to quit for the small stuff. Seems to be it works here. "Just a flesh wound!" as Monty Python would say. hahahah. They'll have to do better than that, to keep me down.

Gary