Thread: Carding wheel for rust blue process

Any local suppliers for a soft carding wheel for removing build up after the rust blue process? About to give it a go.

Originally Posted by FRST

Any local suppliers for a soft carding wheel for removing build up after the rust blue process? About to give it a go.

Complete and utter waste of time and money

Just do it all by hand with 0000 steel wool
The only carding brush you need is a very fine stainless steel one about the size of a tooth brush to get into the details where the steel wool won't reach

There is no place at all in the process for a carding wheel

What your looking for is https://www.toolfactory.co.nz/produc...ver-whew-15040

There are a couple of jeweler supply places that stock them in NZ.

I have used them for carding rust blue and they work well, however I agree with Akaroa1 that they are not necessary.

Want to run them about 1000rpm from memory

Yeah, I just use fine stainless steel wool soaked in water. An old toothbrush is fine for any parts you cannot reach with the wool.

Fine Scotchbrite works also.

I think carding wheels were used because Scotchbrite hadn't been invented yet.

I have always used steel wool, but if you were to use a carding wheel then it must be from the finest gauge steel or stainless steel wire and run at a slow to moderate speed with only light pressure. Heavy wire, high speed or heavy pressure will rip it back to bare metal in seconds, and also scour the surface. Brass wheels will deposit a fine layer of brass and halt the subsequent recoating process. Clean cotton gloves and steel wool work well!

Does this also apply for when removing rust?
The comment I was told was to be consistent with the brush direction, when using the carding wheel.
I’m wondering how the finish would look, post 0000 steel wool.

Any thoughts?

The finish looks like this with OOOO
Do not use a machine tool brush



The barrel and the band are new 4140

Carding is the easiest job a gunsmith will ever do
Don't complicate it
There is no hack you just do it by hand and see and feel everything

Impressive!

Hmmm. Dealing with corrosion will take ages by hand.
I’ll give it a go.

Thank you.