Iron Will Broadhead Corrosion Protection

[Berger024]

I've dropped a 3 pack of v100 Iron Will's into a pint Mason jar with some acetic acid (white vinegar) overnight used a toothbrush to scrub them up quick and then dried them off. I then applied a little mineral oil and they are good to go, look rifle blued and it cuts down significantly on corrosion spotting and staining. This chemical reaction will keep corrosion at bay longer than untreated. Still razor sharp after the vinegar bath.

 

[5 shot group]

Interesting idea. Just wondering, but was the simple maintenance too much to bother with or was the potential spotting that big of an issue to you? Do they still have a smooth feel or are they a bit more rough feeling now? Does this void the warranty?

Not trying to roast you or anything, just genuinely curious

 

[Berger024]

I'm in a wetter climate where we get quite a bit of snow and some rain for whitetail season. I mainly did it for the spotting. I noticed even after a few days of hunting in wetter conditions I was getting spotting. I mainly did itt for that. I never had actual deep corrosion on it. As far as warranty, I can't say if it voids it or not, but if they have a lifetime warranty I would be amazed if Iron Will Outfitters denied a future claim because of a 13 hr vinegar bath. The maintenance wasn't bad, but once two broadheads had spotting, it was extremely difficult to remove and that was only after 4 days of camping in snowy conditions.

 

[Whisky]

I would be curious to hear @Bill V weigh in on this.

 

[Wrench]

If you boil them after bluing it'll set the oxide and help a lot.

As much salt as you can dissolve in hydrogen peroxide works great too.

 

[Berger024]

White vinegar is a very weak acid. If you leave steel in for a very long time you might get etching and pitting, but it's such a mild reducing acid that it's just a chemical reaction to the surface. Under a dissecting microscope, I did not see any change to the blade edges before touching them up on a stone, compared to the other one that did not do the vinegar bath.
I'm definitely no expert by any means, went to school years 17 years ago for bio-chem and have a basic 101 level of understanding of materials and processing.

I would be interested in what someone from Iron WIll Outfitters says as well!

 

[Bill V]

Interesting. I've done a little research on forcing a patina through acid etching. I'm sure it can be done effectively, but chemical baths can damage blades if done improperly. As far as warranty, we wouldn't cover damage done by the acid bath or a process gone wrong, but we would cover a blade if it bent or broke shooting at an animal for instance whether it had a surface patina or not. Personally, I'm happy with the corrosion resistance of A2 tool steel with its 5% chromium. A light mineral oil coating works well for extended rainy or snowy conditions.