Author Topic: Barrel finishing recipe (Read 1152 times)

Ruger4Me · « **on:** December 18, 2003, 03:00:52 AM »

Does anyone have an old recipe for make browning/bluing or some other type of finish for rifle barrels?

The one I had was to brown a barrel, I had it about 25 years ago (cant find it now) and all I can remember about it was that it had vinegar, saltpeter or black powder and some other chemicals you can get at the drug store. That is all I can remember and Im not sure that is even right.

rollingb · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2003, 08:12:34 AM »

Ruger4Me,.... The oldest "recipe" for brown'n/blue'n , is with good old-fashion "rust". Tho I've never "blued" a barrel (or, other hardware) with "rust" and cain't comment on thet proccedure, 'cept "metalic salts" are involved.
Brown'n a barrel with rust is easy to do, tho this proceedure is rather time-consume'n most fella's find the final "finish" well worth the extra time involved.

INGREDIENTS for "modern-old-time" brown'n (say "what":?: ) are:....

1- box of plywood or other suitable boards, and 'bout 12" square and long enuff for a barrel/breech-plug, stand'n upright, and with a hinged door on the side.

1- 40-50 watt light bulb fastened to the top of the box (on the inside

) when box is stand'n "on end".

1- small pan of "water" located at the "bottom" of the box.

1- bottle of "vinegar".

1- pad of #0000 steel-wool.

1- small can of "boiled linseed oil".

COOK"N TIME:.....

Throughly "oil" (with good gun-oil) the bore of the barrel, then "plug all openings" (for and aft) of the barrel.

Wipe the (outside of the) barrel down throughly with vinegar, and placed in the "box" with the "light on".

Remove from "box" after the first 24 hours, and rub with #0000 steel-wool, then place the barrel back into the "box".

Repeat proceedure "as needed" for the desired "brown" (rust).

After the desired "brown" has ben reached, rub the barrel down "vigorously" with a cotton cloth and small amounts of boiled linseed oil,... (when "dry", this will prevent further "rust'n").

Yore barrel is now "brown-finished", and if you have applyed the same proceedure to the "hardware" for yore rifle, at the same time as the "barrel",... ALL metal should be "gorgeous"!!

Good luck!!.... the above recipe requires a period of 4-5 days to complete, and is definitly well worth the time to do properly!! :toast:

HWooldridge · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2003, 09:03:06 AM »

Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown works pretty well and is a lot quicker.

rollingb · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2003, 10:31:56 AM »

HWooldridge,.... I agree thet "Plum Brown" is quicker, but I have not found it to be as "durable".

RussB · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2003, 01:16:03 PM »

Rollinb, I missed the part about where the vinegar should be clear, or cider. Or, does it really matter?

FWIW, I have the better part of a qt. of Wahkon Bay Outfitters Browning Reagent that I have used on 3 different rifles which I was not at all happy with. Pretty expensive stuff, and widely acclaimed as "being amongst the best", which it may well be, but I have never been happy with the results. I achieved after using it several times.

I am very much a fan of nice browning on rifles not requiring brass to look appropriate. I personally feel the Trade Rifle with nice browning is one of the most attractive rifles ever. Others, using a "homemade" solution, much as you describe, have had good to excellent results and I look forward to trying this "the old way".

I built the box a couple of years ago....complete with 40 Watt light bulb, and I still have it in the shop. I think I'm ready to give this browning thing another try. Let me know the type of vinegar to be used and I will get on it.
Good subject!
Russ

rollingb · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2003, 01:58:11 PM »

RussB,.... I haven't tryed the clear vinegar, but I imagine it would work as well as the apple cider vinegar, because it is the "acid" thet does the cut'n. The only reason I use the "cider" type, is I figgered it is probably more "historicaly correct" (FWTW).

A "well-browned" rifle, needs no brass to make it a work of beautiful "art"!!

Ramrod · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2003, 02:21:27 PM »

Hey guys,
I havn't tried this one yet, but have heard about folks using cheap plain yellow mustard with rollingb's method. Yes, it's the vinegar that does the rusting, the mustard just keeps it in contact with the metal longer before it evaporates. Another thing is to degrease the metal carefully before you apply any type of brown or blue, I think mistakes here are what cause uneven or mottled color in any finish.
my :money:
Ramrod

rollingb · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2003, 02:39:52 PM »

Ramrod,.... I need to make a "correction" 'bout yore last post,..... the method I use, was handed down thru a muzzleloader build'n-book I got years ago, so "I" cain't take any credit for the "method",....'cept for, pass'n it along to others!!

I've also heard 'bout folks use'n "mustard",.... but, most generally on rifles such as the "Brown Bess" and the "North West Trade Guns", which when "NEW" had a "bright" barrel thet wasn't browned. The mustard is used as a "carrier" for the vinegar it contains, and the process used is of a shorter duration then thet used for a "deep" brown'n job (results are, more of a "patina" for barrels originally offered or issued "bright")!

Ramrod · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2003, 03:18:58 PM »

Quote from: rollingb

the method I use, was handed down thru a muzzleloader build'n-book I got years ago, so "I" cain't take any credit for the "method"

Heh Heh, I know that. :wink:
This topic has more variations than Carter has pills. (ack, I'm old!)
I have a modern book of old formulas (1907) that says to use nitric acid or muriatic acid. The key I guess is anything that starts up the rusting action.
Betcha never tried piss! Another old recipie.

rollingb · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2003, 03:23:06 PM »

Ramrod,.... NOPE!!... thet's one "old recipe" I'll pass-on!! :-D :-D

Ruger4Me · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2003, 03:58:13 PM »

Thanks for all the help.

Hot Box, Gonna have to build myself one.

RussB · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2003, 10:53:37 AM »

Thanks Rollinb, et all, I will let you know how this turns out. I have to agree on the part about a well browned rifle not needing brass to add to it's looks, it isreally nice, when done right.
However, I am still of the mind that a rifle "requiring" brass, ie, Anything with a brass patch box, or butt plate, should NOT be browned. I personally feel this where your "patina" fits best. Just my thoughts though.

Ever see what mustard does to brass? I like it, others despise it. If you want to give that new Hawken a somewhat "used" look, cover all the brass with mustard and leave it over night, clean it up, then rub it with a baking soda & water paste as though you were polishing it. I've been told by some this resulted in a slight pitting, the couple of times I tried it it worked great.
Years ago I made the mistake of polishing all my brass parts on a felt wheel and 1400 rouge. It shined like a money's behind, and I was right proud of it untill I took it the range, those fellows are probably still laughing, but they were kind enough to point the error of my ways without insulting me too bad.
Russ

crow_feather · « **Reply #12 on:** December 19, 2003, 10:58:33 AM »

There is a way to use bacon grease. You need pure strained grease from regular bacon. You wipe it on clean metal and put the metal in an oven set at a certain temperature. Just as the grease starts to smoke and before it breaks into flame, take the part out and clean - repeat as necessary for darkness. I have the complete process around here somewhere, but just wanted to advise that bacon grease can also be used.

C F

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #13 on:** December 19, 2003, 11:53:01 AM »

I used to brown 'em now I blue 'em.

I picked up a charcoal blueing process from Eric Kettenberg. Check out his website at firelocks.com.

Eric thinks that charcoal blueing was very common in the mid 18th century. The browning came with age.

In a nutshell:

Dig a pit in the backyard roughly 14" wide, 14" deep, and 12" longer than the gun barrel.

Get some charcoal briquets burning (just the regular kind you use in a grill). While these are getting started, clean and degrease your gun. Don't forget to rinse away the soap residue (learned this from experience).

Spread burning charcoal along the bottom of pit.

Start pouring in bags of charcoal to fill about 1/2 way.

Lay in barrel.

Fill pit the rest of the way with charcoal. Cover with metal sheets if necessary.

Once the entire charcoal pit is a dull glowing red, hold it at that temp for 2 or 3 hours.

Dig out barrel and let it air cool.

Done.

This is a very pretty blue finish and durable.

That's the brief run-down, but not the whole story. If you're interested in trying it, let me know because there's some more tips that are important.

crow_feather · « **Reply #14 on:** December 19, 2003, 12:46:56 PM »

Black Jaque Janaviac,

I have got to ask - doesn't that make your barrel as red and glowing as the metal on top of the pit. Does that do anything to the barrel metal?

C F

wallynut · « **Reply #15 on:** December 19, 2003, 01:14:22 PM »

One "character" that I used to know, told me he browned his barrel by urinating on it and then throwing into the snow for some time. Had a very different look to it, of course, I wouldn't handle that rifle after that!!!!

If you have had problem with using Wahkon Bay stuff, usually it is because of oil (impurities) on the metal or not enough humidity. I clean my metal with brake/carb cleaner , handle with rubber gloves, and carding off the rust with cleaned steel wool (oil removed). One key to carding the rust, I just do it ever so lightly so as not to remove the base coat, just enought to get off the scale. If it seems to not be taking, let time do its thing, double or even triple the time between coats. When dry out, like in the winter, I'll leave wet rags hanging around barrel. I'm able to get dark drown to purple to black in color depending on how long I let it go.

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #16 on:** December 20, 2003, 09:23:18 AM »

Crow Feather,

Yes, the barrel should be maintained at a dull red glow. That is why you air-cool it. You're annealing it. I would not recommend this for smokeless guns. But it's fine for BP.

In fact, many BP barrels are intentionally soft. The softness makes them a little more pliable. Since the risk of bore obstruction is higher with a muzzle loader than it is with a breach loader (shooters unintentionally short starting a load) the softer barrels will bulge, or split rather than shatter. I'm basically repeating what I've read from Bill Knight.

If you're concerned about it. You could have it cryogenically frozen after the blueing. There they heat it up, and cool it down several times. This is done for smokeless barrels as well as BP bbls. The heating and freezing would probably re-temper the metal again.

Also, you don't maintain the metal cover at a dull red glow. You maintain the charcoal underneath at that temp. The cover only serves as a damper to keep the coals from overheating. You might be able to get by sans sheet metal cover if you local soil is clayey or silty. I live in an extremely sandy area and the charcoal pit acts like a blast furnace sucking air up through the grainy soil.