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Author Topic: Brown Patina on Stainless?  (Read 739 times)

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Offline sandcritter

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Brown Patina on Stainless?
« on: June 02, 2008, 05:14:03 AM »
Stumbled on a "traditional looking" in-line muzzleloader i like but it's in (kinda bright) stainless. Want to give it some antiquing. Thinking about having it bead blasted to a flatter finish for starters. Personally don't want to paint it. Would be ok with bluing it, which i read can be done to stainless, but have never seen a sample of the result (maybe blued stainless looks funny, i don't know). Know of any other interesting options? I'd love a lite brown patina or ...
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Offline sandcritter

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Clarification
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2008, 05:28:00 AM »
Clarification: you know that finish on rifles depicted in revolutionary and civil war movies, or re-enactments, of bare unfinished metal with a light rust to them? That's what am thinking of.

Was reading online about hot bleach treatments and birchwood casey plum brown, but again looking for feedback on stainless application. Both sound to "accelerate rust", so imagine it may work, if weakly?
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Offline Keith L

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2008, 10:15:52 AM »
I can't imagine plumb brown which is a controlled rusting process would work on Stainless.  I think it would have to be some form of paint.  It will be interesting to see what you get for answers.  Thanks for asking the question.
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Offline flintlock

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2008, 10:50:19 AM »
Just get some browning solution like used on traditional muzzleloaders, remove the barrel, degrease it and let it go to work.. I use the stuff from Laurel Mountain...I know Jim Chambers sells it at www.flintlocks.com
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Offline gunnut69

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2008, 05:56:13 PM »
I've seen Oxpho blue accelerated with heat turn some stainless a kind of gray.. Never tried the plum brown but it might be worth a try. No stainless is rust proof just rust resistant. Oxpho blue is a form of parkerizing and it works differently than plum brown. Paint is likely the easiest route. Though stainless can be blued it is not a common thing. I've never seen a gun so finished but have seen the material for sale to do it with. Call some of your local smiths and ask their prices or check the back pages of GunDigest for some who may do the work..
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2008, 06:48:57 PM »
I found this thread on the web a while ago, have no idea if it works:

"You can blue stainless. Brownells sells the salts to do this. It is called oxynate 84. It is the same hot salt process that is used to blue non-stainless guns, just different salts. Brownells 1-515-623-4000."

Larry
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Offline sandcritter

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2008, 12:38:48 AM »
Thanks to all for your thoughts. Had exhausted the GBO archive and "google image" trying to see a picture :-) Will call a couple shops listed online, ask what they can provide (am deployed, if anyone's got a gundigest lying around home i'm all ears to who's listed in back for finishers of stainless. Planning ahead helps pass the time here). Failing that, Gunnut69's gray parkerized-like finish has crossed my mind. But in my gut i think should try Flintlock's browning solution from Chambers.
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Offline sandcritter

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 08:39:30 AM »
Followup. Didn't find an exact answer, BUT did find this guy http://gunblue.homestead.com/ who finishes stainless in hot blue and comments on the finished appearance. Also does rust blueing, but doesn't say re: stainless.
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Offline IOWA DON

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Re: Brown Patina on Stainless?
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2008, 06:10:02 AM »
I had a new stainless barrel put in a carbon steel monoblock for a Thompson Center TCR rifle. The monoblock got a little scratched up and I wanted the barrel bead blasted so I took it to the local plating shop where they bead blasted it and did their nitrate blacking. The carbon steel monoblock looks like dark bluing and the stainless barrel got sort of dull looking instead of the silvery-bright color it was before. The barrel is a long way from blued, but it does not glow in the light like it did before. - DON
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