Yep an antique patina from
JAX. I bought mine from
The Compleat Sculptor
The label says contains selenious acid. Instructions say brush on with a bristle brush or immerse the item to be colored in the liquid. I tried the brush method, and it didn't work very well. Coloring was inconsistent and streaky. Instructions also say after the finish is applied, rinse in water and dry. After drying use steel wool to polish and highlight.. That seemed to just take the metal back to brass.
Alternate method listed is to immerse in the solution, rinse in water then dry and polish with a cloth. Wiping with a cloth thinned the finish.
The instructions also say the finish can be oiled or lacquered.
I tired the both methods.
The best for this application was immersion.
I had problems finding a container large enough and small enough to fit the barrel in. Finally dug out one of the small part tanks I use for slow rust bluing. The barrel fit fine but the pint of liquid I had was not enough to totally cover the barrel, so I to roll the barrel back and forth to get uniform coverage. I used rubber gloves and a dowel to move the barrel. I kept moving the barrel around in the solution until the barrel was black. I rinsed the barrel and dried it with air.
The first time I used a cotton cloth to wipe the oxidation of but the finish was either too thin or too soft and it wiped off to brass.
I wasn't satisfied so I dipped the barrel again, rinsed and dried. After drying this time I spray the barrel with oil and then wiped the barrel off with a cloth.
I think the multiple dip and wipe method allows the color to build up and gave the finish that I was looking for. I think the process could be continued and a darker and darker finish more uniform could be achieved.
So back to paint making...