Vintage brass

cjgregory · Oct 16, 2024

Here is a photo that Art Caputo posted on one of my threads of an early Lancaster J. Dickert pattern rifle. The builder was Marvin Kemper.

I am ordering the parts. Ordered the barrel and semi inlet stock. The question is, does anyone know how to make the brass parts look vintage as in the photo? I’m not a fan of shiny brass parts. If there’s not a way I will just order regular iron parts and rust them.

rchas · Oct 16, 2024

You can order a brass blackening compound like JAX black or Birchwood Casey Brass Black. I just use a dirty cleaning patch. Wet it a little and rub it on the brass.

R Ellis · Oct 16, 2024

Raw egg smeared on brass will darken and dull it fast

cjgregory · Oct 16, 2024

R Ellis said:
Raw egg smeared on brass will darken and dull it fast

Just the whites or also the yolks?

R Ellis · Oct 16, 2024

I use it all kind of makes streaks on the brass

reddogge · Oct 19, 2024

On my son's rifle,

we hit it a couple of times with a dirty cleaning patch. The rest was time and oxidation. I'm not a fan of artificially aged brass.

ronaldrothb49 · Oct 19, 2024

in my opinion I haven't found anything that gives the same color as naturally aged brass. If it is an engraved part I might do a thin wash of brown paint to high lite the engraving then leave it alone. Real brass will quickly tarnish. The rifle I am currently working on the brass has already lost the shine and the rifle isn't even finished yet.

Tumbledown · Oct 19, 2024

I find old brass just has a look new brass can never duplicate. It develops an amber undertone from age no amount of polishing can remove, unlike artificial methods.

One method that may help dull the newness is to heat the brass with a propane torch, then put in a vinegar-peroxide bath. The heat draws the copper up, and the bath removes the fire scale. (You can remove the scale by hand polishing, but it takes a lot of work.) For subsequent cleaning, just mix a paste of vinegar and flour and rub the brass with it. It will leave tge brass looking older than commercial polishes will.

Vintage brass

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