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- May 17, 2005
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The other night I noticed, horror of horrors, there was a little trail of rust on the back of my Lancaster's frizzen. I immediately got out some 0000 steel wool and clenzoil and rubbed and rubbed. I didn't get rid of the rust, per se, but what I had left was a trail of fine black spots where the rust had been. To tell you the truth, it looks kinda nice, not at all an unpleasant effect and it struck me: Is this a technique used to age steel on guns? I've had this particular gun over 10 years, and I've always religously kept the steel, especailly the barrel (outside), coated with a thin layer of either wax or oil. Consequently, the barrel looks almost like new. I've always scratched my head when I've read about guns "building up a nice ageing patina" over the years and wondered "well, HOW does that happen?" Is this how it's done? If I'd like to build up a natural ageing patina, should I remove all traces of oil/wax, let it oxidize slowly, and then repeat what I did with the back of my frizzen?