Ageing Steel for old Patina

[Marc Adamchek]

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?

 

[WRussell]

"Browning" is just that process, accelerated. Let it rust just a bit, rub ("card") the rust off, do it again & again. The chemicals you use to rust it and the temperature determine whether you end up with brown or black. Or blue, for that matter.

Natural patina is just the same process, slowed way down. Moisture in the air, natural oils & salt in your skin, that kind of thing does the "rusting" and it's slow enough that handling keeps the rust rubbed off.

So yes, if you want a patina, just clean the steel and keep an eye on it so it doesn't get overdone.

You can also add a patina quickly by playing with the browning process.

 

[CrackStock]

I like to polish the gun to a fine, smooth and glossy finish and then handle it. I also like to rub the minor rust off with oily steel wool before it does any damage -- just gives it a little gray to get an aged look rather than going for the browned or blued look.

CS

 

[mmahlock]

:hmm: Don't know if it is true or not but I was once told that if you mix Pyrodex with water to the consistancy of toothpaste and smear it on a new steel part and leave it overnight the next morning it will look like it is a good 100 years old. :grin:

I was also told that this was the only useful application pyrodex was good for. :rotf:

 

[Mikey the Barbarian]

I 'think' one of the ingredients of Pyrodex is clorine. Yep, bleach. The same stuff the gunmakers rust parts to get the extreme aged look. Stuff outta be good for ya bore, huh?

 

:hmm: Don't know if it is true or not but I was once told that if you mix Pyrodex with water to the consistancy of toothpaste and smear it on a new steel part and leave it overnight the next morning it will look like it is a good 100 years old. :grin:

I was also told that this was the only useful application pyrodex was good for. :rotf:

:haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[spitfire]

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: