Barrel Browing

[Lancer]

Hello all,

I was wondering if maybe somebody out there could give a greenhorn some much needed advice. I am currently working on my first "kit". It's a Traditions Kentucky pistol that my brother bought me a while back. While it's only a percussion (sorry ), I thought it best to start out on something easy and then move on to a rifle (flint of course) the next time. My problem is that I browned the barrel with Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown and Degreaser and man did it brown the barrel ::. My wonderful wife however lost the instructions and I have forgotten how to deactivate the reaction. I thought you use baking soda and warm water but I'm not sure. Any help on this would be appreciated. Maybe I'll post a picture when I'm done.

 

[TwoShadows]

The baking soda thing should work....so will heavily coating it in plain old motor oil....so will melting candle wax all over it and then heating it enough with a hair dryer to leave only a thin coat of candle wax.....a good coating of ballistol....your options are many.

 

[Slowpoke]

Lance,
Your barrel will continue to rust... even if you put oil on it... it's no problem. Just apply more oil and come back the next day, wipe it off (probably see a little rust on the rag) and re-apply oil. Continue and by weeks end the rust should stop. Also, don't use WD40 use motor oil or 3-1 oil. If I'm using a quick browning process like Plum Brown, I like to use beeswax while the barrel is still hot... turns it a nice chocolate brown. With a slow rust process... you have to continue to apply oil till it's finish.

Chuck

 

Baking soda and warm water. Mix it up a couple times then when clean it out and lube it up just as you would do after shooting. The barrel will give a nice even brown.

 

[2172]

I've had luck just washing it off with cold water, wiping it dry, and applying Johnson's paste wax...Hank

 

[RussB]

Lance,
Your barrel will continue to rust... even if you put oil on it... it's no problem. Just apply more oil and come back the next day, wipe it off (probably see a little rust on the rag) and re-apply oil. Continue and by weeks end the rust should stop. Also, don't use WD40 use motor oil or 3-1 oil. If I'm using a quick browning process like Plum Brown, I like to use beeswax while the barrel is still hot... turns it a nice chocolate brown. With a slow rust process... you have to continue to apply oil till it's finish.

Chuck

Hi Chuck....I would like to hear a bit more about use of BeesWax in the Browning process..ie, when it is applied, how it is applied.
I have heard of this before, but that was before I got into browning.
I use TRU-BROWN from Wahkon Bay Outfitting, and I don't get that "just what I want" look. (know what I mean?)
Perhaps the addition of Beeswax to my procedure would help a bit. I've seen browns that were almost blue, in the right light, but I've never been able to it. Not even close!
Could you elaborate just a bit more on the Beeswax thingy.
Thank You.
Russ

 

[robinghewitt]

According to the British Army recipe of July 1815 boiling water will destroy the action of the acid.

Before 1815 a few makers had provided guns with russetted barrels (eg: Nock's volley gun) but I'm not sure the Army browned their own.

Notice the absence of corrosive sublimate, this stuff was almost potable ::

1/2 ounce Nitric Acid
1/2 ounce Sweet Spirit of Nitre
1 ounce Spirits of wine
2 ounce Blue Vitriol
1 ounce Tincture of Steel

And then to seal it afterwards a varnish

1 quart Spirits of Wine
2 drams Dragon's Blood powder
1 ounce Shellac bruised
(WO 44/647)

They also required "an Iron Plate with a small furnace for heating the barrels on and a Boiler for Water for destroying the Action of the Acid".

 

[Slowpoke]

Russ,
There are two browning processes that I use, fast and slow.
The fast method is to use Plum Brown and heat the barrel with a torch till hot and apply the solution. Once the barrel is browned and still hot, I use a brick of bees wax to go over the entire barrel. This helps end the browning process and will actually turn the barrel more of a chocolate color.
With the slower method I use Wahkon Bay (which is no longer available, I have 5 bottle in hiding) and a "sweat box" (which is a box the barrel sits in with a light bulb and damp sponge... I put dowel stick in either end to free float the barrel) With the WB I apply the solution and wait a day and rust will start to form. Then I "card" the barrel with steel wool and re-apply. I continue the process till the barrel obtain the color I desire. Now I like this slow browning because it tend to "pit" the outside of the barrel... it's just a personally preference. I don't use beeswaw when I do it this way because the barrel isn't hot, I use use motor oil so stop the browning.

Now with this all said, there are several ways to brown a barrel and people might do things a little different but this is just what I do.... The pictures below are of a barrel and lock browned with wahkon bay...

Looks like a sewer pipe up close

But a little better farther away

I'm sorry I don't have pictures of plum browned barrel.

Chuck

 

[RussB]

Chuck........Thanks a million. I use the same process you described, with the "sweat box", and 70W light bulb. I'm about out of WB...and, I didn't know it was no longer available, so I guess it's going to be Plumb Brown on my next project.
When you do get a picture of the Plumb Browning, I would appreciate seeing it.
Also, if I understood you correctly, The use of Beeswax is when using Plumb Brown. NOT WB. Have you ever tried the Beeswax when using Wahkon Bay? With the "pitting" process you may just make a mess, although it just might clean up okay.....just a thought, since I have about a pint of WB left.
Respectfully, Russ

 

[Slowpoke]

The beeswax would protect the barrel but I don't think it would help in changing the color but I don't know because I've never tried it.
Below is a picture of a barrel done with Plum Brown and beeswaxs. In the picture it look a little pale.... I guess it the lighting.

Chuck

 

[Chris Evrard]

Lance,
I have always used Amonia to neutralize the browning process. Works like a champ. I cold brown using Tru Brown or more recently Laurel Mountain Forge. Neutralize with Amonia, and then heat the bbl with a propane torch and rub in a bit of bees wax.

Incidentely, I have been VERY pleased with the LMF browning solution.

Hope that helps,

Chris E.

 

[Lancer]

Gentlemen,

I want to thank all of you for the help you have given me on this. I have tried the baking soda and warm water solution and then after that I put on a light coat of oil. Looks pretty good but I may do some more work to get it a little darker. I will post a picture when it's finished I hope. Thanks again for all the great advice. Now I'm wanting to start on a rifle and of course this one will be a flintlock.

 

[RussB]

This thread has a little mould on it by now, but I thought I might pull it out one more time to see what your feelings might be on browning the barrel, but leaving the sights blue.

Actually considering buffing the sights up to about 400 matchless,and re-blueing them. I think I may be looking for a "glare" problem in sunlight, but then again I actually don't know.
I have had hi-gloss sights before and I don't recall them being a problem.

The other option would be to brown the sights while I'm doing the barrel and lock. This is going to happen on a somewhat older Hawken I recently acquired, so if things don't turn out just right "it ain't no big deal"...just a bit more work. On a brown bbl, which one do you think would look better?

Any thoughts???

 

[cptleo1]

My last one I browned the bbl and fire blued the sights and a few assorted screws.

I think it looks neat and glare is no problem.

When you look down the bbl at the sights they look black.

Give it a try if you don't like it you can emory the blue off and start agian.

Good Luck

 

[Nightwind]

After admiring this one guy's rifles, I asked how he got such a beautiful browning on the barrels. He laughed and said; First I drive a wooden plug in the muzzle end, tie a wire around the tang bolt hole, and then submerge the whole thing down in the outhouse!!!:shocking: :shocking:
Somehow, I just didn't feel like shouldering another one of his rifles again!!