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browning barrel
- Thread starter tblack
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:idunno:I like the browning solution that davis makes but laurel mountain makes a good one to. I think about any of them will work if done right,just follow the instructions. You'll want to brown the whole thing including the tang and sights if they are steel. For the color of the stock it depends on what stain you use. Try putting some in the barrel channel or under the buttplate to see if you like it before you stain the rifle. The same stain can look different on 2 different peices of maple. I have used danglers orange toner under their golden brown with good results. Just have to do some experimenting with different stuff to see what you like. I'm sure there are others on here that know more than I do can give you some more ideas. Good luck,Dew
Just to be clear, there are two types of browning methods, hot brown, and cold brown.
The hot brown is done by heating the parts and applying the solution when the metal is hot enough to sizzle. It's a very superficial coloring, not as durable as the cold brown. More of a staining process, but it does give a really nice brown color. Use Birshwood Casey's Plumb Brown for hot browning.
The cold brown method is probably more popular, and offers more durability, but it does take longer and more attention is needed to get good results. It's more of an actual deep rusting process. I use Track's tru-brown, because I bought alot of it when they were out of everythink else, but I hear good things about laurel Mountain. They are probably all pretty similar.
If you want a true reddish color, you will need to experiment with different stains, like already mentioned. I like aqua fortis myself. It does give a somewhat reddish brown finish, but the color will vary with each piece of wood. You can, however, tweek the strength with water to lighten the color. It's used only on maple BTW. Good luck. Bill
The hot brown is done by heating the parts and applying the solution when the metal is hot enough to sizzle. It's a very superficial coloring, not as durable as the cold brown. More of a staining process, but it does give a really nice brown color. Use Birshwood Casey's Plumb Brown for hot browning.
The cold brown method is probably more popular, and offers more durability, but it does take longer and more attention is needed to get good results. It's more of an actual deep rusting process. I use Track's tru-brown, because I bought alot of it when they were out of everythink else, but I hear good things about laurel Mountain. They are probably all pretty similar.
If you want a true reddish color, you will need to experiment with different stains, like already mentioned. I like aqua fortis myself. It does give a somewhat reddish brown finish, but the color will vary with each piece of wood. You can, however, tweek the strength with water to lighten the color. It's used only on maple BTW. Good luck. Bill
There's a whole nuther section bout that stuff my friend, just down the main page a bit called the
Gun Builders Bench; http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/21/
Up on top of that is a stikie titled LMF browning instructions.
Good stuff, easy to use. If you don't like how it turned out it's easy too sand off an do again.
All kinds of topics down there about stains an finish too. Read the back pages a bunch,, there's TONS of info, :wink:
Gun Builders Bench; http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/21/
Up on top of that is a stikie titled LMF browning instructions.
Good stuff, easy to use. If you don't like how it turned out it's easy too sand off an do again.
All kinds of topics down there about stains an finish too. Read the back pages a bunch,, there's TONS of info, :wink:
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cowpoke1955
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Like DEW, when I built my .54 GPR flint kit I used Laurel Mountain Forge: http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_96_214_216&products_id=3175 . It is so easy to use and it works great. I browned the barrel, yang, butt plate, toe plate, trigger guard and nose cap. The front and rear sight I blued for contrast. I got a very nice walnut stock with the kit. I just applied eight coats of boiled lendseed oil. It gave the stock a warm oil rubbed look, which blends well with the brown metal.
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paulvallandigham
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Sorry, but I have to disagree with you about hot browning's durability. I did my shotgun about 30 years ago, and that finish is on their like rock.
If there is a " Secret" to getting it right, its to clean off the browning solution residue from the barrel(& parts)with soap and water, dry, then flush with alcohol to remove and oils from your own hands, and heat the parts up again to about 270 degrees. Then spray them with any good oil- I have used WD40 and RemOil and they both worked well. The oil will smoke, so do this in a well ventilated place. You don't want to inhale those fume, so stay upwind! The oil darkens the brown, and if you leave the oil on the metal over night, it darkens the brown to a nice "Hershey's chocolate" brown color that is very durable.
The heat open the pores in the steel, and both the browning solution and the later oil get into those tiny pores where the metal closes around them as the oil evaporates and the metal cools.
I have had several people ask me over the years how I got that brown finish on my gun, and as they had only used the cold browning solutions, they were amazed at how much of a difference there is between the two finishes. :hmm: :hatsoff:
If there is a " Secret" to getting it right, its to clean off the browning solution residue from the barrel(& parts)with soap and water, dry, then flush with alcohol to remove and oils from your own hands, and heat the parts up again to about 270 degrees. Then spray them with any good oil- I have used WD40 and RemOil and they both worked well. The oil will smoke, so do this in a well ventilated place. You don't want to inhale those fume, so stay upwind! The oil darkens the brown, and if you leave the oil on the metal over night, it darkens the brown to a nice "Hershey's chocolate" brown color that is very durable.
The heat open the pores in the steel, and both the browning solution and the later oil get into those tiny pores where the metal closes around them as the oil evaporates and the metal cools.
I have had several people ask me over the years how I got that brown finish on my gun, and as they had only used the cold browning solutions, they were amazed at how much of a difference there is between the two finishes. :hmm: :hatsoff:
The Birchwood Casey Plum Brown is pretty tough all right but for browning a barrel length part I consider it to be a total PIA.
Yes, I heated the barrel enough. In fact, I have an old BC pamplet that goes into great detail about using Plum Brown.
I've followed the instructions, modified the instructions and swore at the PB and I consider the final results to be mediocre at best.
I say that after using it on at least 9 guns so this isn't a case of me having a problem on just a few guns.
The cold browining method is so much easier and produces such a nice brown it is the only method I now use on large parts.
I do use it on small parts like lock plates, trigger guards, butt plates etc when those parts are made of steel (iron) and it does work nicely on those small parts mainly because the unevenness in color isn't obvious.
Yes, I heated the barrel enough. In fact, I have an old BC pamplet that goes into great detail about using Plum Brown.
I've followed the instructions, modified the instructions and swore at the PB and I consider the final results to be mediocre at best.
I say that after using it on at least 9 guns so this isn't a case of me having a problem on just a few guns.
The cold browining method is so much easier and produces such a nice brown it is the only method I now use on large parts.
I do use it on small parts like lock plates, trigger guards, butt plates etc when those parts are made of steel (iron) and it does work nicely on those small parts mainly because the unevenness in color isn't obvious.
matt denison
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The cold browining method is so much easier and produces such a nice brown it is the only method I now use on large parts.
I agree 100%
Plum brown sucks in comparison. Just my opinion. I don't recomend PB for anything bigger than trigers or screw heads. Even then it looks transparent and fugly in color like weak coffee with too much cream in it. I tried it ONCE on a barrel, what a nasty experience. Barrel at 250+ deg. that is too hot to handle, sizzling liquid fumes coming off it. After all that a poor result. The ONLY advantage is that it is relatively fast, you can brown parts in one evening after dinner. Cold browning can take several days but the result is much much better.
I agree 100%
Plum brown sucks in comparison. Just my opinion. I don't recomend PB for anything bigger than trigers or screw heads. Even then it looks transparent and fugly in color like weak coffee with too much cream in it. I tried it ONCE on a barrel, what a nasty experience. Barrel at 250+ deg. that is too hot to handle, sizzling liquid fumes coming off it. After all that a poor result. The ONLY advantage is that it is relatively fast, you can brown parts in one evening after dinner. Cold browning can take several days but the result is much much better.
Agree completely. In fact, works so well I don't understand why anyone would even consider the hot method or using a commercial brand.
Only downside, I brown in the extra bathroom. Natural high humidity in there helps. Guests do not always understand why there is a rifle barrel in the bathroom. :haha:
StewartLeach
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I have browned barrels using both BC Plum Brown and LMF cold brown. It took me a couple of tries with each to get a good result.
The trick with the BC Plum Brown is to have an even heat of the barrel or other metal. I tried it with a torch, and the results were disappointing, Then I tried heating half at a time in the kitchen oven. Better results. Best results came when I talked a friend who runs a pizza joint into letting me heat the barrel in his oven. The whole barrel gets heated to an even temp, and you can really slather on the chemical evenly. Finally, best results were from two coats of BC, including carding lightly with 0000 steel wool and degreasing between coats. Then, as others note, washing to remove excess chemicals and several wipedowns with oil over several days.
My first attempt with LMF was unsatisfactory because I didn't take our semi-arid climate into consideration. Hanging it from the shower head with a wet towel nearby worked better. (If you do this, put a container under the barrel- the drippings stained the shower floor, which displeased Ms. Fox) Now I use one of those WallyMart plastic containers designed for storing stuff under a bed. A wet pad of cloth is laid in the bottom, and the barrel supported by wood blocks under tang and a pine plug in the muzzle. I slather on the chemical with a soft paint brush, and leave the barrel in the covered box for a few hours, turning it a flat or two once in a while to redistribute the solution. The big advantage with this is I can do it at home on my own schedule, and don't have to buy a twelve pack for the pizza guy. Three treatments and in between cardings give great results.
White Fox
The trick with the BC Plum Brown is to have an even heat of the barrel or other metal. I tried it with a torch, and the results were disappointing, Then I tried heating half at a time in the kitchen oven. Better results. Best results came when I talked a friend who runs a pizza joint into letting me heat the barrel in his oven. The whole barrel gets heated to an even temp, and you can really slather on the chemical evenly. Finally, best results were from two coats of BC, including carding lightly with 0000 steel wool and degreasing between coats. Then, as others note, washing to remove excess chemicals and several wipedowns with oil over several days.
My first attempt with LMF was unsatisfactory because I didn't take our semi-arid climate into consideration. Hanging it from the shower head with a wet towel nearby worked better. (If you do this, put a container under the barrel- the drippings stained the shower floor, which displeased Ms. Fox) Now I use one of those WallyMart plastic containers designed for storing stuff under a bed. A wet pad of cloth is laid in the bottom, and the barrel supported by wood blocks under tang and a pine plug in the muzzle. I slather on the chemical with a soft paint brush, and leave the barrel in the covered box for a few hours, turning it a flat or two once in a while to redistribute the solution. The big advantage with this is I can do it at home on my own schedule, and don't have to buy a twelve pack for the pizza guy. Three treatments and in between cardings give great results.
White Fox
paulvallandigham
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I suspended my shotgun barrels from a coathanger over a rafter in my garage. I then heated the barrel from the (bottom)muzzle end upward with a propane torch. I kept heating the barrels with a sweeping motion as I applied the B/C plum brown solution using Q-tips.
Since heat rises, heating the muzzles which were at the bottom of the suspended barrels let the heat begin to warm the barrel up before I moved the torch up to bring the steel up hot enough to take the brown. I did the barrel in 4-6" sections, working from the muzzles on up to the tang. I swept the torch over this area of the barrel, around as much of the barrel as was exposed, doing one barrel first, and then returning to do the second barrel. Browning the rib was very quick to do, last.
This can work better if you have a helper moving the torch, while you hold and rotate the barrels using a pencil or other wooden stick in the muzzle to protect you from getting burned. This gives you better control over a suspended barrel, while you lather on the solution. I would use one of those disposable paint brushes, or Cotton balls held with needle-nose plyers the next time to do this. I was too tentative with my first effort.
It seems critical that you keep the barrels hot enough for this solution to work well. Removing the barrel from the heat source begins it cooling, which can give bad results fairly quickly.
My preference for the product is not based on the ease of using it, altho that is certainly a benefit, in my judgment. NO, I like the product because of the deep dark color I get, and its toughness. Used with oil that is also burned into the surface, the browning has provide very durable. :hatsoff:
Since heat rises, heating the muzzles which were at the bottom of the suspended barrels let the heat begin to warm the barrel up before I moved the torch up to bring the steel up hot enough to take the brown. I did the barrel in 4-6" sections, working from the muzzles on up to the tang. I swept the torch over this area of the barrel, around as much of the barrel as was exposed, doing one barrel first, and then returning to do the second barrel. Browning the rib was very quick to do, last.
This can work better if you have a helper moving the torch, while you hold and rotate the barrels using a pencil or other wooden stick in the muzzle to protect you from getting burned. This gives you better control over a suspended barrel, while you lather on the solution. I would use one of those disposable paint brushes, or Cotton balls held with needle-nose plyers the next time to do this. I was too tentative with my first effort.
It seems critical that you keep the barrels hot enough for this solution to work well. Removing the barrel from the heat source begins it cooling, which can give bad results fairly quickly.
My preference for the product is not based on the ease of using it, altho that is certainly a benefit, in my judgment. NO, I like the product because of the deep dark color I get, and its toughness. Used with oil that is also burned into the surface, the browning has provide very durable. :hatsoff:
